Golf's Holy Week: The Metaphor of the Masters
In a
sports-saturated culture like the U.S., people compare themselves to the games
they like to play. Reading the newspaper, magazines, television, even sermons
use sports to illustrate their points of view. Businessmen refer to moving
their players around the chessboard of the market; using the “team” analogy in
almost every presentation about their groups.
The Masters®
Bobby Jones (co-founder) on the course
If there is a “holy week” in golf’s religious calendar this
is the week. We’ve hosted the PGA Tour® in Houston and all of golf’s attention
now focuses on Augusta, Georgia and the Masters® which is the first and most
prestigious major tournament; a tradition unlike any other. Most golf fans consider this the official start
of golf season, like NASCAR®’s Daytona 500; and they worship Augusta as some
sort of mythical Shangri-La location, like mecca to where all golfers hope to
ascend. My two favorite Masters tournaments were 1984 and 1995 both won by Texas Longhorn Ben Crenshaw in dramatic fashion; yet first time winners Larry Mize (1987) and Phil Mickelson (2004) were the most remarkable and rewarding for the players as professionals.
I’ve previously written a blog post about golf (August 2011): http://bit.ly/1qdrHkV
I
look forward to watching the Masters® broadcast over the weekend, in part because it
includes so few commercials. Even though they appear on the same network,
seemingly every game-break during MarchMadness® necessitated another loud advertisement.
Everything about the Masters® telecast radiates the soft pastel beauty of an
azalea spring; even the music, narration, and camera angles. (Full disclosure:
this is the first time I’ll watch it in full-HDTV!)
From the concessions (burger, chips, and a beer for $6.50), to the bathrooms (all have attendants), to the pro shop (ship directly from UPS next-door), and the immaculate condition of the grounds (no cart paths), the event exudes pure southern class more than any commercial sporting venue. Many consider this tournament the highest priority for viewing in the entire year of sports; more important than the SuperBowl®--put simply, because of its “old school” charm.
From the concessions (burger, chips, and a beer for $6.50), to the bathrooms (all have attendants), to the pro shop (ship directly from UPS next-door), and the immaculate condition of the grounds (no cart paths), the event exudes pure southern class more than any commercial sporting venue. Many consider this tournament the highest priority for viewing in the entire year of sports; more important than the SuperBowl®--put simply, because of its “old school” charm.
Like chess, with its distinctive board, players, and
strategic moves; golf involves fighting against an opponent in an intensely
mental competition. I propose that golf provides an excellent canvass on which
to paint the metaphor of life; but it is difficult game to embrace.
As a family man, golf extracts a certain amount of guilt as
a result of dedicating half a day to the game. It’s inconvenient, expensive,
and elitist. By elitist I don’t mean snobby, but the fellowship of golfers is
not broad like sports we all play as youngsters. Like scotch, one develops a
taste for golf later in life; however it is a “human” game with great
historical significance.
Although many complain about its archaic and cumbersome
format and rules, the handicap system gives an egalitarian opportunity for any
player to challenge any fellow golfer to a match. Each golfer is equally
weighted against the other based on the difficulty of the individual holes and
how many shots the weaker player is given. It’s pretty cool.
The city bought this course from the old HCC in 1972, and I
curiously drove far into east Houston to find this historic site, originally
designed in 1908. I suspected that it would be a classic styled shorter course,
with cousins in Fort Worth, Austin, Oak Cliff, and Hermann Park. Besides,
wasting another Sunday on the Texans or Cowboys did not seem like the best use
of my time. The day provided a serene atmosphere and an enjoyable round; nature’s
beauty combined with man’s ingenuity. The quiet solitude, the fall breeze, the
beautiful pastoral setting; all combined for a therapeutic session of reflection
and escape.
I decided to re-approach golf with lowered expectations. My
game is weaker with no practice and ancient equipment, my attitude was simple:
it’s a nice day, just go play! I lean toward hitting range balls for stress
relief, my performance never exceeds inconsistency, flashes of brilliance, or
the perfectionism bred by watching too much televised professional golf. My
conscious goal was to learn the course by studying its terrain, grass, and
greens; as well as walk the course in the pure golf tradition, taking care not
to compare myself to any other golfer on this beautiful day. Secretly, I wanted
to see the amber sunset over the last green as I finished the round, but I wasn’t
sure I could finish all 18-holes that evening. Other than that, I held no
agenda for this fresh round of golf.
One can learn about golf at an early age in “Junior Golf;” it’s like Sunday school—basic and easy to consume, but fundamental to proper mechanics. Even so, golf and life get more complicated when you get out onto the course and each shot presents risks & rewards, challenges & hazards. Learning the game early in life doesn’t guarantee future success, but like the scriptures admonish, raise a child right and when they grow up they will not depart from the Lord’s ways.
I resisted the innate urge to focus on completing tasks successfully. After a life of competition, the meticulous score-keeping of golf would naturally attract me, right? Yet, it isn’t a perfectionist’s game—they left the course long ago. Golf in all its complexity and seriousness is a game of grace. Like life, for those of us in the big, competent, average middle, golf reflects the ceaseless requirement of circumstances in life requiring mercy, patience, and forgiveness.
Simple elegance or refinement of movement describes the subtle “grace” of a golf swing. I mean grace as a temporary exemption, a reprieve from the harsh criticism deserved for plunking a ball right in the water hazard. Grace in golf holds the hope that the next shot will be better, and finishing the round successfully generates smiles and the peace of mind enjoyed from simply playing the wonderful game on a pretty day. Grace is good for us, so golf is good for us. I keep trying this difficult game both for the good of the game and for the good of me!
Golf is like life in that every day is like every hole or every shot; it must be embraced one step at a time, and we cannot lose focus of our own vision, focus, or swing. Without concentration and balance, along with rhythm and confidence, I tend to rear back and hack at the ball with questionable results. The beauty of golf’s structure is that even after the worst hole, the score is written on the card and you proceed to the next hole. All the previous good or bad is forgiven and forgotten. [Jack Nicklaus, after making a quadruple-bogey 7 at the 12th hole of Augusta in 1991 and then making four consecutive birdies, said: "You have to put such things out of your mind."]
Each shot requires individual consideration and execution just like every day of our lives. The past is gone, the future uncertain; all that exists is the shot before you right now. Alistair Cooke said, “Golf is an open exhibition of overweening ambition, courage deflated by stupidity, skill scoured by a whiff of arrogance.” I’ve always remembered the great courses and the good shots, even years later.
Each hour is a swirling storm of thoughts, feelings,
desires, etc. Some are good, some are
bad, like golf rounds with sweet shots and balls in the water hazard. The rules of golf established by the Royal and
Ancient Golf Club at St. Andrews Scotland are similar to God’s established
moral standards, telling us which actions are good and which are bad. Romans 7 says we should resist the bad
impulses and cultivate the good. A
person's feelings vary hour-by-hour, just as my mood changes every shot and
every hole on the golf course; yet they don’t change the standards of the game,
even when I desperately want them to. I resisted the innate urge to focus on completing tasks successfully. After a life of competition, the meticulous score-keeping of golf would naturally attract me, right? Yet, it isn’t a perfectionist’s game—they left the course long ago. Golf in all its complexity and seriousness is a game of grace. Like life, for those of us in the big, competent, average middle, golf reflects the ceaseless requirement of circumstances in life requiring mercy, patience, and forgiveness.
Simple elegance or refinement of movement describes the subtle “grace” of a golf swing. I mean grace as a temporary exemption, a reprieve from the harsh criticism deserved for plunking a ball right in the water hazard. Grace in golf holds the hope that the next shot will be better, and finishing the round successfully generates smiles and the peace of mind enjoyed from simply playing the wonderful game on a pretty day. Grace is good for us, so golf is good for us. I keep trying this difficult game both for the good of the game and for the good of me!
Golf is like life in that every day is like every hole or every shot; it must be embraced one step at a time, and we cannot lose focus of our own vision, focus, or swing. Without concentration and balance, along with rhythm and confidence, I tend to rear back and hack at the ball with questionable results. The beauty of golf’s structure is that even after the worst hole, the score is written on the card and you proceed to the next hole. All the previous good or bad is forgiven and forgotten. [Jack Nicklaus, after making a quadruple-bogey 7 at the 12th hole of Augusta in 1991 and then making four consecutive birdies, said: "You have to put such things out of your mind."]
Each shot requires individual consideration and execution just like every day of our lives. The past is gone, the future uncertain; all that exists is the shot before you right now. Alistair Cooke said, “Golf is an open exhibition of overweening ambition, courage deflated by stupidity, skill scoured by a whiff of arrogance.” I’ve always remembered the great courses and the good shots, even years later.
“What makes the Masters different from the other 3 majors? Every shot was a summation of every shot played in my whole career. As fans, or as an announcer, one senses that. We very rarely see quick, careless swings at the Masters. Poor shots, yes, but never lax ones. Only the Masters brings that out.” --Nick Faldo as told to Jim Nantz
Character in life and golf is doing what
is right when no one is watching; golf’s intense culture of self-regulation,
and long held gentlemanly standards reflect daily life as much as any game I’ve
played. The final day of The Masters® Tournament provides heightened drama:
golfers' caddies traversing the back-nine like sherpas, competitors matching birdie for birdie with shot
after shot. The greens of Amen Corner, with undulations and tricky pin
placements call out for shots like the "Sirens," living on three small, rocky
islands enticing golfers, but ultimately causing them to crash their ships
into them, sinking their hopes for winning. ##
Scattershooting:
Dan
Jenkins, covering the Masters® for his 63rd year:
"I
can only tell you that eggs, country ham, biscuits, a pot of coffee, a morning
paper, a table by the window overlooking the veranda and putting green,
listening to the idle chitchat of competitors, authors, wits and philosophers;
hasn't exactly been a torturous way to begin each day at the Masters all these years." (end quote)
The Masters®
[2014 Tournament Facts:
- This is the 78th Masters Tournament
- 97 players were invited to play this year (six are amateurs)
- 25% of the players have never played this tournament before
- The favorite to win, Tiger Woods will miss the tournament this year for the first time since he was an amateur...
- Defending champ: First-time winner Adam "Ozzie" Scott (only 3 winners repeated)
- It is the only major where a winner hasn't shot in the 60s for all four (4) rounds in victory
- Coverage Thursday and Friday on ESPN
- Coverage of the final two rounds is on CBS
- Wall-to-wall coverage on Westwood One and SiriusXM satellite radio]
©Mark H. Pillsbury
