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Golf in the Kingdom: The Bunker
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The Bunker
The oldest golf tournament in the world is the British Open. The tournament has been played at thirteen
different courses since it began in 1860 but the most famous of the courses is the “Old Course” in St.
Andrews, Scotland.
Possibly the most notable characteristic of the “Old Course” at St. Andrews are it’s bunkers or sand traps.
Bunkers are a normal part of any golf course, but the ones at St. Andrews are the epitome of all others!
The legend is that the bunkers were originally places that sheep would bed down for the night. They are
more than simply an indention in the course filled with sand like most courses in the U.S. They are deep
holes with nearly vertical walls and sand at the bottom.
Whenever I play a round of golf it is inevitable that I’ll hit the ball into the bunker. A ball in a bunker can tell
us something about the Christian walk.
If you want to hit your ball out of a bunker, you need to get your feet set so they are as solid as can be in
the shifting sand. You need to have the proper club to get out of the bunker. And you need to open your
stance and swing all the way through the ball.
Because bunkers are filled with sand, the footing can be tricky. Sand is definitely not a firm foundation on
which to walk (or build a house – see Matthew 7:24-27). As we face the shifting sands of this world, we
need to be grounded in the truth of God’s Word. It doesn’t change, it is rock solid. If we set our Christian
walk on the foundation of God’s Word – knowing what it says and doing what it says – we will never go
wrong.
To hit a ball out of a bunker, you need to have the proper club. There are special clubs called “sand
wedges” that are made specifically for this challenge. It is also important to use the proper club properly. I
know that this is going to sound a lot easier than it is to do, but to hit a ball out of bunker you need to hit
the sand behind and under the ball instead of the ball itself. This way you’ll get the loft you need to bring
the ball out of the deep bunker and put the ball on the green (as bunkers often times “protect” the
greens). In the same way when we are on our Christian walk we need to use God’s Word as He intends it
to be used.
The most common stance for a bunker shot is an “open” stance. Almost to the point of actually facing the
hole you are aiming for to hit a ball that is in front of you, an “open” stance also ensures (again, simpler to
say that to actually do) that you’ll get proper loft on the ball. Also, since you are actually hitting the sand
behind and below the ball, it is very import to swing all the way through it. You can’t stop at the bottom of
your swing or when you hit the resistance of the sand. And so in our Christian walk we also need to open
ourselves up to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. We also need to “swing through” using God’s Word and
Sacraments and keep on using them regularly.
There’s a lot to be learned about the Christian walk from golf, whether you love the game are consider it “a
good walk spoiled”!
© 2005 True Men Ministries, Inc.
The oldest golf tournament in the world is the British Open. The tournament has been played at thirteen
different courses since it began in 1860 but the most famous of the courses is the “Old Course” in St.
Andrews, Scotland.
Possibly the most notable characteristic of the “Old Course” at St. Andrews are it’s bunkers or sand traps.
Bunkers are a normal part of any golf course, but the ones at St. Andrews are the epitome of all others!
The legend is that the bunkers were originally places that sheep would bed down for the night. They are
more than simply an indention in the course filled with sand like most courses in the U.S. They are deep
holes with nearly vertical walls and sand at the bottom.
Whenever I play a round of golf it is inevitable that I’ll hit the ball into the bunker. A ball in a bunker can tell
us something about the Christian walk.
If you want to hit your ball out of a bunker, you need to get your feet set so they are as solid as can be in
the shifting sand. You need to have the proper club to get out of the bunker. And you need to open your
stance and swing all the way through the ball.
Because bunkers are filled with sand, the footing can be tricky. Sand is definitely not a firm foundation on
which to walk (or build a house – see Matthew 7:24-27). As we face the shifting sands of this world, we
need to be grounded in the truth of God’s Word. It doesn’t change, it is rock solid. If we set our Christian
walk on the foundation of God’s Word – knowing what it says and doing what it says – we will never go
wrong.
To hit a ball out of a bunker, you need to have the proper club. There are special clubs called “sand
wedges” that are made specifically for this challenge. It is also important to use the proper club properly. I
know that this is going to sound a lot easier than it is to do, but to hit a ball out of bunker you need to hit
the sand behind and under the ball instead of the ball itself. This way you’ll get the loft you need to bring
the ball out of the deep bunker and put the ball on the green (as bunkers often times “protect” the
greens). In the same way when we are on our Christian walk we need to use God’s Word as He intends it
to be used.
The most common stance for a bunker shot is an “open” stance. Almost to the point of actually facing the
hole you are aiming for to hit a ball that is in front of you, an “open” stance also ensures (again, simpler to
say that to actually do) that you’ll get proper loft on the ball. Also, since you are actually hitting the sand
behind and below the ball, it is very import to swing all the way through it. You can’t stop at the bottom of
your swing or when you hit the resistance of the sand. And so in our Christian walk we also need to open
ourselves up to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. We also need to “swing through” using God’s Word and
Sacraments and keep on using them regularly.
There’s a lot to be learned about the Christian walk from golf, whether you love the game are consider it “a
good walk spoiled”!
© 2005 True Men Ministries, Inc.
