The Midwest in the summer can be beautiful - lush green, rolling hills, multiple kinds of trees and flowers, sunshine, and cool breezes. A wonderful respite from the suffocating heat of the Northeast Florida summer. But any envy on my part was easily dispelled by the reminder that just a couple of months ago the skies were overcast, the trees were barren, the temperatures were miserably low, and the ground was covered with snow.
If you are a golfer and want to get a great feel for the beauty of this area, I heartily recommend Pilgrim’s Run Golf Club, a critically-acclaimed course developed about a decade ago. As a John Bunyan fan, I found it totally cool to be playing a course named after his famous work, Pilgrim’s Progress. But with a hole named the “Slough of Despond” you better not expect this theme-based course to be kid’s play; it’s a tough course.
Part of our pastor’s retreat this week was a scramble played at Pilgrim’s Run on Tuesday. I won’t comment on how our foursome played. Let’s just say Joel Anderson, Steve Best, Ken Gentzler and I had a great time. As for me, golfing only once or twice a year is not advisable if I am looking to actually improve my game. I started playing golf when I was about eight years old. My golf game peaked as a sophomore in college when I actually broke par once. But ever since then, it’s been a steady decline. These days I’m doing good to break 100. I’m actually considering nominating myself for a Lifetime Achievement Award for “Most Declined Player.” And that would be a good place for an Amen.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
