Golf, Manhood and the Greatest Game Ever Played

Recently, someone recommended that I read Mark Frost's The Greatest Game Ever Played. The summary of the book says, "Interweaving the personal stories of American golfer Francis Ouimet and British champion Harry Vardon, this compelling narrative chronicles the epic drama of their legendary confrontation at the 1913 U.S. Open, a competition that marked the rise of the sport of modern golf." This may sound fascinating to the golf fan, but completely boring to those guys who care nothing about golf. I both enjoy golf and reading, so this was a great book, not just for the excellent writing of Mark Frost, but because I could see spiritual application to biblical manhood as I read the book.

Although it never speaks of the spiritual lives of Harry Vardon or Francis Ouimet (and I don't think either were believers), one can see where God's common grace of character allowed them to succeed in golf and in life. Here are some of the qualities that encouraged and impressed me about these men: 

1. Suffering--After Harry Vardon struggled with illness, he did not feel sorry for himself, but battled back to compete. In living a Christian life, we must not let suffering bowl us over, but rather see that God has greater purposes in our suffering. Biblical men engage suffering in a way that focuses on the greatness of God and not the hardship of the suffering.

2. Loyalty--Francis Ouimet is basically a "nobody" when it comes to golfing in the US Open. No one expects him to win, but as he begins to do well in the rounds someone encourages him to get a better caddie. Francis sticks with his eight-year-old caddie, Eddie, and shows a loyalty that is unusual for sports. In biblical manhood calls for men to be loyal...not only to their wife and children, but also to other men around them. A godly man thinks about how his decisions will affect others.  He does not have his own desires as a priority, but desires to serve his neighbor. 

3. Focus--It is clear that the game of golf is not merely physical, but it is also mental. Part of mental strength in golf is to keep a peaceful focus on one shot at a time. It was amazing in the book at how many times tournament leaders would start playing badly as soon as they knew they were in the lead. Personally, I know that many times I have struggled with sin when I thought things were going pretty well. I got self-confident and stopped focusing on the Lord. Biblical men must live with a focus on Him...one day at a time.

4. Humility--Not only did Harry Vardon and Francis Ouimet come from very humble backgrounds, but they did not seem to be overly impressed with themselves. Vardon was one of the greatest in the game and he had to know he was good, yet he let his game do the talking instead of unwisely speaking about his ability. Ouimet seemed to enjoy the game and was amazed at the crowds that followed him. He surprised himself with some of his shots, but he did not seem to have an inflated ego like many of today's well-known athletes. In biblical manhood, humility is essential and it is more than just not boasting (as with Vardon and Ouimet). It has to do with your thoughts of yourself before a Holy God. When we see our absolute deadness in our sin and our need for a Savior, we see that we have nothing to boast about. Our salvation is a gift of God and we had no part in it. Very little "Christ" is seen in a "Christian" when he is pointing to his own accomplishments or achievements. The vision for biblical manhood put forth in the Bible is a humble man...a man like Christ. 

Mike Seaver posts regularly at Role Calling.