This past Monday and Tuesday I had the chance to play in the KY Baptist Ministers Golf Tournament that was held at Cherry Blossom golf course in Georgetown, KY. A BEAUTIFUL course...this was like the 6th year I've played in this deal.
Now I'm not a very good golfer by any means...I can hit a "good" score every now and then, and I can really hit a bad score too. Typically, the more times I play consecutively, the worse I get. You may think that to be weird and I'm sure it is, but golf is SUCH A MENTAL GAME. If I haven't played in awhile, I usually shoot a decent score for me (86-89).
So we teed off on Monday...I had a great game going (for me!)...the front nine was a 41 (that's 5 over par). And I'm thinking, "okay the wheels are going to fall off sometime, just a matter of when." I get to the 18th hole (Cherry Blossoms signature hole), a par 4 over water...I have a 37 at this point...if I par the hole I'll have a 82 for the round...even if I bogey the hole I'd have a 83.
My drive took off straight and then faded into the water. Long story short...when I finished the hole I had put two balls in the water and took a monstrous NINE on the hole...finished with a round of 87. Oh well...it's golf. I really can't have high expectations because I just don't play several times a week.
The real treat for me was who I got to play and hang out with over the two day event. Three incredible guys from Lincoln Co. My fellow youth minister colleague Kevin “K-Flow” Floyd who I think had more on his mind than golf (West Virginia!)...Aaron "The Wood" Hougue, who is the pastor at Pleasant View Baptist, probably one of the funniest guys around...Kerry Jones who was my youth minister in Louisville, he to this day is still a great mentor to me and a great golfer! There were three Louisville fellas from Valley View church. Brad Burns, youth minister at Valley View in Louisville (as a teenager Kerry's nickname for him was "Cephas"...that lets you know what kind of guy he is), DeWayne Drake, activities director at Valley View, great humble heart with some cool hair...Josh Sherwood, Men's/Recovery Minister at Valley View, who is a Matt Damon look and sound alike, and just a really cool guy who doesn't "lose" his grip on the course.
We laughed on the course, at the banquet on Monday night, and then back at the hotel. As we were watching the Steelers lose on Monday Night football we were cleaning our clubs and talking about the golf that day (that's what you do). We even had a putting tournament with the incredible wood putter that Aaron had won at the banquet that night. (The actual putter is pictured above, but don't go falling in love with it!)The putting tourney turned into a chipping contest, yes, this all took place in the room! After several balls ricocheting off the walls / doors / people, Aaron smacked one in and put a hole in the hotel trash can...the tournament came to a halt.
I couldn't ask for a better two days with a bunch of Godly men...I think guys need times like this. Times to act foolishly and laughing together...I almost felt like we had reverted back to high school in some way. In Proverbs it says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man ought to sharpen the other.” I think these past two days were part of the sharpening process for me. Anyhow, it was a great two days...the golf was okay, but the "guy time" was much needed. Enjoyed it guys...let's do this again next year, if not before then.
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