Thank you all for your great responses to last week’s Words of Encouragement “Any Birdies Today?” Ironically, last weekend I found myself in a similar establishment to the Anchor Inn, ready to enjoy my favorite draft beer. I ran into an attorney friend, John Moody. He greeted me by saying, “Any birdies today?”
My younger brother Dave and I played golf at a Jack Nicklaus course called Bayside last week. It’s by far the toughest course I’ve played in years. I’ve only played once this year (unfortunately the glory days when I played four times a week are long gone), so I was predictably nowhere near any birdies on the first 15 holes.
Suddenly on the 16th hole – a par 5 and the toughest hole on the course – I hit 3 great shots. Unfortunately, the ball was still 30ft shy of the hole and in the rough. Still, I realized this might be my only chance for a birdie. I decided to go for the putt. In order to get a birdie, I would have to putt out of the rough, up one slight hill and down another into the hole.
My brother stood off to the side, snickering at me lining up this impossible shot. I took a second to think about my old buddy Robert, the one who always asked me, “Any birdies today?” How proud he would be if I somehow pulled this birdie off! After a short prayer, I bore down on the shot. It travelled up and down that hill for what seemed like an hour…and landed right in the hole. I made the birdie.
I looked over at my brother, and he was flat on his back on the ground in shock. He jumped up and said, “You could try that shot again 100 times and not get within 10 feet of the hole!” I smiled and looked up at the sky, thanked the Lord and winked at old Robert.
Have a great weekend,
Ro