By Paul D. Reitmann
(Copyright 1997)

It is sometimes said that "golf is a metaphor for life." The idea being that the challenges we experience on the golf course teach us how to face similar challenges in everyday life. I would like to expand this view to include the notion that playing golf is a way for a person to experience and appreciate their spiritual journey. For those of us drawn to the golf course year after year, golf becomes a kind of spiritual discipline, a pathway which leads to spiritual transformation. To illustrate I will share parts of my own golf story.

My journey with golf began in the summer of 1965 when I was twelve years old. My father began taking me to the local golf course to putt on the practice green and to hit balls on the driving range. The next year my dad started taking me out to the "big" course, where we would play nine holes in the evening as the sun went down. I can still remember my first par - a four wood to a par three, a chip, and a short putt. What a thrill! As a child I never realized what a valuable gift my father was giving me - a love for the game of golf.

I played golf on our high school team for four years. During this period my love of golf continued to grow as did my skills. I never won a tournament but was able to get my handicap down into the single digits. However, something strange happened at the end of my senior year in high school. After I completed my final round in the state tournament, I didn't pick up a club for 10 long years. (I even sold my set of 1967 Hogan irons and my Top Flite persimmon woods to my younger cousin for $50.) The year was 1971 and my interests turned far away from the world of golf.

I went to college, got married, and eventually went on to seminary. In 1981 I was ordained a priest in the Episcopal Church. It was during my first parish assignment as a young clergy that I rediscovered golf. It happened that many of the people in my congregation played. They would invite me out for a round of golf at the local course. Soon I was playing a couple of times a month. I was amazed at how easily my old swing came back and how quickly my passion for golf reemerged. I sensed that my journey had returned to an old familiar pathway.

In 1987 a golf buddy gave me a copy of Michael Murphy's classic book, "Golf in the Kingdom." Having an interest in mysticism, this book profoundly changed my understanding of golf and how the game touches my soul. Through the archetypal golf teacher, Shivas Irons, Murphy's writing helped explain the many extraordinary, mysterious experiences I had as a golfer: "being in the zone", feeling tremendous freedom and joy on the golf course, sensing the mystical presence of God. Golf in the Kingdom helped me understand how golf has always played an integral part in my spiritual journey.

I have come to appreciate golf as a key part of my spiritual life and practice. Over the years golf has served as a kind of "touchstone" which has kept me in contact with some of the most important parts of my life. Golf continually calls me back to learn more about myself and the beautiful world we live in. Golf puts me in touch with interesting people. Some of my closest friendships have developed with people I have had the privilege of playing with.

The golf course calls me back week after week, year in and year out. Each time I return to the golf course, I get the feeling that I am returning to my true self, checking in with my soul. On the first tee I reconnect with the spirited golfer inside, full of hope and expectation that this round of golf will be a great experience. Golf has become an amazing adventure of self discovery.

If you have an interest in spirituality, I would encourage you to consider the lessons you have learned through your time playing golf. Reflect upon the role golf plays in your spiritual journey. You might be amazed at just how much you have grown and learned from your journeys around the golf course.

About the author:

Paul Rietmann is a chaplain, Episcopal priest, spiritual advisor, and avid golfer. He has started a project called "True Gravity Golf," a program dedicated to helping golfers appreciate the spiritual side of golf. For further conversation on this topic, you can contact Paul by phone at (253) 952-6073 or by e-mail at Prietmann@aol.com.