Todd Murner & Golf

The game of golf has always impressed a deep fascination into Todd Murner’s soul.  He attributes much of that to his childhood admiration of his father, who possessed some old golf clubs.  His father also told stories of being a caddy at a course in Louisville, Kentucky as a boy and Todd was smitten with the game from there.  Beyond the old clubs in his room and the stories of his father, he was first introduced to an actual golf course as a young boy in the coal mining camp where he was ‘raised’ in southeastern Kentucky.  The city, Lynch, had a seven-hole golf course, all par threes, and a swimming pool carved out of the deep Appalachian Mountains.  You had to be a member of the ‘country club’ to play and so his ability to play each year was based on the economic position of his family, which didn’t afford much playing time and only increased his desire to play.

     Todd Murner’s fondest memories were swimming with his twin brother, Scott, and his friends and then off for a few holes of golf.  Let’s just say the dress code wasn’t as strict as most ‘clubs’ as they approached the first tee with no shirt or shoes, just swimming trunks, two or three mismatched clubs and a golf ball or two.  Their ability to play an entire round, seven holes, of golf was determined by how long it took to lose the golf balls they had on hand.  A creek ran through much of the course and gobbled up most of the errant shots, and the others usually found the woods from which the course was hewn.  Consequently, Todd and his friends spent as much time hunting for golf balls as they did hitting them.  It was always a special treat when Todd’s Dad went with them.  He loved to hunt for golf balls and kept the group in constant supply.  Todd can still remember his favorite brands of Maxfli with a bull’s eye logo and a Club Special by Acushnet – sweet!

Todd’s golf swing was self-taught in every way, picking up tips here and there, watching older players trying to figure out how to hit the ball where he believed he was aiming.  It was this desire to be the best, without professional instruction and outdated equipment, which began to forge within Todd Murner a resolve that ‘conditions’ didn’t have to be perfect to excel.  To this day, after a forty-year love affair with every aspect of the game of golf, Todd has learned that there are many life lessons and Kingdom of Christ insights to be gained.

So it is Todd Murner’s desire to share some of the experiences and lessons he has learned from the wonderful game of golf to possibly expand your understanding of the Kingdom of Christ, or at least some aspect of living life.  Fore!