Golf’s Sacred Journey

Seven Days at the Links of Utopia

by David L. Cook, PhD, 2006

Adam recommended the movie, “Links of Utopia,” as being very, very good. I ordered it via Prospector at the Library but didn’t pick it up before they closed for Covid-19. Then, when they reopened the Library, again I didn’t pick it up in time and they returned it to the other library from which it came – no more “Prospector” items due to the virus. So, I got the book instead and read it. It is set in the Hill Country of Texas and is based on a real place called Utopia where there is a little golf course. A down and out young golfer ends up there and encounters Johnny, the owner of the golf course. Johnny says he can change his life in 7 days. He does. The young man goes from being depressed, anxious, miserable, overwrought, stressed to calm, peaceful, giving, loving, powerful. All through coming to Christ and realizing how much he is loved – he has the security and significance he needs and is freed to live in the peace and strength that comes from knowing that.

I would really like to see the movie. The way he described the town of Utopia, the Hill Country of Texas, and “the cypress-lined Sabinal River” sound beautiful. Maybe someday Wayne and I can take a road trip there.

Here are some of the interesting lines from the book:

From the foreword by Tom Lehman:

David Cook is a man of faith. He has made it perfectly clear how faith can and should interact with all areas in our life. From healing broken relationships, to seeing yourself in the right way, to being there for someone in need. Although a book about golf, the strongest part of the book may be the words about forgiveness and mercy and grace. If you are unhappy, if your life is empty and spinning out of control, then there are some ideas and answers to consider. My view of God is similar to my view of golf: He is going to take what you do well and perfect it. He’s going to perform open-heart surgery on matters of deep character and turn a curse or a difficulty into a blessing.

Page 14 Foreword by Tom Lehman

…In life we must be willing to coach and be coached; either one alone will leave us empty.

The setting for the book is a real place. It takes place near our ranch in the township of Utopia, Texas. Not long ago a minimalist golf course was built on the outskirts of this little village that time has passed by. The course encircles a beautiful old cemetery.

Page 17, in the Introduction

…Up ahead I saw a long line of trees that looked as though they were marching in formation. It was a narrow band of trees, different from all others, lined up along the horizon with no end in sight. As we approached them, I could see the source of their uniformity. These were the age-old cypress trees that lined the valley’s water source, the Sabinal River. The Sabinal was a crystal-clear spring-fed river that flowed over a solid limestone bottom. I had never seen a stretch of water so pure.

Page 47

He asked if I ever slowed down to just think. He said this was one of the places he came to each day just to let the experience of the day have a chance to sink in deeply. He said time to contemplate, time to listen to the learning, is crucial in the change process.

I spent the remainder of the afternoon sitting by the river. It was the first time in a long time that I had taken the time to slow down, to re-evaluate my life. It was a deep time for a guy who spent most of his time in the shallow waters of life.

Page 48

Back at the range Johnny spent the remainder of the day connecting the dots between flying and golfing. Practicing for the emergencies meant an overhaul in my understanding of preparation. Johnny explained that golf is the worst practiced sport in existence. He helped me understand that hitting balls from a perfectly level lie on nicely manicured grass, one ball after another with the same club to the same target with no ramifications is not golf. He said that in all other sports scrimmaging was the best form of practice. In golf, that meant getting on the course or creating a setting with course-like lies and obstacles.

Page 97

…Your pre-shot will be your foundation. From this day forward you simply cannot afford to hit a shot without a commitment to your pre-shot routine. It will become your security system….

…Johnny continued, “In golf there are five major checkpoints leading to the club head’s initial move off the ball. First is the observation check. This includes such things as the wind, lie of the ball, elevation change, distance, and obstacles. If a player misses any of these, the shot is already compromised. Second is the strategy check. This includes choosing the target, club, and type of shot. If a player misses any of these, the shot is compromised…

…see, feel, trust…

Page 98

…”Son,” he said, “you are well on your way to living a life controlled by a score. Let me let you in on a little secret. Life in the end will be measured by significance, not a golf score. Significance will be defined by your character, relationships, values, virtues, and faith, not by a golf score. The book I am holding reveals that we will all stand before our Maker someday and give an account of our life. It goes on to say that all the insignificant wood, hay, and stubble of our lives will be consumed by fire, revealing the significant costly metal and precious stones that remain unscathed by fire. It looks to me like you are well on your way to a bonfire of insignificance.”

The instrument panel of my life was going haywire. What I thought to be true north was about to let me down. I had stayed in Utopia for a week for a checkup, yet I was receiving a heart transplant. My life was being overhauled. I knew what he was saying was true, but I didn’t know what to do about it. I had always believed that my calling in life was to be a golfer. I was finding out that I had sold myself short, that I could do more. The morning light was breaking through the limbs of the oak. A beam of sunlight shone directly on the black book in his hands. I could see a worn and faded cross on the binding, which revealed to me the contents. He reached his injured hand into another pocket for his reading glasses. Then he opened the Bible. He asked if I would be offended if he read a few verses from the Good Book…[He read him the story of Simon Peter when Jesus got in his boat and told him where to fish in Luke 5.]

…”You have been controlled by your performances in life and the opinions of others. You have lost sight of what it means to live a life of significance. You see, success is a destination while significance is an eternal calling.

“I believe in the words of this book. We call them the living words of God, because they change lives and give life where there was emptiness. We also call them living because they speak to each of us in a very personal and life-transforming way each time we open the pages. Because of this, the story that I am about to read you could affect you for eternity. It is up to you to listen or case it aside. No one can make that choice but you. God gives us the grace to accept or reject Him. Eternity rests on this choice. It is the profound mystery of life.”

Pages 126, 127, 128, 129