Scott Lehman

"A Diamond in the Rough"

My wife and I just returned home to Nashville from a week’s vacation with her Mom and Dad and 15 other family members.  We all converged onto Priest Lake, ID and Monday was designated as “Golf Day” as we had tee times at Priest Lake Golf Course.

I must admit, I was excited to play with family but I had played this little 9 hole course 17 years ago and it was just an ok experience.  Nothing special…BUT when we turned into the parking lot I was blown away by what I saw.

This course had been transformed as the fairways were greener than green and the greens were immaculate.  We were all greeted by our new friend Riley at the front counter of the Pro Shop and his beaming smile made all of us feel welcomed.  I also met his brother who exemplified that same warm personality.

I was later introduced to Will, the Head Golf Professional who is a first class guy.  The course is in good hands.  I told the guys that I had been there over 17 years ago and they couldn’t wait to get my input from the golf experience that laid before me.  They said that I was going to love the new back 9.

Well, this little golf course that I played years ago is an absolute Divine Experience! This beautiful 18 hole golf course offers over 6,500-yards of challenging golf on a course nestled among the lush forests and wetlands so characteristic of the Priest Lake region.

I want to encourage you that when you get to this absolutely beautiful part of the country, be sure to trek over to stroll the fairways of Priest Lake Golf Course. You won’t be disappointed. It was indeed a Divine Experience!

Be sure to tell Will and Riley a BIG hello!

In His grip,

Scott

Yesterday, I watched the entire U.S. Open which was held at one of my top 3 courses to play in the world, Pebble Beach Golf Links.  Even though the golf wasn’t spectacular by any means, I observed a lesson by Graeme McDowell which was was a lesson my Dad taught me over 40 years ago.  Since yesterday was also Father’s Day, I thought that it would be appropriate to share this lesson with you.

I was 8 years old when my dad introduced me to the game of golf.   I grew up in Ripon, WI a small town of about 7000 people in the southeast part of the state.  We lived on about 3 acres and on April 12, 1969 my dad brought home a Northwestern 7 iron and a sleeve of K-28 Wilson golf balls for my 8th birthday.

Dad had buried 6 clay flower pots in the yard and soon opened the Lehman Country Club.  We would chip around the yard going from hole to hole but the course designer had two simple rules.

Rule #1:  I had to play each hole in succession and not skip any holes or try to hit shots over the garage or try to slice a shot around the front porch.

Rule #2:  I had to keep the trajectory of my shots head high or lower.  I guess that dad knew that low shots were low risk.

Well, for the first two years of strolling the fairways of the Lehman CC I was very obedient to the rules of play but when I turned 10 my confidence grew 10 fold and I just knew that I could hit a shot over the roof of the house to the back hole location.

The day finally came when I was going to pull off “The Miracle Shot.” As I set up with my seven iron and got to my back swing my dad was coming down the road at the same time and just before impact I heard the beep of the horn as my dad was watching this ALL unfold.

I caught the middle of the golf ball and sent a low line drive right into the window of my sister’s bedroom.  Ouch!!!  I dropped the club and ran for the back of the house and dove into our big ol’ John Deere tire tractor that was filled with sand.  I didn’t know if I should cry or laugh of what just unfolded.

Let me tell you something, when you hear your dad’s voice shout out your first name, your middle name AND your last name…you had better start crying.  “Scott Nelson Lehman, where are you?” came this bark from the front of the house.

I knew that I was in BIG trouble and the only thing that came out of my mouth was “I’m sorry dad.”  “I’m sorry dad.”

My dad came screaming around the corner and the faster he ran, the faster the tears came streaming down my cheeks.  But something happened in the next 20 yards because as my dad approached me his voice got softer and said, “Son, get out of that bunker and he brushed the sand off of me and said these four powerful words…”Son, you are forgiven.”  Wow!

My dad then shared with me that in golf and in life you are going to hit some bad shots but reminder one thing, “Keep Swing’n!  Never stop swing’n my son!”  What a powerful lesson for me to learn as a ten year old.  Graeme McDowell didn’t hit any miracle shots yesterday, in fact he and many of the other pros hit some bad shots including Tiger and Phil.

But Graeme kept swinging and as he walked off the 18th green at Pebble Beach declared as the 2010 U.S. Open Champion he was welcomed with open arms by his dad.

SWING THOUGHT: God looks on you today with the love of a Father.  He wants you to be the person he envisioned when he created you.

I look forward to seeing you on the course and remember to keep swinging no matter how bad things appear.

Scott

We recently held one of our “In His Grip” Golf Invitational tournaments with Temple Baptist Church at Squire Creek Country Club in Choudrant, LA.

It was a WOW experience! Squire Creek Country Club features an 18-hole championship golf course designed by Tom Fazio. The 7,105 yard, par 72 course is ranked number one in Louisiana.

The magnificent Fazio design allows members to enjoy golf in its purest form, and challenges players at every hole. The layout features not only a rewarding golf experience, but also lush landscapes and beautiful scenery, for picturesque views around every turn.

I hit most of the clubs in my bag, another good sign of a well designed golf course, and the greens were plush and were rolling at about a 12 on the stimpmeter.

I highly recommend putting Squire Creek CC on your bucket list of courses to play.

What is one golf course that you have not crossed off your bucket list?  Mine is Augusta National.

I look forward to seeing you on the course!

Scott

P.S.  The hospitality of the volunteer ladies at the course were exemplary of a servant’s heart.  Well done ladies!!!

Tom Fazio
The awards and accolades for Tom Fazio’s golf courses seem to pile up year after year. Yet, it has only been in the last 10 years that Fazio has taken his place among those who are considered the best of their time.

Tom Fazio is the nephew of George Fazio, the semi-prominent tour pro of the 1940’s and 50’s who gave up a car dealership to design and build golf courses. In the 20 years prior to 1980, Uncle George and his assistant Tom co-designed over 30 new courses including notables such as Butler National in Illinois, Edgewood Tahoe in Nevada, and Pinehurst #6, the first non-Donald Ross course at Pinehurst.

Jim Collins is a student and teacher of enduring great companies — how they grow, how they attain superior performance, and how good companies can become great companies.  Jim authored a book, “Good to Great” which is one of my favorites.  He shares in the book 7 characteristics of companies that have gone from Good to Great.

I have just experienced how one of our church partners, FBC of Madison, MS took their golf tournament from Good to Great and saw how they implemented the first 2 key characteristics that JC covered in his book.  This is what I observed.

#1 Level 5 Leadership: Leaders who are humble, but driven to do what’s best for the company.

Stacey Smith, the Minister of Recreation is the example of a humble leader.  Stacey was quick to give God all of the honor and glory for the success of the In His Grip Invitational as they had 80 golfers enjoy strolling the fairways of Caroline Lake Golf Club.  In previous years, FBC golf outings typically had 30-40 participants.

Stacey is driven to excellence and is a guy that’s not afraid to raise the bar in everything that he is involved in.  He shared with me at dinner that anything he is a part of must be done with the utmost of quality.  I love that about him!

#2 First Who, Then What: Get the right people on the bus, then figure out where to go. Finding the right people and trying them out in different positions.

Stacey built a leadership dream team of guys that took ownership of the IHG Invitational.  I remember meeting Greg and Bennett a few months ago and knew that the right guys were on the bus.  Roy was later added to the team and after meeting him I quickly found out what a good call that decision was.

The leadership team was surrounded by a dozen volunteers that rallied around the passion and purpose of Stacey and his team.  It was wonderful to observe and there is great potential for the guys to build their event to well over 100 guys in years to come…if not next year.

It is a privilege to partner with FBC Madison, MS and serve with Stacey Smith and his dream team as they exemplify going from Good to Great.  Well Done!

I look forward to seeing you on the course,

Scott

I was introduced to Farmlinks Golf Club in Sylacauga, AL about 4 years ago and it is a course that you can play over and over again and never get tired of strolling the plush fairways and putting on the near perfect greens.  Sylacauga is about 30 minutes southeast of Birmingham and is known as being the hometown of Jim Nabors or Gomer Pyle for you Baby Boomers.

Founded in 1999 by the Pursell Family and located at Pursell Farms in Sylacauga, Alabama, FarmLinks, LLC includes a one-of-a-kind research and demonstration facility, an 18-hole, 7,444-yard championship golf course that is open to the public, and The Experience at FarmLinks, a unique, customer-focused marketing strategy in partnership with top names and innovators in the industry.

The minute that you drive onto the property you will find yourself taking a deep breath and relaxing into the mile drive to the clubhouse.  As you pull into the bag drop area, you are greeted by one of the servant-hearted staff along with “Sweet Home Alabama” playing in the background.

You will want to make sure and book a play and stay as the Cabins and Cottages are the best of the best.  Absolutely First Class.  If you have a larger group you will want to stay at the Parker Lodge which is one of the best man caves I have ever experienced.  You can shoot pool, play ping pong or hang out in front of the BIG screen watching the Golf Channel.

The golf course itself is one of the best in the southeast.  The fairways are generous and the greens are huge and are usually in near perfect condition.  They normally have them running about a 11 and roll truer than true.  The layout is user friendly with several tee boxes to choose from and from the back tees the 7,444 yards will bring any golfer to their knees.

I have been hosting an In His Grip Golf Retreat at Farmlinks for the past 4 years and it is the ultimate golf experience.  Be sure to give Casey or John a call and book your tee-time at 877.292.FARM (3276).  Tell them Scott from In His Grip sent you.

In His Grip,

Scott

I am writing this on Monday, April 12, 2010 on my 49th birthday.  The 74th Masters has crowned a 3-time champion in Phil Mickelson and what a Masters it was.  I was blessed to be in Augusta for 4 days and strolled down the fairways of Augusta National.  As I reflect on my experience, there are 10 things that I absolutely love about the Masters.  Here they are:

#1.  Augusta National: Ron Green Sr. has covered the Masters for over 50 years and has said that “Augusta National is Eden with flagsticks, all pines and azaleas and dogwoods and tumbling hills and a creek and little ponds and memories and promises.”  Mr. Green continues to say that it is a place where anyone who loves golf should be allowed, by some heavenly intervention, to go at least once.

#2  Magnolia Lane: The moment you walk onto Augusta and stroll down Magnolia Lane, you can help but stop and soak in the sights and sounds of Augusta.  It is the perfect place to drench yourself in the mystique of the Masters.  There are 61 magnolia trees all approximately 150 years old.  Jack Nicklaus calls the lane the best drive in golf.

#3.  Bobby Jones: Famed golf historian Herbert Warren Wind wrote, “Golf without Bobby Jones would be like France without Paris, leaderless, lightless, and lonely. “  It is hard to believe that Jones retired from golf at the young age of 28 to practice law.  He is the founder of Augusta National Golf Club and was named President in 1933.

#4  The Name: Clifford Roberts suggested that the tournament be called The Masters but Jones felt that sounded too immodest and they settled on Augusta National Invitation Tournament.  Well, that only lasted five years and Jones submitted to the media’s cry as they referred to the tournament as the Masters.  Thank you media!

#5 The Green Jacket: In 1937, the members were asked to wear green jackets to identify themselves as guides for anyone seeking information.  In 1949, the club began awarding a jacket to the new champion.  The members and past champions are asked not to wear the green jackets away from the club.

#6 Amen Corner: The most famous 3-hole stretch of golf anywhere in the United States is the 11th, 12th and 13th at Augusta.  The name was coined by Herbert Warren Wind who borrowed it from an old spiritual called, “Shouting at Amen Corner.”

#7 Champions Dinner: Since 1954, Ben Hogan came up with the idea to host a Champion’s dinner at the club which makes for an interesting menu.  Tiger Woods chose cheeseburgers his first year as the chef in 1998.

#8 Pimiento Cheese Sandwich: Yes, I did order my Pimiento cheese sandwich last week and as simple as the recipe is, I must admit that it was very tasty.  Oh yes, it did come wrapped in Masters Green paper.

#9 Masterful Service: The moment I walked onto the grounds of Augusta National, I was blown away by the service displayed.  They must have their staff spending time at Disney because the spirit of hospitality was strong and inviting.

#10 Storybook Endings: From Jack’s win in 86 to Gentle Ben Crenshaw’s win in 95 to Tiger’s first win in 97 to this year’s win as Phil brought home his 3rd green jacket.  There is something about the back nine at Augusta on Sunday afternoon, it truly is where the tournament begins.

Please feel free to comment and let me know what you love about the Masters.  I would enjoy hearing from you.

In His Grip,

Scott

How many times have you heard your friend tell you that “This is going to be my best golf season EVER”.  They then get to the middle of the season and haven’t improved ONE stroke but you still hear them say, “I am going to turn my game around the second half of the season.”  Yet, they didn’t improve their handicap by even ONE stroke.

How would you like to make this your best season every?  There are two key areas to focus  on  and I believe that every golfer can improve their game by putting time and emphasis in these critical areas of the game.

Number 1 PRACTICE WITH A PURPOSE

Many of your friends head to the driving range and which club do they pull out?  That’s right, the Driver.  Hmmm, if 75% of golf shots are 100 yards and in, wouldn’t it make sense to spend some time on the short game?  I have just released my new golf instructional dvd called “Master Your Short Game” where I focused on putting, chipping, pitching, lob shots and bunker play.  It is a good review of the basics.

I like to break up my practice time with 50% on the full swing and 50% on the short-game.  It is amazing how much your full swing improves by practicing your chipping and pitching.  You start to get a feel for your tempo and timing…two key ingredients for any good golf swing.

Number 2 Track Your Stats

If you want to improve your game, you really need to know which area of your game needs the most improvement.  I always track how many fairways I hit, how many greens I hit in regulation and how many putts I have.  You will start to see a trend of where you should spend your practice time.  Here is a great chart to help you set goals:

Score                                  90                                      80                                PRO

Fairways Hit                          6                                          7.5                                  9.5

Greens in Regulation            5                                           9                                     12

Number of Putts                  38                                        34                                    29

The next time you tee it up, be sure to track these stats and put them up against this chart to see how you did.  Let me know what you discovered, I would love to hear from you.

I know that by spending quality time on your short game and tracking your stats, this can and will be your Best Golf Season Ever!

I look forward to seeing you on the course.

Scott

I have been playing this great game of golf for over 40 years and have been on my share of golf retreats.  In fact, I am just returning from our In His Grip Golf Retreat that I hosted at Limestone Springs in Oneonta, AL.  A great course with a golf cottage on site.   Experience has revealed a few “best practices” and I would love to share them with you.

1.  Define your Purpose: You may want to talk to your guys first to see what would be their ultimate golf retreat experience.  I am starting to learn that guys want to play A LOT of golf, BUT, they also want some DOWN TIME.   We always try to use our In His Grip retreats to have a message in the evening or make it available for certain prayer requests.  This past weekend we spent time praying over our Senior Pastor who is battling cancer.

2.  Date and Location: Most of the golf retreats I have been on are either in the spring or in the fall.  When booking your date and location remember to stay away from course maintenance weeks and you may want to consider daylight savings time.

3.  Determine Your Budget: Hey, we are in challenging economic times and that means that our personal budgets are more sensitive than ever.  Searching the internet for deals is still a great resource and most golf facilities need the business so don’t be afraid to ASK.

4.  Define your Formats Upfront: I like to send out the formats and teams ahead of time.  I also like to switch it up.  For example, we started out with a two-man scramble, then we had a two-man best ball and finished with a four-man scramble.  It’s a great way to build new relationships and allows for all playing ability levels to have a good time.

5.  Caravan to Build Camaraderie: We always try to have a central meeting point, like our church, and then load up the vehicles so we don’t have anyone driving solo.  It is amazing how many memories are also on the ride to or from the course.

I hope one or two of these keys will help make your next golf retreat experience more memorable.  You may even want to consider a survey from the guys to get their input.  Let me know what some of  your golf retreat experiences have been and what is your favorite golf retreat location and why?

I hope to see you on the course.

Scott

This weekend, 12 of us are swinging down to Limestone Springs Golf Club, one of my favorite public golf courses in Alabama.  We have 18 holes scheduled Friday afternoon and 36 holes on Saturday.  The weather is looking good, sunny and highs in the 60′s.

Limestone Springs Golf Club

How many of you have been on a 2-3 day golf retreat?  What did you like about it?  What would your ultimate golf retreat look like?  Our In His Grip golf retreats include a lot of golf but after an evening meal, we all settle in and talk about life from a Christian perspective.  We talk about our faith, our families and even have a time of praying for each other.

I will give you an update next week with pictures and and of course a story or two.

Until then, be sure to keep it in the short grass.

In His grip,

Scott

I absolutely love this time of year.  March Madness is upon us which triggers the March to the Masters.  How many of you have been fortunate to stroll the fairways of Augusta National?

I was blessed to receive 4 tickets for M-W practice rounds in 1997 which was the year that Tiger won by 12 shots.  This was a dream trip for me and I haven’t been back since.  That is all changing as I am humbled to share with you that I will be in Augusta from Monday through Friday this April.

I have been asked to share my “In His Grip” story at the Masters Prayer Breakfast on Tuesday, April 6th at 7am.  This great event is hosted by FCA and will be held again this year at Warren Baptist Church located 1.6 miles from the front gates of Augusta National on Washington Blvd.  They are expecting over 1000 people in attendance.

The week kicks off on Monday, April 5th from 7:00am-7:30am as I will be on WAFJ 88.3 with John and Cleve In The Morning as we talk Masters and about the Master, Jesus Christ.  Later in the day I will be joining Dr. David McKinley, Senior Pastor of Warren Baptist Church on WBPI Channel 49 for an hour show as talk faith and fairways.  Be sure to join us if you are in the Augusta area.

My Augusta trip wraps up on Thursday evening as I have been asked by Lifeway Christian Retail Store to be available for an in-store signing of our new “Master Your Short Game DVD” at their Augusta location from 6pm-8pm.  I have been told that they will have a bunch of giveaways and the golf cart will be parked in the front of the store.  Feel free to stop by I would love to meet you in person.

I will be sure to keep you posted as we get closer to Masters week but for now, I ask you to pray me through this spring season that leads to Augusta National for Masters week.

I hope to see you on the course!

In His Grip,

Scott