Scott Lehman

This past Monday, I had the privilege of attending the World Premiere of the upcoming movie, “7 Days in Utopia” based on the best-selling book, “Golf Sacred Journey” authored by David Cook.  I was deeply moved and challenged to finish strong in this game called life!

I read the book, “Golf Sacred Journey” last week for the second time as I wanted the story to be fresh in my mind before attending the Premiere.  The production team hit it on the sweet spot as they stayed true to the book and painted a clear vision of See it! Feel it! Trust it! which is the central theme of the story.

My advice to you is to pick up the book first, it is a great read and one that you can not put down.  I read it in 1.5 days and most of my golfing buddies have read it in just one sitting.  Tom Lehman penned the Foreword, most of you know that Tom also penned the Foreword to the “In His Grip” book back in 1997.

I was most impressed with how the Director Matthew Dean Russell did his homework and took great care to make the screen version of Seven Days in Utopia golf authentic. Robert Duvall plays Johnny, the mentor and lead actor Lucas Black’s one-handicap golf swing looks tour quality; he’s believable as a mini-tour player and a fine actor (see Fast & Furious). K.J. Choi and Golf Channel personalities have cameo roles, which add to the authenticity while my favorite golf brand, Callaway Golf assumes a unique role as the film’s dominant equipment brand.

I am most excited about the faith message embedded into the story as I have recently heard about the power this book has to lead one individual to his eternal destination.  Here is your bonus feature:

We have been giving out the “Golf Sacred Journey” book into all of our In His Grip Invitational tournaments as one of the several player gifts.  In our local event here in Franklin, TN a gentleman immediately took the book home and as he finished the final page, he was overcome with emotion and couldn’t stop crying.  Yes, grown men do cry!  He called up a christian golfing buddy and that next Saturday over lunch, this golfer gave his life to Jesus Christ as his personal savior.  How awesome it that?

Haven’t heard about Seven Days in Utopia yet? Check out the trailer:

Join me in praying along side of David Cook and his team that the Lord would use this movie to draw millions of golfers to Himself.  I would also encourage you to rally all of your golfing friends to take them to opening night of the movie.

And the wait won’t be long.

Seven Days in Utopia comes to theatres September 2nd.

• Movie Trailer: http://www.linksofutopia.com/cms/watch-the-trailer.html
• Ministry Resource Site: http://www.ministryresources.org/utopiaresources/
• David Cook tells the Utopia Story: http://vimeo.com/26981105
• Opening Weekend Theaters:  www.sevendaysinutopia.com/theaters
• Group Ticket Information: jackiepapier@hotmail.com

"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

I have been using the Momentus Swing Trainer for over 10 years and wanted to give a shout out for this incredible training aid.  I am not sponsored by Momentus, I wholeheartedly just believe in the product and the guys behind the product.

Jim Sorenson, President and Founder of Momentus is a first class guy and has built a dream team of people around him.  They are based in a small town in Iowa and have that warm midwest hospitality. They also have Freddy Funk (another 1st class guy) endorsing the product. The MOMENTUS is a revolutionary swing trainer that incorporates a patented technology, whereby the clubshaft embodies most of the weight which is evenly distributed throughout the length of the shaft.

The reason this is so beneficial in a practice club is because as a golfer swings the MOMENTUS, the evenly weighted shaft generates momentum. The momentum causes the club to swing along a balanced and proper swing plane. Through repetitions with the MOMENTUS, a golfer ingrains the feel for swinging the club on-plane. This leads to a drastic improvement in consistency and clubhead speed. The momentum of the shaft swings the club, so a golfer’s muscles are stretched by swinging the trainer. Additional flexibility and strength are benefits also gained from swinging the MOMENTUS. It is an excellent club to use for warming up prior to playing a round of golf.

Let me know what your favorite training aid is in  your bag.  Love to hear your comments.

I look forward to seeing you on the course.

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

Black Mountain Golf Course in Asheville, NC

This past Monday I met Mr. Hicks Anderson, an 83 year old golfer at the Black Mountain Golf Course in Asheville, NC.

Hicks was a warm gentleman, filled with life and shared with me some incredible stories and golf was the central theme.  One story included strolling the fairways with his good friend Billy, that would be Dr. Billy Graham to you and I.

As Hicks shared his stories with me he ended the conversation with “You know Scott, golf and life have amazing parallels and one of those I would like to share with you is that Golf and Life are Games of Opposites.”  Here you go:

Golf Lesson #1

If you want the ball to go up you have to hit down on it.  Many golfers try to help the ball get airborne and lift up on it.  The good golfers actually hit down on it and compress the ball against the turf and the divot is after the golf ball vs. seeing a divot before the golf ball like some of your golfing buddies.

Golf Lesson #2

If you want to hit it further…swing easier!!  Wow!  How true is that?  I like to refer to the 80/100 principle which means swing your driver at 80% to hit 100% of the sweet spot.  Most of  your golfing buddies swing their drivers at 100% of their power to hit only 80% of the sweet spot at best.

Golf Lesson #3

If you want to hit the ball to the right you must aim left and if you want to hit it left you must aim right.  You will start to see a pattern with your buddies that have a tendency of slicing.  They will always be aiming to the left.  Players, like myself that play a slight draw will always be aimed slightly to the right and swing from the inside to see that right to left trajectory.

LIFE LESSON

Hicks then shared with me that most people try to work hard to make it to heaven but we need to let go and allow God to take hold of our lives.  There is a great scripture in Ephesians that helps cement this for us.  Ephesians 2:8-9
“8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.”

It is truly amazing to see all of the parallels between golf and life.  I would love to hear what your favorite one is.  Please feel free to comment.

I look forward to seeing you on the course!

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