This post is the fourth post concerning parables. For the most part, these posts contain excerpts from the third chapter (A Parable Prayer) in my book A Catholic Prays Scripture – Volume 4: concerning God’s “word” and the “future.” The first post in this series was posted on May 17, 2026.
An Observation
Before I get into my parables about golf, I want to note an observation that I made during my study of the New Testament. My observation was that, considering how frequently Jesus used parables to teach, that except for the gospels, the New Testament authors used them infrequently in their writings.
There are no passages in Jude, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John and James that resemble a parable.
Saint Peter, assuming the role of the shepherd, at least seems to allude to some of the parables as in the passages noted below:
· In 1 Peter 1:23-25, Peter wrote of an “… imperishable seed” (The Sower).
· In 1 Peter 2:25, Peter wrote “For you had gone astray like sheep” (The Lost Sheep).
· In 1 Peter 4:10, Peter wrote “As each one has received a gift” (The Talents).
· In 1 Peter 5:8, Peter wrote “Be sober and vigilant. Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for (someone) to devour.” (The Unknown Hour).
· In 2 Peter 3:10, Peter wrote “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief” (The Unknown Hour).
Likewise, St. Paul alluded to the parables of “the yeast” and “the Sower” in his epistles (e.g., Gal 5:9, 1 Cor 5:7-8, 2 Cor 9:6-10, Heb 6:7-8) but came up with very few verses that we would consider parables. Two possible exceptions are:
· Paul's writings on the Body of Christ (e.g., 1 Cor 12, Romans 12) and how it "compares" with the human body and the body of the Church (although the verses lack a “story” element).
· Paul’s writing about athletes in 1 Cor 9: 24-27, “Do you not know that the runners in the stadium all run in the race, but only one wins the prize? Run so as to win. Every athlete exercises discipline in every way. They do it to win a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one. Thus I do not run aimlessly; I do not fight as if I were shadowboxing. No, I drive my body and train it, for fear that, after having preached to others, I myself should be disqualified.”
Standard Bearer
For fifteen or so years, I have volunteered at a professional golf tournament that is played near my home in Omaha, Nebraska. I normally volunteer to be a “standard bearer.”
Isn't "standard bearer" a great job title? Wouldn't you be proud to be able to bear your standards for the entire world to see? Alas, the job is not as profound as the title may imply. Basically, a standard bearer walks around the golf course with each group (usually two to four golfers) bearing a sign (i.e., the standard) that displays the golfer's names and their up-to-the-minute scores (big red numbers are good, black numbers are bad).
I enjoy the job because you get to watch “close-up and personal” some of the best golfers in the world as they play the game. The downside is you must walk the 7200-yard course with them and put up with the same weather (wind, heat and moisture) that they must play in. The hot, humid and windy days in Omaha, in August, can be an endurance test.
This Posts Photograph: To show their appreciation for the standard bearers’ efforts, the pro-golfers often give the standard bearers a gift (memento) after they finish their round. The gifts were often signed golf balls; occasionally something else like a used golf glove. The photograph accompanying this post shows some of the items that I collected over the years.
Caption: That’s me above holding my standard after the second round of the 2019 Pinnacle Bank Championship. I am pictured with the “walking scorer” and professional golfer Ben Kohles. Ben finished the tournament tied for 48th (even par). Nicholas Thompson had a solid weekend, finishing 18th. D. H. Lee (at +11) missed the cut (see "The Parable of the Friday Cut" below).
Golf Parables 1 and 2
Anyway, back in 2005, I had parables on my brain. I had fun writing my “sausage” parables and I had noted how St. Paul had written about “athletes,” so I decided to write some parables – St. Paul style – on the golf I had observed, as a standard bearer.
The Parable of the Long Drive: Do you not know that many golfers can hit 370-yard-long drives but only one wins the glass cup on Sunday? Golf so as to win and exercise discipline and judgment in every way. Don't hit your second shot into the sand trap and bogey the hole.
The Parable of the Friday Cut: Do you not know that all tournament golfers tee it up on Thursday and Friday, but some do not play on the weekends? As sheep are separated from the lambs, some golfers fail to make the cut. Just as the master of the house does not know when the thief will attempt to break into his home, the golfers on Thursday do not know where the cut line will fall. No, drive each ball and putt accurately, for fear that, after having played two rounds you too will miss the cut.
Background: I thought of these parables after watching Ryan Hietala hit his drive 370 yards on the sixth hole (a 627-yard par five) on the second day of the 2005 tournament. Ryan had outdriven his playing partners, Chip Beck and Guy Boros, by a lot; but he did not exercise good judgment when he selected his next club. He chose a long iron, which sent the golf ball into the sand trap to the left of the green. Failing to get the next shot out of the trap, he bogeyed the hole and went on to miss the tournament cut by one stroke. He did not win the glass cup on Sunday.
Golf Parable 3
The Parable of the Persistent Golfer: Golfers practice for years to win glass cups and big checks. Champion golfers do not practice aimlessly. They do not practice as if they are playing miniature golf. No, they drive their bodies and rebuild their swings as required, for fear that, after leaving their families to play a game, they should fail to qualify. Champion golfers are persistent. They do not let a bad first round score deter them. Consider how you practice – so that you too will win an imperishable prize.
Background: I thought of this parable after watching Jason Gore win the Cox Classic presented by Chevrolet after a two-hole playoff on Sunday, August 7, 2005. Jason entered the Omaha tournament on a hot streak. After qualifying for the U.S. Open in mid-June, Gore was second entering the final round of the Open and won over the crowd with his long-hitting and fan-friendly style. After the U.S. Open, Gore won the next two Nationwide Tournaments that he entered (on July 10 in West Virginia and on July 17 in Wisconsin). His game was on.
I met Jason at the start of his first found in Omaha on Thursday, August 4th. He seemed like a nice guy as he sauntered over to introduce himself to the lowly "standard bearer." For all the hype associated with his hot streak, he went on to post a mediocre even par round of 71. He was eight strokes back and in danger of missing the tournament cut. He didn’t sulk and he continued to be pleasant to be around (unlike some other struggling pros). I could see why he was a fan favorite.
The press reported on how Gore had thought about quitting the tour earlier that year and how he had worked to rebuild his golf swing. To make a long story short, Jason Gore shot a record low 59 the next day. Some other lucky standard bearer got to watch that performance. He made the cut and went on to post rounds of 68 on Saturday and 63 on Sunday. His four-day total of 261 got him into a playoff, which he won on the second hole.
Jason hoisted the glass cup on Sunday and collected the check for $112,500. He also secured a "battlefield" exemption (three Nationwide wins in one season) that would allow him to immediately play in the PGA tour. His practice had paid off.
Conclusion
Parables make great stories and they teach us lessons – about life, sausage, and golf.
Caption: That’s me above holding my standard. The Golf Channel televised the Cox Classic in 2013. I taped the Saturday round and watched the action later. When I spotted my mug on the screen, I photographed myself. My group was good that Saturday; they went on to finish the tournament 1-2-3 the next day. Bronson La’Cassie beat Matt Bettencourt in a playoff (both -21). John Peterson finished third (-20).