hmmm…..
The news in the world of golf today is that Ian Poulter, who was on the green in a playoff at the Dubai World Championship, accidentally dropped his ball onto his ball marker, flipping the marker over. You would think that wouldn’t be such a big deal, but it is. It cost Poulter a one-stroke penalty, which lost him the game.
The interesting thing about this particular moment in golf history is that Poulter notified the rules officials immediately of the mistake. It wasn’t someone else questioning him; it was the self-policing action of Poulter himself. Now, the tradition of golf has a long history of an honor system in which folks play by the rules. Golfers pride themselves in knowing the rules and adhering strictly to them; especially when playing for money.
Playing by the rules is an almost foreign concept in today’s world. So many people think that the rules don’t apply to them. Or they think they can make them up as they go. It makes you wonder, doesn’t it? What would it be like if folks were as noble in their everyday affairs as they are on the golf course?
Now, I am a golfer; and I am not very good. So I should not be so self-righteous. My golf partner routinely lets me bend the rules, because, after all, I am just a beginner. At least that’s my excuse. But maybe I should be more intentional about following the rules. Maybe we all should …..
hmmm…..
One wonders where Tiger Woods fits into all of this. If he had lived with the same dedication to the relationships of his life that he does on the course how might things have been different. For me, Monopoly is the game of games! And I play by the official rules. But my life is not nearly so cut and dried.
ReplyDeletehmmm.... hadn't thought of that! One of my heroes used to be Tiger Woods -- not any more -- and not because he is no longer #1 He is a good example of someone thinking "the rules don't apply to me"!
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