My ball ended up in this stuff… a lot!
We did it! We finished three full rounds of golf on Tuesday and it was a wonderful time! My buddy Dave flew in on Monday and we went down to Tijuana for a wonderful welcome BBQ for all 30 golfers. Then on Tuesday we were up at 4:45 am for a quick coffee and breakfast before the 30 minute drive to Bajamar Ocean Front Golf Course near Ensenada, Mexico.
Gorgeous Day
Dave and I along with James from YWAM Endless Summer and Alejandro from YWAM San Antonio Del Mar started on the 7th hole… My first shot went out of bounds, but Dave was in the groove from the get go and hit the fairway. We had some nice cloud cover to start the day, and by 9:00 the sun was out, and there was a nice breeze blowing.
Lost Lots of Balls
I’m glad I thought to grab another box of balls at Costco on Friday last week — because I used *all of them* on Tuesday! I didn’t keep a count of lost balls, but I was pretty rusty the first few holes. I warmed up and got better.
Wonderful Friends
I’ve known Dave for 25+ years. He and his wife are our kids’ God Parents and I’m so glad he came. Of course I was glad that he’s a great golfer, haha, but I loved being able to spend the whole (and I mean 12 hours plus!) day with him on the course. James from YWAM Endless Summer is a good friend too. I’ve been able to speak in the Discipleship Training Schools that he runs in Carlsbad. He’s got a great sense of humor, and even though he’s only golfed a few times, he contributed some great shots for our team. Alejandro is from Chile and has been on our staff in Mexico for many years. He’s a genius — speaks multiple languages, and has a great sense of humor. Tuesday was his first day of golf… and he’d just flown in from Korea the night before! The first round was rough for him, but he improved quickly. He turned out to be a clutch putter for us and saved several pars and got us a few birdies too!
Great Results
Our team did great — we shot a 67, a 69, and another 69 which turned out to be good enough to tie for second place. The format was a best ball scramble. We played from the white tee box and we were given a few strokes on the hardest holes. I’m proud that several of my shots were the best, and I even sunk a 25+ foot putt for birdie on hole 7 of the third round. (Even a blind squirrel finds an acorn every once in a while!) I came within 12’ 6” of the cup on hole number 9, but I wasn’t anywhere near Johnny Broersma’s shot — he came within five feet!
A big thank you goes out to my man Pete who not only gave me this lob wedge, but has taught me how to use it!
So Much Gratitude
All day, I felt so much gratitude for the beautiful day, the friends I got to play with, for Sean Lambert and the crew who hosted this event, and especially for the many who gave to support me and my fellow missionaries. I didn’t quite reach my goal, but I’m well set up for the master’s program. All together, the 30 golfers raised more than $220,000! These funds will go to support missionary families, including one of our staff who is building his own home for his family. Additionally, funds were raised to build homes in Tanzania, Uganda, Ukraine, Mexico and elsewhere. God is a wonderful Father who provides for us all!
My putting… well, I had good lines, but was often too short, haha!
Thank you to everyone who prayed, gave, and golfed.
You’re Invited Next Year!
Dave and I are already planning to do this again next year, and I’d love for you to consider joining us. If you’re interested, please reach out to me! Thank you again!
Peace, Love, Prayers,
Craig
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Click the link below if you’d like to send me to the University of the Nations Master’s in Christian Formation program, or if you’d like to see how much money was raised.