Men play golf for a multitude of reasons. They love the competition. They have fun getting outdoors. They like the exercise. They enjoy building relationships. They want to escape their families. (Sadly, research shows this is a real answer.)
Scott Lehman wants to change that last reason. Instead of golf being an avenue for getting away from responsibilities at home, Scott sees golf as a catalyst for strengthening families. After all, it was golf that helped save his marriage and introduced him to the life-changing truth of Jesus Christ.
From Masters to disaster
Fans remember the 1997 Masters as one of the greatest displays of golf in the history of the sport. A 21-year-old Tiger Woods embarrassed the competition and tamed the famous course in Augusta, Georgia, by shooting 18-under-par and winning by 12 shots.
Scott remembers it as his first trip to the Masters and an amazing birthday present.
"On a scale of one to 10, it was a 12," Scott says. "It was off the chart. Then I came home and my wife, Leslie, sat me down at the kitchen table and told me she was out of our marriage."
Within hours, Scott went from the highest mountaintop to the deepest valley. The couple had only been married for two years. Scott had lost his dream job in the sports apparel industry six months earlier and had been hiding their financial woes from Leslie. He wasn't providing his wife with the leadership and stability she desperately needed.
Completely shaken, Scott began asking some of life's biggest questions, such as: Why am I here? and Does God have a plan for my life? As he started seeking his purpose, his passion for golf kept coming to the surface.
Scott was introduced to golf on his eighth birthday when his dad brought home a 7-iron and three golf balls. He played on a makeshift course around his family's home in Ripon, Wisconsin, before receiving a full set of clubs at age 10 and competing in junior golf. He played for his high school, but then gave up the sport during college to concentrate on baseball. After graduating, he found himself back on the golf course, even helping potential clients with their games.
Now with his marriage hanging by a thread and his future lacking focus, Scott came across the book In His Grip, which explained how the principles of golf paralleled the Christian life. He went home, found a Bible on his bookshelf, dusted it off and started reading.
"Neither of us had a relationship with the Lord," Scott says. "Less than six months later, at 36 years old, I gave my life whole-heartedly to Jesus Christ."
Scott started meeting with four guys every Saturday to learn about his newfound faith. They challenged him to go into his home, serve his wife, and be absolutely transparent with her about their financial situation.
"Jesus is our ultimate example on earth," Scott says. "He didn't come to be served, but to serve."
Instead of expecting Leslie to serve him, Scott started offering to help with dinner, put away dishes, or fold laundry. With his life-change as an example, Leslie started looking into Christianity and soon dedicated her life to Christ. The couple celebrated their 18th anniversary in May 2013.
As Scott's marriage and faith came together, so did his career path. One day Leslie walked up to him and said, "You know, you could be a really great golf instructor."
Gaining his grip
In 1998, Scott earned his certification through the United States Golf Teachers Federation. He started a golf academy in the Quad Cities area of Iowa and began giving lessons. Often he wore a shirt that said In His Grip on it.
"At some point the guys I helped would ask, 'What's "In His Grip" all about?'" Scott says. "I'd just share my testimony, and guys would start coming to church."
Soon Scott's pastor encouraged him to use his passion for God and golf to organize golf tournaments, leagues, and retreats. Then in 2007, Leslie and Scott made the difficult decision to move to Nashville and launch In His Grip Golf, which partners with churches to encourage men to play with passion and live with purpose.
"The vision is to reach 2 million men by 2020," Scott says.
Already, In His Grip leagues and tournaments have been started in 12 states. He's gone from 11 tournaments in 2007 to more than 30 scheduled in 2013. There's also an In His Grip product line (Leslie had 18 years of product development experience). Plus, an In His Grip web show hits the Internet this year.
"Men do life shoulder to shoulder," Scott says. "Whether it's on a golf cart, in the stands at a ballgame, side by side in a boat, or sitting in a duck blind, you've got to get shoulder to shoulder with them."
In the first six months of 2012, Scott saw 67 men commit their lives or rededicate their lives to the Lord through In His Grip events.
"That's very, very humbling," Scott says of having an eternal impact on a man. "To reach just one guy in a year, I'd do it."