🎥 Video 11A Transcript: Golfing as Chaplaincy: How Ministry Happens on the Course

Hi, I am Haley, a Christian Leaders Institute presenter.

Golfing chaplaincy is a real form of ministry in the country club parish. Some of the most meaningful spiritual conversations do not begin in an office, a sanctuary, or a hospital room. They begin while walking a fairway, waiting at a tee box, riding in a cart, searching for a ball in the rough, or standing quietly on a green after a missed putt.

That matters because golf creates a certain kind of space. People are side by side. There is movement. There is less pressure than face-to-face conversation. There are pauses. There is silence. There is time. For many people, that makes it easier to speak honestly.

But this does not mean the chaplain turns the golf course into a counseling office or a preaching platform. Golfing chaplaincy is not about forcing spiritual talk into every round. It is about becoming a calm, trustworthy, holy presence in a setting where trust often grows slowly.

A golfing chaplain learns to notice the nature of the day. Is this a casual round? Is this a business round? Is this member-guest play? Is this a tense competitive moment? Is this a charity event? Is this a grieving family trying to breathe again after a loss? The setting shapes the kind of care that is appropriate.

The golfing chaplain also understands that etiquette is part of ministry credibility. Official golf guidance emphasizes integrity, consideration for others, safety, and prompt pace of play. Players are expected not to distract others, to be aware of safety, and to keep play moving responsibly. If a chaplain is careless with basic golf courtesy, that chaplain will not be trusted when deeper moments come.

So ministry on the course begins with simple wisdom. Do not talk during someone’s backswing. Do not interrupt their pre-shot routine. Do not slow down the group because you are trying to have a deep conversation. Do not assume that friendliness equals permission for spiritual intensity. Sometimes the most pastoral thing you can do is simply be steady, kind, attentive, and normal.

On the course, people often reveal themselves without meaning to. Frustration can come out. Shame can come out. Pride can come out. Loneliness can come out. Sometimes someone who seemed polished in the clubhouse looks very different by the seventh hole. A harsh word, a long silence, a weary comment, or an unexpected confession can open a door.

When that happens, the chaplain stays gentle. You do not pounce on the moment. You do not over-interpret the moment. You do not suddenly become heavy. You remain human, grounded, and attentive. You might ask one simple question. “You doing okay?” Or, “That sounded heavier than golf.” Or, “Would you like to talk more later?”

That last phrase matters. Later is often part of wise golfing chaplaincy. A cart path is not always the place for a full conversation. A tee box is not the place for emotional processing. A fairway is not always private. So the chaplain must know how to recognize a moment, honor it, and move it to a better setting when needed.

Golfing chaplaincy is walking ministry. It is paced ministry. It is non-intrusive ministry. It is often quiet before it is verbal. And in this parish, that kind of ministry can become deeply trusted ministry.

Your goal is not to become the most interesting person in the foursome. Your goal is to represent Christ with calm credibility, wise restraint, and compassionate readiness. Sometimes that means speaking. Sometimes that means waiting. Sometimes that means praying later. Sometimes that means following up after the round.

The course is not just a place where people play. It is often a place where embodied souls reveal stress, hope, grief, fear, pride, fatigue, and longing. A golfing chaplain learns to be present there with humility.

That is how ministry begins on the course.



Last modified: Thursday, April 16, 2026, 7:01 PM