Grace and Golf was written by Thomas Buckley, who won an international golf tournament in Turkey in 2016. Thomas’s cousin Phil, who is the family historian, encouraged writing the story of his victory in 2018. At first, Thomas had no interest in writing a story about himself but eventually realized that God wanted them to write the story as it was about overcoming adversity through God’s grace, redemption, and living with purpose.
Thomas had a challenging childhood due to an alcoholic father and turned to drugs and alcohol as a means of coping at age 12. Although Thomas excelled at sports, including golf, substance abuse took over his life, leading him to stop playing sports altogether.
A month before his 19th birthday, Thomas’s parents sent him to a treatment center for help. Although Thomas experienced some setbacks early on, he has been able to maintain sobriety for over 42 years.
The book details specific moments of grace in Thomas’s life that allowed his victory in the Turkish Airlines World Amateur Golf Championship Open to come to fruition.
One specific moment of grace covered in the book is when Thomas got divorced after nearly 18 years of not drinking. He explains how he almost returned to drinking one perilous night after his divorce but instead went to get help at a local church. That night he met a man and that meeting changed the entire trajectory of Thomas’ life culminating in a private audience with St. Pope John Paul II in the Vatican in Rome.
The book also features several golf stories that highlight famous courses from around the world that Thomas has been blessed to play as well as the relationships Thomas has been blessed to make due to living his life for others.
The book comes to a close with a chapter where Thomas reveals the top 10 lessons he has learned in his life.
While the book may resonate the most with golfers, it will speak to anyone who is looking for ways to cope with the various difficulties and challenges of life. Thomas hopes the reader will enjoy his spiritual journey around some of the most magnificent golf courses in the world.
