Acknowledgments

Thank you, my dear Sue. You are on the top of the list. Do you remember ten years ago when we were walking on a beach in Florida? With fear and trembling I gave you the outline of Player’s Progress. The search for Wisdom. The study of Proverbs. The journey of two friends into a world of bizarre characters. You said something like, “I like it.” You did not realize the power of those words. Those three words got me started. I returned to the condo and wrote the first paragraph, starting with two pilgrims looking down a narrow road, hoping to find the greatest golf course in the world. So, Sue, thanks for saying, “I like it”. I am just sorry it took ten years to get here. And once again, I hope you like it!

Thank you, Pete Bronson. I would not think to publish a book without your skillful editing and publishing advice. Your gift for writing is apparent, but you also have a passion for golf and God. Thank you, Pete, for protecting me from myself – once again. And thank you as well for recommending Craig Ramsdell for the design and Jane Wenning for proofreading.

Thank you Laura Hopper, Ken Hopper and Adele Hopper. As you well know, my friend Jeff Hopper (your husband and son) was supposed to be a major contributor to the final editing team. He had a draft in his “inbox” when he went to heaven last year. I now imagine that Jeff is on Hokmah’s 18th green, with Hollie Spiritos on his bag, finishing one of the greatest days ever with a closing birdie and a rainbow. Since I cannot thank Jeff personally, I thank you instead for sharing him with so many people like me.

Thank you, Alicia Samuel. This book could not have happened without your painstaking work on the footnotes and more. We pray for you now as you prepare in Singapore to be a missionary iny. We believe the Lord will use you as part of His Kingdom force to bring Christ to your beloved homeland India.

Huge thanks, Carter Quina.  I wanted illustrations to be a prominent part of the book, just like The Pilgrim’s Progress in 1678. I found you at our Friday morning Bible study at Steelwood Country Club in Alabama. You told me you could do it. And you did! Thank you , Carter, for giving your talent and imagination to the readers.

Thank you, Chad Crouch. I would never undertake any creative project without your support and help. The cover finally came together thanks to your talent, using one of Carter’s photos from the Orkney Islands. Your wise counsel on the website and all things creative has been essential.

Thank you, Tom Heilbron and Steve Forrest. You guys were also a vital part of the artistic team. Tom, you drew the first draft of Hokmah’s 18-hole layout and made the course come alive – then suggested a call to renowned golf course architect Steve Forrest for help with the scorecard. Steve, thanks for the scorecard and your editing suggestions. 

Thank you to Orkney friends. I needed true Orcadians to help me accurately describe life in the Orkney Islands. Thanks to Foster and Jean Wright for your gracious hospitality and advice, sitting in your living room on the isle of Westray. Thank you, Brother Dominic at Golgotha Monastery. You hosted me and Carter and me on Papa Stronsay on September 25, 2021, a day we will never forget. You answered questions I didn’t even know existed. Thanks also to Tom and Rhonda Muir, expert storytellers from Kirkwall. I am hoping that Player’s Progress might join your list of favorite fantasies from the Orkney Islands.

Thanks to Royal Dornoch Golf Club and Brora Golf Club, my two favorite courses in the world. I cannot overstate the influence on this book of the sensational linksland of Royal Dornoch and Brora.

In Dornoch, sSpecial thanks to Neil Hampton, general manager at Dornoch, for sound advice and encouragement. Thanks to my Christian brother and champion golfer Alex McDonald and of course Claire.  TAnd thanks to the entire Fairns family, which includes my pastor in Dornoch, Grant, wife Kirstey, grandmotherm Barrie (whose offered so many needed edits were essentialabout how to properly speak in the highlands), plus sons Luke and Timmy who guide me around the Struie course who were my consultants on Gaelic.

Special thanks to Rev. Dr. Susan Brown, former pastor at the famous Dornoch Cathedral and chaplain to the Queen when she comes to Scotland (now that’s impressive). You allowed me to borrow your timeless spiritual advice written into Royal Dornoch’s Course Guide. Your words about Dornoch and links golf were inspired and eternal.

In the lovely village ofAt Brora, thanks especially to club president Andy Stewart and my favorite golf combatant David ‘Titch” Roberts. Our games at Brora, contested for a valuable one pound, always seem to go the 18th hole. While Royal Dornoch is the more famous venue (currently ranked consensus #4 in the world), Brora is just as much fun and a worthy little brother. Many of the holes at Hokmah were developed with the perfect turf of Brora in mind.

Special thanks to Rev. Dr. Susan Brown, former pastor at the famous Dornoch Cathedral and chaplain to the Queen when she comes to Scotland (now that’s impressive). You allowed me to borrow your timeless spiritual advice written into Royal Dornoch’s Course Guide. Your words about Dornoch and links golf were inspired and eternal.

Thanks to Brora’sthe Sunday evening worshippers at Fisherman’s Hall. in Brora. This mission has been going strong since 1892. Sue and I cherish our Sundayweekly evenings with you, singing old hymns and listening to the beautiful brogue of local preachers. And finally, to our friends in Brora, the Barbertons are great neighbors and the Durbans have been wonderful landlords.  You are one of the main reasons this story is set in beloved Scotland.

Thank you, John Oswalt. You are a true biblical scholar. I texted you way too often, looking for just the right Hebrew words to describe concepts from Proverbs. You always responded with patience and lovingkindness. Hokmah. Segullah. Hesed. And more. Even though you are way too smart to play golf, you helped write a book for golfers!

Thanks, Terry Faris, for your wisdom and knowledge of the Greek New Testament. Your insight into love and wisdom, especially the “logos” of John One, was an education for me. 

Thanks to the men who gather weekly at Keene Trace Golf Club in Kentucky and Steelwood Country Club in Alabama. Your valuable feedback over many months improved the book. You are the model for the Monday Morning Mulligan group that meets at Hokmah.

Thanks to the entire leadership at Links Players International. You always make me feel like part of the team. Jeff Cranford, Marty Jacobussen, Jeff Cranford, Dennis Darville, Randy Wolff, Drew Hamilton, Dereck Wong, and Lewis Greer encouraged me all the way.

Certain authors deserve thanks. Chris Tiegreen, your professional edit advice and encouragement was right on. Thanks as well to Wayne Jacobsen. You will see some of your wise handiwork in the final edition. Thank you to my Kentucky author friends, Todd Wright and Steve Flairty. You helped me get started with writing fiction. Special thanks to Jim Dodson and Lorne Rubenstein for your inspiring books about Scotland, Dornoch, and links golf. Thank you for permitting me to borrow your words. And last but never least, once again, Wally Armstrong and Jim Hiskey. You may be growing old, but not your words. Thanks!

To anyone I’ve missed: My apologies and gratitude.