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Links for Life

Links for Life

By: Tommy Thompson
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Golf is a microcosm of life. In the short hours we spend on the links, each shot challenges our focus and tests our emotions. When hitting that small, dimpled ball, we strive to stay present and to trust. Golf offers us the opportunity to grow physically, mentally, emotionally, and even spiritually. How often in casual conversations about the game have we heard someone say, "Golf is just like life!" And yet, we frequently miss the lessons that golf affords.

Through golf, we learn to wrangle destructive emotions. We learn to stay present in the moment, letting go of the past and resisting the allure of projecting into an unknown future. In a round of golf, we have unrushed time to enjoy our favorite relationships with fewer distractions than everyday life. Golf is beautiful and challenging. Golf is play, and hard work. Golf shows us who we are and teaches us how to become better versions of ourselves. This is the "why" of Links for Life, a show that explores the intersection of golf, growth, and God. Tune in for inspiring and empowering episodes that explore the beauty of golf and how it can teach us to improve our daily lives. Join your host, Tommy Thompson, to discuss relationships, mindset, faith, leadership, and, at the same time, how to improve your golf game.

In Links for Life, find out how the game of golf parallels the challenges you face along your journey, offering incredible mental strategies for personal growth while at the same time learning from the masters how to lower your handicap. Learn how to focus on the present, let go of past negativity, and free yourself of anxieties about the future. Get tips on overcoming nerves, improving your chipping and putting, and having more fun along the way.

Tommy sits down with golfers at all levels who openly share their life experiences and how they use the game of golf in their everyday lives. Gather practical advice and inspiration from their stories to transform your life. Let their personal experiences and learned lessons guide you in elevating your beliefs, spirituality, and perspectives.

Of course, golf isn't just about self-improvement. It also teaches you how to connect with others on a deeper level. Through these conversations, discover how this sport can help you build better relationships in all areas of your life. Find out how to create lasting connections with the people around you. Learn how to cultivate and appreciate relationships with the most important people in your life, helping you become a better spouse, parent, sibling, or friend.

Your host, Tommy Thompson, has been a golfer for over five decades. He knows the game inside out and fully understands how it brings people together on a much deeper level. Beyond that, Tommy is also a professional life coach and business entrepreneur who has mentored countless executives and leaders, helping them achieve balance, fulfillment, and more significant impact. He also has a seminary degree and is the author of Space to Breathe Again: Hope for the Overloaded and Overwhelmed. Tommy is host of the sibling podcast Space for Life. Tommy's journey stands at the intersection of golf, personal growth, and a vital relationship with God, making him the best person to lead these thought-provoking conversations.

Join Tommy in improving your scores, dissecting the intricacies of golf, and exploring its limitless links with human life.

Listen to Links For Life at linksforlife.golf

Copyright 2025 | All Rights Reserved | Golf
Episodes
  • Why Most Golfers Never Improve and How You Can

    Why Most Golfers Never Improve and How You Can
    Nov 18 2025

    In this episode of Links for Life, Tommy and Joe unpack one of the most surprising realities in golf: most golfers never actually get better. Handicaps stay the same for years, even decades — not because people aren’t trying, but because most golfers don’t know how to practice in ways that lead to real improvement.


    This episode dives deep into the art of practicing well. Tommy and Joe explore why so much effort gets wasted, what effective practice actually looks like, and how intention, experimentation, and honest self-assessment can transform both your game and your enjoyment of it. They break down practical strategies for range sessions, short game work, overcoming weaknesses, and building an off-season plan that sets up a breakthrough season ahead.


    Whether you're new to practice or you’ve been stuck at the same scoring plateau, this episode gives you a clear, encouraging roadmap for how to finally start improving.


    Takeaways:
    • Most golfers fail to improve because they practice the same habits without intention.
    • Effective practice is purposeful, targeted, and fun enough to keep you engaged.
    • Gamifying practice boosts focus and accelerates learning.
    • Experimenting with ball flight and feel on the range teaches more than grinding stock shots.
    • Short game practice is essential — yet it’s the least practiced part of the game.
    • Honest self-assessment helps you identify what’s actually holding you back.
    • An off-season plan turns “winter rust” into real progress.
    • Balancing strengths and weaknesses keeps practice structured and sustainable.
    • Improvement comes from rhythm, reflection, and the courage to face what’s sabotaging your game.
    • Better practice in golf mirrors better practice in life — clarity and intention matter everywhere.


    Golf Self-Assessment List (1–10 Scale)

    Use this to determine where your practice should go:

    • Putting
    • Chipping
    • Sand play
    • Pitching
    • Half wedges (40–70 yards)
    • Irons
    • Fairway woods / hybrids
    • Driver


    Life 360–Style Reflection List (as applied to golf)

    Framework referenced by Tommy:

    • Communication
    • Finances
    • Marriage / relationships
    • Parenting
    • Health
    • Work / vocation
    • Personal growth
    • Emotional life
    • Spiritual life
    • Rhythms / rest


    Chapters

    00:00 The Challenge of Improvement in Golf

    02:42 The Importance of Effective Practice

    05:48 Mindset and Intentionality in Practice

    08:53 Making Practice Fun and Engaging

    11:49 The Role of Intention in Practice Sessions

    14:50 Experimentation and Learning on the Range

    17:45 Short Game as the Key to Golf Success

    28:03 Mastering the Short Game

    30:50 Developing an Off-Season Plan

    33:32 Self-Assessment for Improvement

    38:47 Embracing Frustration in Practice

    42:50 Identifying and Overcoming Sabotaging Weaknesses

    47:44 Balancing Perfectionism and Progress


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    56 mins
  • Takeaways from Watching the Champions Tour

    Takeaways from Watching the Champions Tour
    Nov 4 2025

    In this episode of Links for Life, Tommy and Joe share their biggest takeaways from attending the Dominion Energy Charity Classic. Watching legends like Bernhard Langer, Ernie Els, and Freddie Jacobson up close offered a masterclass in calm focus, emotional control, and smart play. They discuss how the pros manage pressure, recover from mistakes, and approach every shot with intention—lessons that apply far beyond the course.


    From slowing down under pressure to keeping ego out of decision-making, this conversation explores what makes Champions Tour players so consistent and how those same habits can improve both your golf game and your everyday life.


    Takeaways

    • Champions Tour players model calm confidence and emotional control.
    • Every shot matters, but no single shot should matter too much.
    • Slowing down helps regulate focus and performance under pressure.
    • Physical posture and pace can calm the mind and prevent emotional spirals.
    • The pros know when to play smart and when to take calculated risks.
    • The same mindset that improves golf can help us navigate work and relationships.



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    40 mins
  • The Greenbrier’s Justin Beard on Raising a Junior Golfer

    The Greenbrier’s Justin Beard on Raising a Junior Golfer
    Oct 14 2025

    In this episode of Links for Life, Tommy sits down with golf professional Justin Beard, Director of Golf at The Greenbrier Sporting Club, to talk about raising a junior golfer and keeping the game fun along the way.


    Justin shares his journey in golf, his experience parenting a talented junior player, and the lessons he’s learned about confidence, humility, and perspective. Together, they explore how parents can create a healthy, pressure-free environment that helps kids enjoy the game for life.


    From balancing competition and fun to knowing when to step back as a parent, this episode is packed with practical wisdom and heartfelt stories for anyone navigating youth sports or simply looking to make golf a more meaningful family experience.


    Key Topics
    • Golf should be a fun experience for kids, not a source of pressure
    • Parents serve best as “guardrails,” not drill sergeants
    • Winning doesn’t define a young golfer’s worth
    • Confidence and humility can coexist
    • Encouragement is more effective than criticism
    • Patience and perspective are essential in youth sports
    • The journey is about experiences, not just results
    • Golf can strengthen family relationships and create lifelong memories


    Timestamps

    0:00 Introduction

    4:05 The Ryder Cup Experience with His Son

    8:55 Justin’s Journey in Golf

    14:34 The Importance of Humility and Confidence

    17:49 The Role of Parents in Junior Golf

    22:44 Coaching, Confidence, and Character

    28:15 Parenting as Guardrails

    31:26 Encouragement Over Pressure

    35:20 Lessons from a Summer of Competition

    38:44 The ROI of Golf and Family Time

    43:44 Introducing Kids to Golf the Right Way

    50:10 Keeping Golf Fun and Creative for Kids

    54:00 Final Reflections and Key Takeaways


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    57 mins
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