In all the Scottish lore which comprises the rich history of golf, there is a tidbit concerning the naming of the area on which the game was to be played. As the story goes, two gentlemen were contemplating their attempt to advance a round object toward an area of green grass.
"So, Angus," began one of the men, "how will ye advance this wee ball ta yonder beautiful green?" "Tis not so much a problem, Collin," replied Angus, "I'll just strike her in that direction. That looks like a fair way." "Aye, the fair way it is then." Thus was born the term "fairway" because it was the way to the green which seemed most fair.
According to both history and legend, these fairways were closely cropped due to the grazing of sheep and goats. This made the grass far less inhibiting for those trying to strike a ball with their curved stick. It did leave the possibility of some wayward deposits from time to time which may have occluded the "fair" part of the fairway. Nonetheless, the fairway came to be the direction to the green that made the greatest amount of sense and provided the greatest possibility of reward for solid strokes, despite the difficulty in hitting it every time.
For modern golfers, the broad expanses of fairway that are seen today from well manicured tees are much different than those thin strips of olden time which lay between the mounds and hills of the Scottish countryside. The demand to "hit the fair way" today is somewhat less taxing than in days of yore. But the demand to live life strongly and well for the Lord Jesus has not changed. The path of true life, the "fair" way, demands a strong discipline from us.
"Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the way and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." Matthew 7:13, 14 Jesus died to show us that fair way. He is the gate that opens to the way of life.