Category: Newsletter

Greetings Golfers,

“Love and putting are mysteries for the philosophers to solve. Both subjects are beyond golfers.” Wisdom from the immortal Tommy Armour.

The Greeks had multiple words for love … some say 4, others say 6, and even others claim 8 … whatever the number, they had multiple words for love. That’s because there are different kinds of love, such as romantic love or the love of family or of friends.

Tommy Armour loved golf. His book “How to Play Your Best Golf All of the Time” is probably the best golf instruction book of all time.

I can’t believe how much I love golf. I love everything about it. And I can’t wait to play again. And I can’t wait to get Deer Run GC open to share my love of golf. No other game has inspired such great writing … authors such as Bobby Jones, Bernard Darwin, Herbert Warren Wind, James Dodson, Dan Jenkins, John Feinstein, and many others. Also, I’m on some golf sites that continually argue about the golf swing, the rules of golf, how to run a golf course, and even about the essence of golf. The passion and knowledge and insight on these sites is amazing.

Love. That’s a word we guys never used as kids … it seemed unmanly. But there is nothing unmanly about love. It takes strength to love and be motivated by love. Fear should not be the great motivator. A little fear is healthy and even wise … to be fearless is reckless and idiotic. But love is the great motivator – it can overcome fear, and it can drive the needed action.

I started this essay with a quote about love and putting. Maybe the secret to putting is love … a love of putting. I know that when I putt poorly that I putt from fear – I can’t stand to miss easy putts. Good putters love putting. Their love of putting overcomes their fear of missing.

Maybe we’ve solved the mystery Tommy Armour was talking about.
Cheers,

Tom Abts
GM and Head Golf Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com

Greetings Golfers,

Happy Friday the 13th.

Yes, it’s April 13 and we still have snow on the ground. And, we’ll probably get more cold and snow this weekend.

Don’t worry, we will open on April 25. I can feel it.

Life is seldom smooth and easy. We often need inspiration to keep motivated. I’m one of those cornballs who loves good quotes. And most of the quotes I like are inspirational.

Probably my favorite quote master is Johann Wolfgang von Goethe – the writer of “Faust”. Here are some of his best:

“Whatever you can do, or believe you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.”

“Correction does much, but encouragement does more.”

“You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him.”

“Things that matter most, must never be at the mercy of things that matter least.”

“We must always change, renew, rejuvenate ourselves; otherwise we harden.”

Spring is a time to rejuvenate. The weather will become Springlike soon … but you don’t have to wait for nice weather to rejuvenate yourself. Change your attitude – get inspired – Friday the 13th can be a lucky day. Read some more Goethe quotes!

Cheers,

 

Tom Abts

GM and Head Golf Professional

tabts@deerrungolf.com

Greetings Golfers,

Do you remember when Jack Nicklaus won the Masters in 1986?

Can’t believe it was 32 years ago. Though it was a beautiful day in Minnesota, we watched the final round from start to finish. Golf on television has been getting amazing ratings lately – all because of Tiger Woods. If Tiger is in the hunt on Sunday … your television might explode. I suspect you’ll be watching even if Tiger doesn’t make the cut … it’s not like you’ll be playing golf in Minnesota on Sunday.

This year will definitely be our latest opening at Deer Run GC. Our average opener is April 4.

It’s not the end of the world. Just a strong reminder from Mother Nature not to waste this year’s golf season.

It looked cold for Augusta. Did you see Jack and Gary Player tee off yesterday morning? Player is 82 years old and looks strong and flexible – he killed his drive off #1. How about Bernhard Langer shooting +2? Or Freddie Couples shooting even par? Amazing.

And Tiger shot +1. When he was 3 over after 12 holes, I was worried. Definitely want him to make the cut. Phil was -2. Everyone wants to see a Phil-Tiger shootout on Sunday. Throw in Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas and Rory … and you’d have the greatest Masters since Jack won in 1986. And if Tiger won … you’d probably have the greatest Masters of all time.

Well, wish I’d be seeing you at the golf course this weekend … but this Masters might make the snow outside no big deal.

Cheers,

 

Tom Abts

GM and Head Golf Professional

tabts@deerrungolf.com

Greetings Golfers,

“The road to hell is paved with good intentions”.

We’ve all heard that saying … but what does it mean? Simply, it means that wanting to do something isn’t good enough. It means you actually HAVE to do it.

When I interview people, I’m very concerned that they “get it” … that they understand our culture … that they have good intentions. But, I also have to sense if they will do it … not just intend to do it.

The secret is commitment. Commitment can feel rigid. But that rigid feeling means that you’re all in. And you need to be all in to really do what you intend to do.

A good golfer needs to be committed to every golf shot. Golfers always talk about focus. I think what they really mean is commitment.

In the book “How We Talk Can Change the Way We Work” is a great paragraph:

“The language of complaint, essentially tells us and others, what we can’t stand. The language of commitment tells us (and others) what we stand for. Without having our complaints taken away, and without giving them up,the language of commitment enables us to make a shift from experiencing ourselves as primarily disappointed, complaining, wishful critical people to experiencing ourselves as committed people who hold particular convictions about which is most valuable, most precious, and most deserving of being defended or promoted.”

Commitment is the road to Heaven.

Cheers,

 

Tom Abts

GM and Head Golf Professional

tabts@deerrungolf.com

Greetings Golfers,

37 year old Tony Romo shot 77 yesterday in the first round of the Punta Cana Classic in the Dominican Republic. Most of the regulars on the PGA Tour are playing in Austin, Texas at the Match Play tournament.

Romo grew up in Wisconsin, played quarterback at Eastern Illinois University, and wasn’t picked in the 2003 NFL draft. However, he signed with the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free-agent and made the the team as their 3rd string quarterback. He became a starter in 2006 and had a very good career with the Cowboys until he retired at the end of the 2016 season.

And now he’s playing in a PGA Tour event. And, he’s a lead broadcaster for CBS on NFL games. He’s already led a charmed life.

Years ago, another NFL quarterback led a very similar life. John Brodie was the starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers from 1957 – 1973. Then he retired and was a lead announcer for NBC on NFL games. When he turned 50, Brodie qualified for the PGA Senior Tour … was a successful player for many years … and actually won a PGA Senior tournament. Not bad for a football player.

Sometimes in the winter months, I’d watch those goofy Pro-Am golf tournaments filled with celebrities and athletes. The best players were usually baseball pitchers and football quarterbacks. And hockey players. Hockey players obviously are pretty good at hitting an object with a stick … which naturally translates to golf. And pitchers and quarterbacks have a nice motion and hand action to propel a ball with power and accuracy … which also translates naturally to golf.

Yet, much modern golf instruction focuses on the “big muscles” and minimizes the use of the hands. If that were true … wouldn’t the offensive lineman be the best golfers?

Though we still have snow on the ground … the golf season is almost here. Make this your best golf year ever by working on your hand action … and making your golf swing like a throwing motion. The combination of the two will give you more control, and a healthier, more repeatable natural swing.

Cheers,

 

Tom Abts

GM and Head Golf Professional

tabts@deerrungolf.com

Greetings Golfers,

Have you got your brackets filled out? I don’t mean the NCAA Basketball brackets … I mean your picks for this year’s golf Majors.

“Marty’s Majors” … run by Marty Lass – the legendary golf professional at Edina CC … is golf’s version of the NCAA pools. We have to pick 4 players for each Major (and the Players Championship) … and you can only use each player one time. And your season picks have to be entered before March 31.

What if your picks get injured? Sorry. Or what if they aren’t invited or qualify for a Major? Sorry. (Marty is a heartless tyrant)

So, you have to think things through. Tiger Woods is one of my 4 picks for the Masters. He’s playing great now … but might not hold up all year. Jordan Spieth is struggling, but I think he’ll be fine later this summer. Am I giving away my secrets? Probably not … I’m sure most of these gamblers know more about the players than I do … sort of like the hard-core guys who bet on horse racing.

Speaking of Tiger Woods … did you watch the golf on television last weekend? Yeah – I did too. I guess the ratings were off the charts. I don’t watch much golf anymore – mostly just the Majors. But, I had to see Tiger make a run at winning that tournament in Tampa. When he made that putt on #17 to get to one stroke behind the leader … I really thought he would birdie #18 to tie it up. Pretty incredible stuff.

Tiger seems to be back. He shot 68 at Bay Hill yesterday. That’s 5 sub-par rounds in a row. And he’s hitting it longer than the kids … and his short game is razor sharp. He seems to be happy, friendly, nice, and relaxed … who is this guy? Obviously he’s been humbled … and seems to have come out a better person. Maybe not a better golfer – he’s 42 years old – but a better player than I ever thought was possible after all of his physical problems.

The NCAA Basketball Tournament is always incredible – and I’m sure this year will be no exception. But this year March Madness is also about golf – thanks to Tiger Woods.

Cheers,

 

Tom Abts

GM and Head Golf Professional

tabts@deerrungolf.com

Greetings Golfers,

A week ago I was playing golf in South Carolina – now I’m looking out the Clubhouse window at A LOT of snow.

However, I’m glad to be back home … seriously. I love getting ready for the golf season. I’m a Golf Professional – not a Professional Golfer. I love to play golf … but I especially love to share the game of golf.

The guys I played with last week are retired PGA Pros from New England. Of the 7 guys – one is named Jim – one is named Butch – and the other 5 are Mikes. They’re all characters … Irish guys … funny … tough … and still good players. One guy played in a US Open and a Senior US Open … and another guy won the New Hampshire Open. Nobody can hit it anywhere … and in SC we get no roll.

The golf course we play is brutal … and especially bad in January and February when the grass is dormant. The greens are unputtable – though the US Open guy somehow makes everything … pretty obvious why he had so much success as a player.

When they built the course 20 years ago, the idea was to attract Northern PGA Pros to buy a house in the neighborhood, and then winter or retire there. Didn’t work out so well. The course is 7,200 yds from the back with narrow tree-lined fairways and water hazards everywhere. They thought PGA Golf Professionals were Professional Golfers … and would want that type of challenge. Wrong. Of course we don’t play off the back tees … but it’s still really difficult … and the conditions sure don’t help. But is it fun? Yeah – it’s the highlight of my week. Every Monday at 1pm we tee it up … cold or hot … calm or windy … dry or rainy … the game is on.

As they say … golf is a game of a lifetime. Even if your name isn’t Mike.

Cheers,

 

Tom Abts

GM and Head Golf Professional

tabts@deerrungolf.com

Greetings Golfers,

I want to talk about Justin Thomas … and the heckling incident last Sunday.

Who is Justin Thomas? He won the Honda Classic last week. He won 5 times last year. He won the FedEx Cup last year and was PGA Tour Player of the Year. He once shot 59 in a Tour Event. And he’s only 24 years old.

He’s also ranked #3 on the PGA Tour. He’s 5’10” 150 lbs and drives it long – averages 314.6 yds a drive so far this year. And has a scoring average of 69.84. He doesn’t have a weakness … and he plays better on Sundays – he’s under par on each of his last 12 final rounds.

And I think he’s really likable. He’s not arrogant or cold or bizarre. It’s going to take him longer to develop his public persona than develop his golf game. I don’t mean in a phony way … just that it takes time to deal with fame and the media … as I said – he’s 24 years old.

So, last Sunday, on the last few holes, a “fan” was harassing Justin. Not during his swing … but before and after. One time he yelled at him to “hit it in the water” and on another hole he yelled at his shot to “get in the bunker”. Justin confronted the guy and had the Marshals remove him from the tournament.

I think Justin did the right thing. But, the next day, Justin said that he over-reacted. I do think Justin over-reacted … but not about kicking out the “fan” … he over-reacted because he was taking some heat for what he did. He should stick to his guns. Should Justin be able to handle heckling? Absolutely. Does that mean it should be happening? Absolutely not. A golf tournament is different from a football game with people yelling in the stands. The fans are right next to the players … and golf is not a team sport. The Ryder Cup was rowdy because it’s a team event. It’s apples to oranges.

Justin Thomas has the talent and the right instincts. My hunch is that he is going to be the most successful of this current group of young hotshots. He doesn’t need to apologize for doing the right thing.

Cheers,

 

Tom Abts

GM and Head Golf Professional

tabts@deerrungolf.com

Greetings Golfers,

Today is March the first. Last year we opened in March. Our typical opening date is April 4. We never force it. Of course we want to open … that’s what we do … but never at the expense of the golf course.

So now is time to get ready for the Golf Season. Sign-up for our leagues, make tee-times, and purchase some Loyal Player Passes. You can do all those things on our website – we think it’s pretty clean and easy to navigate – we tried to make it player friendly.

The Loyal Player Packages come in a variety of sizes: 20 rounds for $840, 40 for $1580, and 60 for $2320. Obviously the bigger the Package, the bigger the savings. And you can share them with friends or other people. Click here to visit our online store.

Cheers,

Tom Abts

GM/Head Golf Professional

Greetings Golfers,

People always ask me if I’m worried that I’ll run out of things to write about. Just the opposite – I don’t have the time to write about everything … especially about golf.

Big news floating around that Jack Nicklaus and the USGA are going to “roll back” the golf ball about 20%. How does that work? Golf companies will no longer make longer balls? Huh? Most people don’t care if the USGA demands that the ball be 20% weaker. They don’t play in USGA tournaments. If Titleist and other golf ball companies stop making what are now considered normal balls … well, I’d like to start my own golf ball company. I think I could sell more than a few golf balls.

Jack is right … the ball is too hot … for Tour players and US Amateur players. But, not for 95% of the recreational players. The PGA Tour and the USGA and the R&A have to recognize that golf is two games – Tournament Golf and Recreational Golf. Just like Professional Baseball and Recreational Softball are two different games. As I said for many years … MLB would be ruined if the players could use metal bats. But, softball would be much less fun using wooden bats. Same with golf. Time to face the music.

Speaking of the PGA Tour … it’s starting it’s Florida run leading up to the Masters. Tiger is playing. He missed the cut last week at Riviera. I don’t think he has ever missed two cuts in a row. (Let me know if I’m wrong). Padraig Harrington is a 2-time champion of this week’s event at PGA National. Padraig and Rory McIlroy sat down for an interview a few days ago with an Irish newspaper. It’s a must read … check it out at http://bit.ly/2orBLwP

See what I mean? There’s always a lot to write about … especially golf!

Cheers,

Tom Abts

GM/Head Golf Professional