Greetings Golfers,

A Minnesotan – Donald Constable – just qualified to play on the PGA Tour in 2013. The next morning, the guys on the Golf Channel were making the usual hilarious jokes about having to shovel off the driving range, etc.

Yes, we play golf up here. This is not the movie FARGO. Years ago, when I was a sales-rep, I went to a sales meeting in New York City. When I walked in wearing a suit, some people were shocked. One of the staff actually said that she thought I would look like and dress like a lumberjack.

She probably would have been amazed to learn we have golf courses. In fact, Minnesota has more golfers per capita than any other state. I think we might also have the most boaters per capita. When it gets warm – we get outside.

But, the tundra might be one of the main reasons we have so many good golfers – we have a lot of hockey players. If you’ve spent your winters with a hockey stick in your hands, the golf club feels pretty natural.

Another Tundra-native, Tim Herron played well at the end of the year to finish in the Tour’s top 125 – so he’s fully exempt for 2013.

With the struggles of Minnesota sports teams… it’ll be fun to root for some local boys on the PGA Tour next year.

Cheers,

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

Greetings Golfers,

Have you heard about the USGA banning the belly-putter? The ruling just happened a few days ago, and will go into effect in 2016.

Hopefully this will start a dialog that is long overdue: that different rules are needed for professional golf than for recreational amateur golf.

Major league baseball doesn’t allow metal bats, the bases are 90 feet apart, and the pitching rubber is 60 ft from home-plate. Amateur softball uses metal bats, has shorter distances between bases, and has a shorter distance from the pitching rubber to home-plate. Major League Baseball is for Pros – amateur softball is for fun.

The PGA Tour should have a standard ball and probably standard clubs – at least clubs that have very little variation – the Tour should be a test of skill, not about who has the best equipment. Amateur golf is for fun/recreation. If certain equipment makes it easier and more fun – all the better. Again, the Tour is for Pros – amateur golf is for fun.

Let the dialog begin.

Cheers,

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

Greetings Golfers,

Well, today is the big shopping day – Black Friday. But for me, this holiday is not about shopping, it’s about eating. So, it’s not “Shop until you drop” … it’s “Eat until you drop”.

I know that’s real classy, but what can I say? It’s Thanksgiving – I’m thankful I can eat.

Here’s a nice story. When I was in high school, I was a wrestler. My sophomore year, our first meet was the night before Thanksgiving. I’d cut a ton of weight, and all I cared about was eating again – the match was barely on my radar. Well, I gained 13 lbs over the Holiday weekend and completely disgusted my family… even my grandparents avoided me… you can tell I’m still emotionally scarred.

Hopefully, I won’t gain 13 lbs this weekend. But, I will catch up on my nourishment and football viewing – hope you do, too.

Cheers,

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

Greetings Golfers,

I just bought a book that George Washington wrote called RULES OF CIVILITY & DECENT BEHAVIOR. Why does George Washington fly under the radar? It seems like you only hear about him when you’re in grade school.

So I’ve been doing a little research about the great man. Do you know why he chopped down the cherry tree? Because it was right in front of the 2nd green at Powdered Wig Golf Club, and it kept knocking down his shots. So he took out his 7 iron (a mashie-niblick) and chopped her down. Now you know – as Paul Harvey used to say – the rest of the story.

Seriously, Washington did write a book about manners and etiquette. And if he did play golf, I’m sure he was pleasant to play with (despite his famously short temper). Golf etiquette is necessary to play with each other. If everyone is in each other’s way, the game is no fun and probably dangerous.

Same with basic manners and etiquette in daily life. Laws are not enough to live in harmony with each other. Manners and etiquette are the grease that keeps society smooth. If you live long enough, manners and etiquette should become obvious – common sense.

Washington deserves a major movie about his life. They’re coming out with a blockbuster about Lincoln – why not one about The Father of Our Country?

Cheers,

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

Greetings Golfers,

People always laugh when I say that my favorite movie is THE WIZARD OF OZ. But, I mean it. That’s how I see life. We don’t know what we have until it’s gone.

We all want both… Oz and Kansas. I’ll admit that I want more Kansas in my life than Oz… but we all need a little Oz. Yet, you don’t want Oz as your home… Oz is fun to visit, but Kansas is home.

Just played golf yesterday at Secession GC. Secession prides itself on being “home” though most of its members live out of state. So, they’ve turned Oz into home… you visit, but feel like you’ve come home.

I think that as the world has become more modern, it has become more like Oz. So if home doesn’t feel like Kansas, you go find it for a visit. Sounds backwards doesn’t it? Live in Oz and visit Kansas.

Businesses are figuring this out. Restaurants are becoming smaller and using local ingredients. People are rebelling at the loss of “home” in the modern world, so they’re looking for “home” when they go out. They want real/authentic/human. They have enough of the virtual world, they want something real.

Secession GC is real. The staff feel like your friends – not that phony name-tag service you get from people “trained” to give “good service”.

Don’t worry – the world will never turn into the Jetsons. No matter how modern the world becomes, people will always find a way to go back home to Kansas.

Cheers,

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

Greetings Golfers,

Have you heard the rumor about Rory McElroy signing with Nike for $250,000,000 for 10 years?

Wow. That’s pretty serious. I’ve never been a big Nike guy. They’ve always seemed a little too slick for me. But, Rory is definitely not Mr. Slick. Rory seems to be a nice, down-to-earth Irish kid. He’s the the perfect new face for golf. Young – but seems like an old soul … not afraid to speak his mind – but not arrogant … from Ireland so Europe loves him, and America relates to him because English is his native tongue.

Oh yeah – he can really play golf. His golf swing is crazy good – it’s perfect – but not rigid or mechanical. And he’s a shot maker. And he can putt. That sort of talent combined with his personality – I can see why Nike would offer him the farm.

This is very good for golf. When a major sports player like Nike decides to make a such power move, it’s a signal that they believe in the future of golf. Maybe, the merger of Rory and Nike can produce the best of both worlds – old-fashioned warmth and realness, combined with modern energy and innovation.

Cheers,

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

Greetings Golfers,

Am writing this while watching the St. Louis – San Francisco playoff game. Last week after the Yankees beat the Orioles, I complained to a friend about the Yankees. He said “You have to tip your hat to the Yankees – they win every year.” Really? They have by far the highest payroll in baseball every year … must be a real challenge to win with an all-star team.

A good baseball swing is a lot like a good golf swing.

People are always telling me that their baseball/softball swing screws up their golf swing. Again, I want to say “really?” but I won’t/don’t. The golf swing is just the baseball swing going after a really low pitch.

Watch how major league hitters use their legs. Before the pitch, they’re moving around in the batter’s box. When the pitch is delivered, they pull in their outer leg to wind-up, then shift their weight forward by taking a step with the outer leg as they hit the ball with their hands.

Same with the golf swing – start your wind-up by shifting your weight to your back foot, then start your down swing by shifting your weight to your front foot as you hit the ball with your hands. Old-school golfers used to jump-start their golf swing by rocking their weight to their front foot so they could then rock back to their back foot. That move helped them wind-up with a natural rebound motion. Good baseball batters do the same thing with their outer leg.

If the St. Louis Cardinals win this playoff series, we’ll have a Tigers – Cardinals World Series. Am I the only one who remembers the 1968 Tigers – Cardinals World Series?

Cheers,

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

Greetings Golfers,

Because I work in the golf biz, people are always telling and emailing me golf jokes and videos, etc. Like most things, some are good and some aren’t so good (that’s being nice).

But I just got a link to a video that’s fantastic. It’s on the European Tour website and it’s about magic. A magician is hanging around the practice area before a tournament and plays tricks with the golfers while they show him trick golf shots. The vibe is fun and relaxed – which I find amazing before a tournament… and the magic performed by the magician and golfers is even more amazing.

You get a feel for how ridiculously in control of the golf ball these Tour players are. Their hands are so in tune with the club that they can do anything.

I’ve been trying not to talk about the Ryder Cup, but I have to. Early in the contest, the Americans seemed to be having fun – and they were winning. During the singles matches, they seemed to me to be freaking out – especially on the last few holes. Golf is about keeping loose. The adrenalin rush that helps so much in other sports, is usually a disaster in golf.

Oh, I almost forgot … the video is http://www.youtube.com/everyshotimaginable

Cheers,

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

Greetings Golfers,

I’m writing this from an airplane … the woman across the aisle is lying down across all three seats with her bare feet hanging into the aisle while she’s clipping her nails. I’m not making this up. Before takeoff, the stewardess had to threaten to take away her cell phone because she was yelling on it.

Would you want her in your foursome? Maybe she could shave her legs while riding in your cart.

Was in Connecticut for a wedding. Stayed a couple of days to drive around New England. It was beautiful.  But, Fall in Minnesota is just as beautiful. In fact, I think the drive down the Mississippi River is very similar to the drive through New England.

Can’t believe that it’s almost October. And the weather is still fantastic. Our Fall rates start on October the Oneth. Same as in April … Senior rates for everyone – All day – Every day.

Hope you get out to see the leaves change and don’t forget to play golf.

Cheers,

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

Greetings Golfers,

This is the final tournament of the FedEx Cup. The winner of this event at East Lake GC will probably win the 10 million dollar FedEx payday. Really – that’s true. And, the winner of the tournament itself wins over a million.

I love sports and people are entitled to making the money they earn (if it’s legal) … but this is getting crazy. I remember when in the off season, Vikings sold real estate or Twins sold cars … can you image that happening nowadays?

The sense of entitlement is what bugs me. These walkouts are hard to sympathize with. Am I on the side of the owners in these battles?  Hardly. It just seems crazy that a sporting career is usually pretty short and that the players would sit out a year because they “need” more millions.

Next week is the Ryder Cup and they play for pride and love of country – there is no paycheck. Let me know which Cup tournament you think is more exciting.

Cheers,

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