Greetings Golfers,

Sometimes we forget that we “play” golf. Golf is a form of play for most of us. Golf is a form of work if you’re making your living at it. But, most of us aren’t Tour Players. So, let’s make sure that golf is more play and less work. I’m not saying to not practice or “work” on your golf game … I’m saying to play golf with more of an attitude of it’s fun to do – not a chore to get over with.

Below is a blog from Phil Blackmar. Phil was a PGA Tour Player for many years … not a star, but a very good player. His blog is about how he found the joy in playing golf again. He’d actually quit playing golf. But, one day he went out to play with just a 4 iron, and rediscovered the joy of shotmaking – not trying to make a perfect, robotic golf swing.

I hope you enjoy his blog as much as I did.

Cheers,

Tom Abts
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People continually ask me how much I play golf and my answer has been “very little” for a long time. After quitting the regular tour in 2000, unless I had to participate at an outing, I didn’t play at all for about 5 years. Then in 2006, out of work and needing to make a living, I embarked on the Pga tour Champions which lasted about 5 years until I quit again. Instead of being fun, the game had turned into a means to an end, an end which was quickly looking more and more like the Bellevue Psych ward.

Growing up, through college, mini tour years and into the beginning of my tour career, golf had been a game. Sure, to be honest, I probably enjoyed the competitive side of playing for money the most, but I still approached it as a game. Then, sometime early in my 16 year Pga tour career, the game became drudgery.

I had attributed that metamorphosis to the stress of providing for my family with a long game I felt was inferior to most of those I played against. For me, at six foot 7 inches, I had the ability to hit the occasional spectacular shot but I lacked the talent to replicate shots that seemed so easy for others. It wasn’t until recently playing a one club match with Craig Perks, Todd Green and Gary Christian on a windy Sunday afternoon in Jacksonville, Fl., that I realized what I had done to take the fun out of the game that I used to love to play.

One club in hand, we scampered around 20 something holes at a municipal course that was closed due to heavy morning rains. There were no putters, no wedges and we played from approximately 6500 yards while giving each other grief at every opportunity. I had a blast taking a 4 iron and trying to shape iron shots, bunker shots, chips, putts and all. It was a test to find a way to manipulate a 4 iron to do what it wasn’t designed to do. Todd won the cash with an in your face in the dark birdie on the last hole.

That night, reflecting on how much fun the day had been, it dawned on me why I now hate playing golf so much. In my pursuit to get better on tour, I had sought the advice of several highly regarded instructors to see if they could help. That’s when I became more conscious of my swing, the result and less of the game itself.  While I already knew that, it dawned on me that golf used to be a game that I “played”, not one that I solved. At its most basic level, back when it was fun, for me the shot created the swing.

What does that mean? It means de-lofting the face at impact and not getting too steep into the ball so the flight is flat and penetrates the wind. It means taking speed off to keep from hitting a flier from the fairway in damp conditions. It means opening the face a little to take a few yards off a short iron to hit it the right distance. It means flighting down a wedge. It means learning to control the flight of a wedge that doesn’t have perfect new grooves. It means moving the ball up in the stance to hit a long iron high enough in the air to try and get it to stop. It means curving the ball intentionally one way so that it doesn’t curve the other way. It means manipulating something one way or another to solve the riddle that the shot presents.

A stock swing born in a laboratory taken to the course to which the player commits regardless the situation illustrates the swing creating the shot. But when some part of the swing or part of address changes to fit the pictured shot, the shot is contributing to and to some extent creating the swing. That night I realized, that while I still made adjustments occasionally on the course, my primary concern had become making a swing and I had quit playing a game. And while I knew this already, I realized I didn’t fully appreciate the depth of what had been slapping me in the face all these years. Where there is satisfaction in engineering a solution, there is joy in artistry. More than that, satisfaction in engineering only takes place with a good result, but there can be fun in a “watch this” sort of attitude that is willing to try to play a shot a certain way even though it’s not pulled off. To create a couple of shots in a round with an artistic mind set can bring you back again and again and again. Maybe this is part of the reason for Top Golf’s success.

I will save the obvious continuation of this topic regarding today’s game for another blog, but realize this; I went home the next day and took 10 wooden headed drivers and three woods to the range to see which pair felt the best. I then asked my friend Doug Desive, the pro at my course, which ball might fit hitting a wooden driver and he gave me an option. While it makes no sound when its hit, I found a ball that flies just fine with the wooden headed woods and still feels decent with a wedge. Not only that, I can curve the ball both ways now where playing a draw with the new drivers has been nearly impossible for me. Next, I have an old set of blades that were made for me back in the 80’s which have never been shafted. They look so tiny, like the woods, and shafts are on the way, even for a one-iron. The 60 is out as are the hybrids.

Why the change in equipment? The tiny sweet spots require me to think about solid contact and not just making a swing. The long irons require manipulating to get them into the air. The old small grooves will hit fliers from lies today’s clubs do not. The ball will curve more than the top wonder balls allowing for more options. Taking out the 60 means I will have to be more creative with a 56.  I realize I’m not going to play as well as I could with today’s equipment, but my approach is going to be to paint pictures rather than assemble nuts and bolts. I’m moving up a tee and playing at a length that fits being an artist and doesn’t require me to “max out” my speed. From now on, I’m going to play a game.
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Tom Abts
GM and Head Golf Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com

Greetings Golfers,

Life is seldom La-la-land. Whether it’s weather like the latest hurricanes or the daily strife of living with other people … there’s always problems to deal with. And, in a civilized country, hopefully we’ve put systems in place to deal with problems.

One such system is our legal system. A jury consisting of one’s peers listening to the arguments of the prosecuting attorney and the defense attorney, and overseen by a judge. Hopefully it works better than vigilante justice.

Well, I was recently summoned to be a part of our justice system – I was called for jury duty. After waiting for the better part of the day to be called to a case (I was one of the last ones left in the huge waiting room), I was called to a criminal case. And then after a few days of being examined by the judge and then the two attorneys, about half of us were “excused”.

Did I speak up and give my opinions while we potential jurors were being interviewed by the judge and attorneys?
Of course! Did I say outrageous things so I wouldn’t be selected? Not at all. October is the perfect time of year for me to participate on a jury. Not only do I feel it’s my civic duty, but I thought the whole process was really interesting.

We were asked if we had any preliminary opinions of the defendant before the trial started. I took the microphone and said “Of course – that’s human nature. We all knew he’d been arrested, and that through years of living, we had assumptions about him due to how he looked. But, we have all dealt with overcoming first impressions or rumors about people all of our lives. And, isn’t that the point of a trial? Listening to both sides and making a rational, fair decision according to the law?”

I’m pretty sure that my explanation was not appreciated. My tour of duty has been ended. Well, fall golf is the best … and now I have a chance to play a little bit.

So, here’s some info about fall golf at Deer Run GC: Fall rates began October the first. Senior Rates for everyone, every day, all day. We’re punching the greens October 16th. And probably closing on October 31st.

I’m proud of America, and I’m proud of our legal system. I’m also proud of DRGC and look forward to playing golf the next few weeks. Hope you do too.

Cheers,

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

Greetings Golfers,

They did it. They lost over 100 games last year … and this year they made the playoffs. Of course I’m referring to the Minnesota Twins – the former Washington Senators.

The playoffs for them is really only a playoff game against the other wild card team – the NY Yankees. A classic battle of Good vs. Evil.

In fact, this battle goes back so far that there was even a famous play/movie made about it in the 1950s … I’m sure you’ve heard of “Damn Yankees”. The main character  sells his soul to the Devil so that his beloved Washington Senators can beat the hated Yankees.

You would have thought moving to Minnesota almost 60 years ago would have broken the hex that the Yankees have over the Senators … but it doesn’t seem to have gone away.

But maybe this year is the year. The song “Heart” is my favorite of the show. You’d know if you’d heard it. It goes: “You’ve gotta have heart … miles and miles and miles of heart … “

Well this year’s Senators/Twins do have miles of heart.

Let’s hope Tuesday they can break the hex without having to sell their souls.

Cheers,

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

Greetings Golfers,

Last week a PGA Tour player played his round in 1:36 and had his best score of the week (69). I’ll take a wild guess and say that he wasn’t taking a bunch of practice swings and playing mechanically.

That’s my new mantra – “Play athletically – not mechanically”.

A good golf swing is a sweep from in-to-out. Everything you do should help make that happen … from set-up to follow-through. But, it should be athletic – not mechanical.

Most players don’t sweep from in-to-out … they lift up the club and beat down on the ball with their shoulders. Don’t believe me? … look at the gouging divots on the tee boxes … and those are from a driver – not a wedge.

Learning that sweeping action doesn’t have to be mechanical and rigid. Modern golf swings are too rigid. Old school players like Hogan and Snead were always in motion.

Take a look at this swing of Hogan from 1948:

https://www.facebook.com/BenHogan/videos/920124898037093/

How cool is that? Look at that waggle! If you want to copy good swings … watch video of Hogan, Snead, etc. They could feel their swing in their waggle. Try it – you’ll like it.

Cheers,

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

Greetings Golfers,

Was talking the other day with one of our Starters. He’s a very insightful fellow, and I really enjoy our chats. We were talking about running the golf operation and trying to focus on doing the right thing. As he said so well “It may be simple, but it’s not easy”. Yes.

Trying to do the right thing is seldom easy. Here’s a great example. While driving to the golf course the other day, my dog Harvey was in the back seat. And, a squirrel ran out in front of my car and started going back & forth in the road … so I had to hit the brakes harder than I wanted to because I didn’t have a chance to swerve around a freaking out squirrel. Because I hit the brakes so hard, Harvey went flying around the backseat. I’m sure that Harvey thought I was being a jerk. But, I was doing what I had to do, so that I wouldn’t run over the squirrel (I didn’t).

This happens to me all the time at the golf course. The other day a guy complained that his round was slow. I asked how long did it take – he said “Four hours”. I replied that is not slow. He countered that he had to wait a lot. So I said that waiting doesn’t mean slow. We want four hour rounds. Four hours is fair. He might want to play in three hours, but he doesn’t have the right to make everyone else play in three hours. Same with the guy who wants to play in five hours. He doesn’t have the right to back up the golf course. To those guys, I’m being a jerk. No, I’m trying not to run over the squirrel … I’m trying to do the right thing.

In fact, the other day, I had to kick out a slow 4some. They were on the 7th hole and already had the course backed up to the first tee box. They thought letting people play through would solve the problem. Wrong.

It may be simple … but it’s not easy.

Cheers,

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

Greetings Golfers,

Having bad manners is really just being disrespectful.

Nitpicking is disrespectful. The dictionary defines nitpicking as “ Looking for small or unimportant errors or faults, in order to criticize unnecessarily”.

Nitpicking is bad manners.

Nitpickers like to pretend that they’re being helpful … that they’re pointing out what needs to be done. They’re the people who look at our beautiful flower gardens and point out a weed.

It’s a power play. And mean-spirited. It’s an attack – and often in a passive-aggressive form. Then when you defend yourself … they act like you’re the bad guy.

There’s the Letter of the Law … and the Spirit of the Law. It applies to the Rules of Golf – not just to our legal system. Some people love the Rules of Golf as a weapon in their arsenal of nitpicking.

Of course there are reasonable reasons to complain. But complaining is seldom charming. It usually brings a damper to the situation … and it better be a big deal to be worth it.

I love it when nitpickers start their harangue with “You know I love you, but” … then they start the barrage. They feel they now have a license to be hyper critical and offensive.

Or the “I tell it like it is” mentality. They aren’t asked for advice, but they can’t wait to tell people what isn’t perfect.

And of course we all have our nitpicking moments. But it’s not something to be proud of.

Nitpicking is just another form of insulting behavior. The dictionary defines insulting as “disrespectful or scornfully abusive”.

Ironically, nitpickers don’t think of themselves as having bad manners. They do.

Cheers,

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

Greetings Golfers,

Yesterday afternoon, a fellow around 70 years old told me he just shot 76. Last week was his previous best score – 82. The week before that was his typical 96. What happened? He just focused on making a golf swing on every shot. A golf SWING.

Last night, a Men’s League member told me that he had just shot 75. Last weekend we talked about how he needed to swing through the shot and not beat down on it. He was worried that his backswing was too steep. I told him that what mattered was that his downswing shouldn’t be too steep. He needed to swing through the ball – not hit at the ball.

On Wednesday we hosted an event, and the guys were warming up at the range. One guy had the biggest shoulder turn I’ve ever seen. That’s all he focused on and he hit it a mile … everywhere. I tried to get him to just swing the club on the backswing, and then swing the club at the target on the downswing. When he did it … he hit it straight and beautifully. But, I don’t think that interested him. After the round, I asked him how he played – he said he hit 5 drives out-of-bounds. He just shrugged it off to the price of hitting it far. Ironically, he could hit it crazy far and straight if he just swung the golf club.

When Vijay Singh would practice … he would say 17 with each swing … 7 on the backswing, and teen on the downswing.

When you go out to play … forget all of the “stuff” and focus on making a swing. Maybe saying 17 will work for you. Remember … it’s a golf SWING.

Cheers,

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

Greetings Golfers,

Arnold Palmer was a wise man. Here are Arnie’s 10 Rules for Golf Etiquette … published back in 2008 in GOLF DIGEST magazine.

I. DON’T BE THE SLOWEST PLAYER
In my casual games at Bay Hill, we get around in under four hours — and that’s in fivesomes. Evaluate your pace of play honestly and often, and if you’re consistently the slowest one in your group, you’re a slow player, period. Encourage everyone to move quickly enough so you find yourself right behind the group in front several times, both early and late in the round.

Remember the old staples of getting around in good time: Play “ready golf” (hit when ready, even if you aren’t away) until you reach the green, be prepared to play when it’s your turn on the tee and green, and never search for a lost ball for more than five minutes.

II. KEEP YOUR TEMPER UNDER CONTROL
In the final of the Western Pennsylvania Junior when I was 17, I let my putter fly over the gallery after missing a short putt. I won the match, but when I got in the car with my parents for the ride home, there were no congratulations, just dead silence. Eventually my father said, “If I ever see you throw a club again, you will never play in another golf tournament.” That wake-up call stayed with me. I haven’t thrown a club since.

Throwing clubs, sulking and barking profanity make everyone uneasy. We all have our moments of frustration, but the trick is to vent in an inoffensive way. For example, I often follow a bad hole by hitting the next tee shot a little harder — for better or worse.

III. RESPECT OTHER PEOPLE’S TIME
Because time is our most valuable commodity, there are few good reasons for breaking a golf date. Deciding last-minute to clean the garage on Saturday, or getting a call that the auto-repair shop can move up your appointment by a day, just doesn’t cut it.

Always make your tee times, and show up for your lesson with the pro a little early. Social functions are no exception.

IV. REPAIR THE GROUND YOU PLAY ON
I have a penknife that’s my pet tool for fixing ball marks, but a tee or one of those two-pronged devices is fine. As for divots, replace them or use the seed mix packed on the side of your cart.

Rake bunkers like you mean it. Ever notice that the worse the bunker shot, the poorer the job a guy does raking the sand? Make the area nice and smooth — don’t leave deep furrows from the rake. Before you exit the bunker, ask yourself, Would I be upset if I had to play from that spot?

V. BE A SILENT PARTNER
During one of my last tour events as a player, I noticed another pro making practice swings in my field of vision as I was getting ready to hit a shot. I stopped, walked over and reminded him (maybe too sternly) that it was my turn to play. The point is, stand still from the time a player sets himself until the ball has left the club.

Even with the advent of spikeless shoes, the etiquette rule of never walking in someone’s line of play on the putting green is an absolute. The area around the hole in particular is sacred ground. The first thing to note when you walk onto a green is the location of every ball in your group, then steer clear of their lines to the hole.

Know where to stand and when to keep quiet. Position yourself directly across or at a diagonal from a player setting up. Never stand on the line of play, either beyond the hole or directly behind the ball. When a player is about to hit a shot, think of the fairway as a cathedral, the green a library.

VI. MAKE YOUR GOLF CART ‘INVISIBLE’
Carts are very much a part of the modern game. Think about it: They’re mentioned on the backs of scorecards, discussed in the Decisions on the Rules of Golf, bags and other items are designed specifically for them, and they’re used at most courses. The sheer pervasiveness of them makes cart etiquette vitally important.

Your goal when driving a cart should be to leave no trace you were there. Because we tend to look where we’re going and not where we’ve been, it’s easy to damage the turf and not realize it. Avoid wet areas and spots that are getting beaten up from traffic. Golfers tend to play “follow the leader” and drive in single file out to the fairway before branching off. It’s usually better to “scatter” — everyone take a different route — so cart traffic is spread out.

VII. ALWAYS LOOK YOUR BEST
From Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen to Ben Hogan and Sam Snead to Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, the best players have been meticulous about their appearance. Their clothing has been sharp, and not one of them has shown up on the first tee with his cap backward, mud caked on his shoes, or his shirttail hanging out. (My shirt often came untucked, but it was my swing that did it. I started with it tucked in!)

Your appearance speaks volumes about you as a person, and the neatly appointed golfer, like a businessman or someone headed to church, gives the impression he thinks the golf course and the people there are special.

VIII. TURN OFF THE CELL PHONE
Nobody knows less about technology than I do. But I know enough to recognize a cell phone when it rings in my backswing. If I had my way, cell phones would be turned off at all times on the course, but most clubs have given in to the fact that people are going to use them. I don’t know all the gadgets and settings on those phones, but do whatever you have to do to keep it quiet. And if you absolutely have to make a call, move away from the other players. And keep the call so brief that they don’t even know you made it.

IX. LEND A HAND WHEN YOU CAN
It’s easy to help out your fellow players, if you just pay attention. One obvious way is looking for lost balls — better yet, watching errant shots so they don’t turn into lost balls. Pick up that extra club left on the fringe or the headcover dropped next to the tee, and return it to its owner after saying, “Nice shot!” And if you see a cart out of position or a provisional ball that needs picking up, don’t just walk by.

X. LEARN THE LITTLE THINGS
There are a hundred bits of etiquette I haven’t mentioned, like laying the flagstick down carefully, tamping down spike marks when you’re walking off a green, letting faster groups play through, and so on. All of these things are learned by observing, with a sharp eye and a considerate heart. Just know that golf has a way of returning favors, and every piece of etiquette you practice will be repaid tenfold.

Cheers,

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

Greetings Golfers,

So the PGA of America has decided to move the PGA Championship to May. Sure, the PGA has been the weak sister of the 4 Majors … but is moving it to May the magic answer?

The other 3 Majors have tradition on their side. The PGA has a long history, but doesn’t have that same sense of tradition as the other Majors. It used to be a match-play tournament … they should have kept that format and been a special Major.

This is not a good move for Northern courses. The PGA needs a 100 days to set up the tournament. Hazeltine may have hosted its last PGA Championship.

But Minnesota will still host good golf. In fact, the Women’s State Open will be held at Deer Run GC next week. The first round will be Tuesday afternoon, and the final round will be Wednesday morning.

We’re rooting for two locals to do well in the big event. Christine Piwnica grew up on Deer Run and is a star player at Bethel College. Also in the field is Deer Run GC Assistant Pro Lori Money. Lori was the MN PGA Women’s Player of the Year in 2015.

August can be a great month for Major golf tournaments. The Fed Ex Cup is moving up to August. Are you as bored with the Fed Ex Cup as I am?  I’d rather play golf and watch local Majors.

Hope to see you next week here at Deer Run GC watching the best women players in Minnesota.

Cheers,

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