Greetings Golfers,

Since the beginning of the year, I’ve been the Administrator for a site called Old School Golf. I used to read it pretty frequently and post on it fairly regularly. So, when the former Admin left, he chose me to take over. Also, he knew that I didn’t want to monetize it or have that sort of an agenda. But, I did have an agenda – I wanted to spur interesting discussions about golf. And all aspects of golf: playing, teaching, managing, history, the Tour, etc.

It’s a pretty good site. However, I haven’t exactly taken it to a new level. Some of my “conversation starters” have been successful, but most seem to fall pretty flat. Actually, I get much more interesting responses to my blog … but that’s not an online discussion. Maybe people don’t want to risk saying what they really think in a public forum. When you say something online … it just sits there … you can’t take it back. And sometimes if it gets heated, people get nasty.

G.K. Chesterton said: “It is generally the man that is not ready to argue, who is ready to sneer”. Sneering shuts down interesting arguments … and the threat of sneering probably stops a lot people from even posting. Being the Admin, I can boot out hostile people, but it’s been harder to create the culture I want than I thought it would be.

The name isn’t just Old School Golf … it’s actually: Old School Golf – with new tools. Fine with me either way. I get it. It’s not just a site for golf reactionaries … but for people who respect golf’s past and are still interested in the modern game. And the culture that I’m trying to create is based on the human side of golf. I have no problem with the “new tools” side of golf … I just don’t want it to be the focus. Personally, I’m not using wooden shafts and feathery golf balls … in fact I’m using a ridiculously modern goofy driver from Japan. But what really interests me is the human aspect of golf and I want to drive those discussions.

As I said, I’ve only been the Admin since early this year. It takes time to build a culture – just ask PJ Fleck. But even if I get everyone to “row the boat” on OSG … I probably won’t get PJ’s salary.

Cheers,

Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com

Deer Run Golf Club
8661 Deer Run Drive
Victoria, MN 55386
(952) 443-2351
www.deerrungolf.com
www.facebook.com/DeerRunGolf
www.twitter.com/DeerRunGolfClub

Greetings Golfers,

I played twice last weekend – Saturday and Sunday. Not exactly great weather … especially on Sunday … but, it was maybe the last golf weather until Spring.

Played a really old course on Saturday with my sons. Hadn’t played there in 40 years.  It was a good layout for my old-man game. Pretty narrow and pretty short. Most holes favored a right-to-left drive and usually a nice wide, long entrance into the green. Meaning that I could hit my sleazy running draw off the tee … then run some sort of low, skanky iron-shot onto the green. My game is the opposite of the modern hit-it-far and hit-it-high style of golf.

Before Jack Nicklaus, most good players drew their shots and played angles. Courses were pretty firm and dry … and the layouts rewarded controlled low, running shots. Jack came around the time of improved course conditions – especially watering. So … Jack developed a swing based on power … a high fade that flew over the trouble and landed softly. Then he’d hit a moon shot iron into the middle of the green and putt well. Because of Jack’s length with the driver … the par 5s were really par 4s for him. So par for Jack was 68 – not 72. He was already -4 before the round started.

But … but … but … Jack’s style of golf was not good for most golfers. Most people naturally slice … calling it a “fade” would be kind. And most people naturally scoop their iron shots trying to hit it up in the air. When looking for someone’s lost ball … I always go short and right of where they think it went. They don’t hit Jack’s “power fade”.

Now, especially as we get older … Jack’s “power fade” is really the wrong swing. You need to be young and strong and flexible for the power fade. And, willing to destroy your body. Those old-time drawers of the ball could play into old-age and not have all the problems you see in modern Tour players.

I recommend a loose swing that is more of a sweep than a hit. The driver should be the easiest club to use  … and easiest to use well. It has a huge head and you can hit it off of a tee. A sweeping swing can do that all day. Iron shots with a sweep work pretty well too. However, I struggled with iron shots at both courses because they had really tight fairways. The only good high iron shots I hit over the weekend were on par 3s where I could tee-it-up. My fairway iron shots on Saturday worked because I could hit low runners onto the green. The course on Sunday was more modern and demanded higher iron shots into the greens. I needed to tee-it-up in the fairway! But seriously, I would prefer lush fairways with some cushion. 

What I’m trying to say is that most of us should play with an old-school sweeping swing. And most golf courses should be designed for that swing. For most of us, golf is recreation … few are needing to play well to feed their families. A sweeping swing is easier on the body and easier to do. It feels a little unnatural at first – the desire to “hit” is natural, but not a good feel to build a swing on. Even a putting stroke is a sweep. And a sweeping draw goes farther than most people’s hit-type-slice … and is much more controllable.

Now we just need to adjust these modern courses to a sweeping swing.

Cheers,

Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com

Deer Run Golf Club
8661 Deer Run Drive
Victoria, MN 55386
(952) 443-2351
www.deerrungolf.com
www.facebook.com/DeerRunGolf
www.twitter.com/DeerRunGolfClub

Greetings Golfers,

Many years ago on Monday Night Football, “Dandy” Don Meredith would sing “The Party’s Over”. He wasn’t much of a singer, but he was pretty entertaining and Monday Night Football was a big deal. 

Now there’s even Sunday Night Football. Well, I’ll be watching the World Series instead … after I come home from closing the golf course – for the season. 

Yes … “The Party’s Over” for golf at DRGC in 2019.

It was an odd year. The weather was “unusual”. I don’t expect great weather every year. In fact, I hope for C- weather. 

We didn’t get hit by a tornado or a hurricane or even lightening. So I don’t really have anything to complain about. In fact, we had a pretty good year and I’d to thank a bunch of people.

Our staff was outstanding and dealt with whatever came their way with grace and persistence. A-I robots can never take their place. 

Many thanks to:

Dan Abts, Peyton Ayers, Justin Bach, Doug Backstrom, Kelly Benson, Paul Bickel, Emma Braaten, Kai Braaten, Sam Brammer, Grace Bratrud, Heidi Breen, Jerry Brown, Jacob Bryant, Veronica Cemenski, Dean Clark, Nelson Cole, Hayley Cruikshank, Gordy Davis, Mason Day, Ryan DeBenedetto, Kelly Donovan, Darrell Eggertson, Bob Elfering, Anthony Elkins, Leah Elleraas, Don Ellwood, Bill Farnham, Bob Finn, Elle Forslund, Carolyn Gaskill, Jim Gibson, Sydney Gilbertson, Adam Hamburg, John Hermann, Madi Hicks, Ketti Histon, Paul Hook, David Hunter, Olivia Jackson, Jordan Johnson, Sonny Jurgens, Charlie Kelly, Clare Kelly, Taylor Kiffin, Todd Knutson, Madison Koebnick, Austin Kosier, Ray Kutz, Allyson Kuzara, Jack Lahl, Carson Liebeg, Chip Lien, Stephanie Loney, Kevin Loney, Amanda Malo, Cassidy McGillick, Fred McGraw, Dan McQuillen, Mike Melander, Claire Melander, Emma Melander, Beth Melander, Lee Metzer, Dennis Miller, Lori Money, Carter Nelson, Don Nelson, Andrew Neuman, Kristi Notvedt, Conner Olson, Gary Peterson, Gary Plummer, Barry Provo, Steve Ranz, Danny Renner, Emily Renner, John Rochford, Todd Schindler, Paul Schullo, Mary Schulz, Ryan Scrivner, Tita Skeesick, Ron Smith, Ron Solheim, Roger Swanson, Michelle Tentis, Morgan Tentis, Taylor Tentis, John Thompson, Kasey Walker, Fred Whitney, Jon Williams, Blain Wilsey, Jacob Wolf, Ethan Wolf, Jaclyn Zirbes and Ian Zorn.

We won some nice awards in the October Tee Times magazine’s READERS CHOICE AWARDS. The people just listed are the reason why. 

Next week is Halloween. I hope you enjoy it. However, I’m more in the mood for Thanksgiving. Thanks to all of you.

Cheers,

Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com

Deer Run Golf Club
8661 Deer Run Drive
Victoria, MN 55386
(952) 443-2351
www.deerrungolf.com
www.facebook.com/DeerRunGolf
www.twitter.com/DeerRunGolfClub

Greetings Golfers,

I wasn’t sure if I should do this. Too much of what should be private has become public. However, my dad was the kind of guy that we don’t hear enough about.

James Francis Abts was born and raised in Yankton, South Dakota. Though he and my mom moved to Minneapolis over 60 years ago, he still read the Yankton paper.

I wish you knew him. He was fun and funny and charming … but what drew you to him was his kindness. Some people are nice but not kind. He was both … but especially kind.

Yet, that kindness also made life difficult for my dad. He really couldn’t believe that people could be cruel. Not that he grew-up in la-la land. Like too many people, he grew-up in a dysfunctional family. But, it didn’t harden his heart.

So to make a new life, he and my mom moved up to the big city. And he decided to sell life insurance. Wow. A young man with a wife and two kids … in a new city … trying to make a living in a business based on relationships. That could make a kind man cold.

But it didn’t. He had to become a grinder – which wasn’t his nature – but he did it. And he became a successful insurance agent. People trusted him. He actually cared about the people he sold insurance – and they knew it.

I learned so much by just watching him. He always treated people with respect – everyone he met. He saw beauty in life, in nature, in people. No wonder he was kind. He saw the best in this life. Now he’s in an even better place.

R.I.P.

Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com

Deer Run Golf Club
8661 Deer Run Drive
Victoria, MN 55386
(952) 443-2351
www.deerrungolf.com
www.facebook.com/DeerRunGolf
www.twitter.com/DeerRunGolfClub

Greetings Golfers,

It’s really here. Unbelievable. A month ago, it looked like we’d open in May. Three weeks ago, it looked like it’d be mid April. A week ago, we tentatively decided to open this weekend.

So tomorrow, we’re hosting a Twin Cities Golf tournament. It’s already sold-out (sorry). And the range and putting green will only be open for the TCG players.

However, we will be open for public play on Sunday. That means everything will be open – course, range, carts, Pro Shop, and the Pub.

Our season basically reflects the Major League Baseball season. Though … our preseason is the month of April. They have the luxury of warming up in Florida. We don’t. Because we’re not yet at our peak performance (the snow just melted and we still have frost in the ground) we will charge our Twilight rate until May 1.

We came through pretty well. The practice putting green came through the worst of anything. It just gets so much use that it’s vulnerable to a nasty Winter. But, everything else is pretty good … and should be really good by May.

The Twins are off to a good start. The preseason is the time to work on fundamentals, and it seems to have worked for this team. They’re young, but they don’t look like rookies. Hope they can keep it going.

Speaking of fundamentals. A successful golf operation also runs on fundamentals. It needs to be in good condition, the amenities (carts, shop, F&B, range) need to be good quality, the atmosphere needs to be friendly, and the pace of play needs to be around 4 hours. We need your help on that last one – pace of play.

Our Rangers can only do so much. We need your help. Obviously, the usual keys to a good pace play remain: writing the scores at the next tee box, playing ready golf, dropping off your cart partner with 3 clubs before going to your ball, etc. My big fear this year revolves about the new rule of leaving the pin in when putting. If players get goofy and take in and out for every putt, we’ll have slow rounds. I hope common-sense prevails. Leave it in for the long putts and if it gets taken out for shorter putts that the pin STAYS out.

Hopefully this gets resolved during the “preseason” and people figure out that the pin in can be a good thing … but shouldn’t be abused. And hopefully, the Twins are the real deal and we can enjoy great baseball and golf this year in Minnesota.

Cheers,

Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com

Deer Run Golf Club
8661 Deer Run Drive
Victoria, MN 55386
(952) 443-2351
www.deerrungolf.com
www.facebook.com/DeerRunGolf
www.twitter.com/DeerRunGolfClub

Greetings Golfers,

Have you been to a restaurant that has everything on the menu? Italian, Chinese, Mexican, ribs, seafood, French, burgers, sushi, wraps … you know what I mean. They probably once had an identity, but started to lose money and then thought they could be successful by being everything to everyone. Or, maybe they never had a clear vision and just kept adding to their menu in the hope that something might work.

More seldom means better. Better is better. Focus usually leads to better.

Panic seldom leads to good decision making. Usually when you’re in panic mode your mind is racing. Did you see Jon Rahm hit it into the water on #11 on Sunday at The Player’s Championship. You know that his head was spinning. Years ago, Tom Weiskopf said that one sign of choking is making bad decisions.

Panic leads to poor decisions in everything – not just sports. The restaurant that’s losing money and in panic mode is not helping things by overly expanding their menu. The golf course that is losing money and trying to be everything to everyone will end up like Jon Rahm hitting it in the water. Golf has a lot of niches and the secret to success is to know your niche.

Does that mean being different just to be different? Not at all – it means knowing who you are. Remember when Coca-Cola abandoned Coke Classic? They almost folded.  There will always be a market for classic things – especially if what made them classic is continued. Too often, what made a product classic was cheapened because the company thought that the name was enough to fool the public.

I’m all for options. But, I’m also for integrity and quality. And I think most people are too. They may not want the same things … but they don’t want junk.

That famous saying “Know thyself” … also applies to business.

Cheers,

Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com

Deer Run Golf Club
8661 Deer Run Drive
Victoria, MN 55386
(952) 443-2351
www.deerrungolf.com
www.facebook.com/DeerRunGolf
www.twitter.com/DeerRunGolfClub

Greetings Golfers,

Yesterday was the opening round of the Players Championship at the TPC Sawgrass. You know, the course with the island green. The wife of the course architect  is the one who came up with the idea. Alice Dye helped Pete with many projects … but this was her claim-to-fame.

Is it a bucket-list golf course? Probably. But not a must. Most of us have limited time and money, so we have to prioritize. It’s fun to play, and the 17th green is an “experience”.

Some people live for “experiences” … even if they’re not so good. For example, about 25 years ago I played Sawgrass as a single. They paired me up with 2 other single players … ironically, both were from Chicago. I knew that I was off to an odd day when after introducing myself, one of the guys asked if I knew a girl he went to college with from Minnesota – my wife. Seriously.

However, it got even weirder. The other guy told me that he was a sales rep and always played Sawgrass when he was in the area. He must of been successful at sales because it was a pretty expensive round of golf – and I don’t mean just the green fee. He opened the jacket compartment of his golf bag and showed me that it was full of golf balls. You can’t believe how many golf balls were in there. Yet, it wasn’t enough. He refilled after 9 holes. Seriously.

Is it that difficult of a golf course? No. In fact if you’re pretty straight, you’ll have no problem. We played off the standard tees – not the back tees. I’m sure it’s a different course from back there. But, we played the 17th hole – the island green – from the back tees. It wasn’t windy and really wasn’t that scary. Two of us hit the green … I think you know who didn’t.

Cheers,

Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com

Deer Run Golf Club
8661 Deer Run Drive
Victoria, MN 55386
(952) 443-2351
www.deerrungolf.com
www.facebook.com/DeerRunGolf
www.twitter.com/DeerRunGolfClub

Greetings Golfers,

Everybody is in search of the perfect swing. I get it. I’ve spent a ridiculous amount of time and energy and thought about the perfect golf swing.

However, a good golf swing can hit a lot of different golf shots. That’s more important than a “perfect” swing. And, a swing that can hit a lot of different shots can usually fix itself.

What do I mean? Well, most people slice or fade the golf ball. There’s nothing wrong with that. Fading is a necessary golf shot. But, if that’s your only shot, you have a problem. You need to be able to hook or draw the golf ball also.

You really need to learn to hit 9 golf shots:

High draw or hook
Medium height draw or hook
Low draw or hook

High straight shot
Medium height straight shot
Low straight shot

High slice or fade
Medium height slice or fade
Low slice or fade

Think about it. If you can hit each of those 9 shots … your golf swing works. And works very well. It might not be pretty. It might not be classic. It might not be modern. But, it works.

Now, I can just hear people saying: “But, I don’t want to learn those shots … I just want to hit it straight.” That’s how you learn to hit it straight. If you can slice it and hook it … you can work your swing into the middle so you can hit it straight. Same thing with hitting it high and low.

Learn how to make the ball spin. It is the same science as ping pong. Giving the ping pong ball top-spin or cut-spin is the same action as a golf club doing hook-spin or slice-spin.

Also, it’s fun. This is how you’ll really understand the golf swing. You need to learn how to control the face of the golf club and the path of the swing. Then different shots make sense.

Maybe you’ll master them all and play golf as a master shotmaker. Or, maybe you’ll find the shot you’re most comfortable with and play it most of the time … and only hit the other shots when you need to.

Or maybe … you’ll learn the secret to the perfect swing … if you do … please let me know!

Cheers,

Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com

Deer Run Golf Club
8661 Deer Run Drive
Victoria, MN 55386
(952) 443-2351
www.deerrungolf.com
www.facebook.com/DeerRunGolf
www.twitter.com/DeerRunGolfClub

Greetings Golfers,

Golf is not all about the PGA TOUR. Most professional sports are about viewing – not playing. I watch the NFL, but I don’t play football. I have some crazy friends who still play hockey … but most of us are satisfied with playing golf.

So, the Tour is not vital to golf. Golf is more about playing the game than following the Tour. However, last week was not good for the PGA TOUR and golf.

The PGA TOUR was originally a winter tour of warm weather states for Northern PGA club pros to make some extra money. These were not rich guys. Television and Arnold Palmer changed everything. It became a tour of professional golfers – not golf professionals.

All professional sports have changed. I remember when MN Twins and Vikings used to have off season jobs such as selling cars or insurance.

Professional athletes were local heroes, but they were seldom rich.

Well, that’s all changed. Professional athletes are rich. The money is unbelievable. And, as we know, with money comes problems. Sure, money solves problems … but it creates other problems. Mainly in terms of perception and responsibility for those who have it.

Just ask Matt Kuchar. Last week, it became public that Kuchar only paid a caddie $5,000 after he won a tournament last fall in Mexico. He won $1,296,000. Normally, a caddie receives 10%. Well, this was a fill-in caddie and they had a last minute agreement.

This blew-up on social media … Kuchar at first defended his action by saying that $5,000 was a lot of money to this Mexican caddie. That did not help. After getting booed while playing in the Tour event at Riviera … Kuchar and his PR team came up with an apology and paid the caddie $50,000.

Perception. Ouch. Golf struggles with a perception as a rich guy game. This did not help.

Then, on Sunday, JB Holmes wins the tournament at Riviera playing a 5 1/2 hour round … 2 holes behind the rest of the field.

Slow play and entitled rich guys. If I’m the PGA TOUR Commissioner … I’ve got work to do.

Cheers,

Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com

Deer Run Golf Club
8661 Deer Run Drive
Victoria, MN 55386
(952) 443-2351
www.deerrungolf.com
www.facebook.com/DeerRunGolf
www.twitter.com/DeerRunGolfClub

Greetings Golfers,

My wife and I have been watching one of those shows about lawyers. What makes it work (for me) are their conversations. They always make their point in a clear, simple way. And, back and forth. I don’t mean in the court room … I mean in their daily dealings with each other. I know, I know … it’s television … no one can really do that, at least not consistently … but it’s fun to watch.

Simplify, simplify. It’s a good motto. But, I need time to simplify and clarify. How often have you walked away from an argument … and then had your rebuttal? Me too. That’s why those actors have scripts … they’re not winging it.

However, it pertains to everything. How about your golf swing? We all want a nice, simple swing that we clearly understand.

And, as a golf course manager, we all want a nice, simple operation that we clearly understand. It’s funny, I’d been thinking about this concept over the weekend for my next blog. Then yesterday, I stopped over and talked to Mike Harmon at Secession GC. I respect Mike as much as I respect anyone in the golf industry. He’s built Secession from the ground floor into one of the best golf clubs in the country. I love talking to Mike.

So yesterday, what does he want to talk about? Simplifying. About how necessary it is to constantly try to simplify your golf operation. We talked about it for over an hour. It’s easy to make things complicated. Actually, it’s not smart … it’s lazy. Life is complicated. It’s our job to prioritize and organize. Otherwise it’s a mess. A complicated mess.

Here’s the difference between reality and tv: Mike and I had to talk for an hour to make our points. But it was worth it. Real life is still better than tv – even if we’re slower to make our points.

Cheers,

Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com

Deer Run Golf Club
8661 Deer Run Drive
Victoria, MN 55386
(952) 443-2351
www.deerrungolf.com
www.facebook.com/DeerRunGolf
www.twitter.com/DeerRunGolfClub