Greetings Golfers,

I’m really on a roll. Thirteen years ago, I survived Y2K… and last week I survived the 12-21-12 Mayan prophecy of doom… hope you did too. Now I just have to survive Dick Clark’s New Year’s Eve.

Speaking of the New Year, we at DRGC have been diligently at work to bring you an even better DRGC in 2013. Already in the works are plans to provide a variety of tasty, local food and beverages. Look for cool breads, cheeses, meats, beers – even wine – from the area. As you know, this is the trend, and I think it’s great. Everybody’s worried about what they eat. It just makes sense to eat real food. Real butter is better for you than margarine, real bread is healthier than wonder bread … you know what I mean.

Speaking of better. We rebuilt the bunker on hole #16. It turned out better than what we hoped for – it’s really good. Also, we landscaped around the putting green. Probably the best way to describe it is the word “sexy”.

Speaking of sexy… we will have a new fleet of golf carts in 2013. Brand new, metallic red, EZGo carts with bucket seats and all of the toys – too good to be true.

Glad that the Mayans were wrong.

Happy New Year,

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

Greetings Golfers,

Can’t believe that it’s almost Christmas. They say that time goes faster as you get older – but this is ridiculous.

So, let’s slow down and enjoy the Holiday Season. Now is the time to be thankful, thoughtful, warm, and generous.

2012 was a wonderful year. Thank you for your love and support.

Merry Christmas,

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

Greetings Golfers,

I’m reading a fun book called: AMERICAN NATIONS by Colin Woodard. It’s about how America is way more divided than most people realize, and what the roots of those divisions are.

Throughout the book, Woodard is always referring to how areas settled, and that’s why those areas vote the way they do. He’s pretty obsessed with politics. At the end of the book he goes on a wild rant where he “explains” why we’d be better off if the country broke apart – he really hates some parts of the country.

It’s great history and great sociology… I don’t agree with all of it, but I learned a lot, and that stuff really interests me. People really interest me. Why people are different is fascinating. Obviously, climate and natural resources greatly influence how a culture develops. People of different countries moved to similar physical areas in America, and brought their culture with them. The “melting pot” never really melted.

But not only are people different, they’re also similar… of course, but it gets forgotten. We make friends with people we feel comfortable with, and usually that’s on socio-economic ground. That’s understandable – but can be pretty limiting.

Being in the people business, I meet a huge variety of people. I enjoy most of the people I meet – you can’t fake it in my business, you’d be dead after a week. But, there are people I don’t like because they’re jerks (I would use another term, but this is a family column. If fact, I wanted our club logo to be a picture of that term, and have a line drawn through it – “no a-holes”).

How do you define a jerk (or that other term)? It’s sort of like the judge who defined pornography by saying “I know it when I see it”. I think we all know them when we get to know them. Here’s the defining characteristic: we all sometimes act like jerks, but we usually realize it and feel bad about it. The jerk, realizes it, and doesn’t care, or even enjoys being a jerk!

So, America is made up of many peoples. Deer Run welcomes them all – except the jerks.

Cheers,

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

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