Greetings Golfers,

Hope you’ll stop by our booth at the State Fair.

I’m kidding … Thank God! How’d you like to be working the cheese curds booth this week? I figure with the ovens and  the crowds, some of those food booths have to be over 1,000 degrees.

I remember warm days during Fair Week, but nothing like this. Minnesota is famous for unpredictable weather … but this is ridiculous. I’ll admit that we did have a run of beautiful weather from the middle of July to the middle of August – probably the best weather I ever remember. But, most of the year has been … not good/nasty/brutal … you choose the description.

So, that means we will have a spectacular fall. Fall golf can be the best of the year – great temps and no bugs. But … sometimes viewing football gets in the way. Hey, I love football – college and the NFL – probably more than is healthy/sane. (South Carolina, will win the National Championship – you heard it here first – place your bets).

But the first 6 weeks is sort of a joke. The Gophers schedule the weakest pre-Big Ten season teams they can get away with … and the NFL season really is only about the playoffs. Why Minnesotans will stay home on weekends to watch football is mind boggling. November, December, and January are great months to watch football. February and March are good for hockey, basketball, golf trips, etc.

What I’m saying is that it’s 5 months from Nov. 1 – April 1. This is Minnesota – don’t waste September and October. Is  this self-serving? Not really – this is wise advice from an old man. Please heed my words.

Happy Labor Day – see you until Halloween.

Cheers,

Tom Abts, PGA

Greetings Golfers,

About a month ago I referred to the show “Bar Rescue”. It’s usually pretty funny and always interesting. The host of the show – Jon Taffer – is supposedly a turn-around expert, and he does a good job of identifying the weaknesses and the solutions to troubled bars across the country.

Some of my family members have told me that I should do a golf-rescue show … their support is appreciated, but that’s not happening. First off, I’m not a tough guy like Jon Taffer. He rolls into these places and goes crazy on the staff and especially the owners. It’s good drama and lively tv, but not my style and probably not successful in the long run.

What’s really needed in these bars is a change of culture. Taffer does a great job of cleaning things up, training the staffs, and identifying their target markets … but it all can’t happen in a 1/2 hour television show. A culture takes time to develop – even a bad culture. But a good culture takes a lot of time and perseverance.

A good culture is based on respect. And a culture of respect has to be fought for, and those battles have to be won. If the leaders allow the customers to disrespect the staff, and if the staff is allowed to disrespect each other … a culture based on respect cannot thrive.

Usually the bar is rescued, but it later on goes back to its old ways and ends up drowning. Taffer is a talented fellow, and definitely entertaining … but these places need more than a quick fix – they need a new culture.

Cheers,

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

Greetings Golfers,

I always thought that Walter Hagen said “ Stop and smell the roses.” Actually, he said “ You’re only here for a short visit. Don’t hurry, don’t worry. And be sure to smell the flowers along the way.”

What a great philosophy – I wish I lived it. Too often I’m just running around like a crazy person and worried about everything. It’s good to be productive and responsible – but worried and hurried isn’t a good way to live.

The other morning I was setting up the tees for Senior League, and the sun was rising while I was on the 15th tee-box. The view stopped me in my tracks. It was an unbelievably beautiful morning and the mist was coming up off the ponds – I didn’t smell any flowers, but I stopped and took in the scene. Sunrise is magical, but on that morning and from that tee-box it was a profound experience – I had to stop running around.

Hagen was quite a guy. One of golf’s all-time greatest players and probably the best match-play golfer ever. He also opened the doors for golf professionals. Before Hagen, most golf clubs wouldn’t let the pros into the clubhouse. Seriously. That’s why old golf clubs have a separate building for the golf shop. But Hagen wasn’t intimidated. He wore beautiful, expensive clothes and drove outrageous cars. He wasn’t a snob – he was just having fun.

Hagen had an athletic, unorthodox golf swing. He was also a baseball player, but won the US Open the week he was going to try out for the Philadelphia Phillies. What a break for golf. Modern instruction has criticized Hagen’s loose, big waggle golf swing. But the other day, television golf instructors were praising Jason Dufner’s old school golf swing, and especially “how he keeps in constant motion like all of the best ball strikers of the past.”

Maybe Hagen’s golf swing is coming back in style. I sure hope his attitude does.

Cheers,

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

Greetings Golfers,

While we were in college, one of my friends stated that good conversation is the best thing in life. I’d never thought about it – I was young and more into being active.

But now, I think he may have been correct. We host a lot of golf events, and what people seem to enjoy the most is the conversation after the golf. People want to talk. Alcohol helps loosen the tongue, but also makes people more tolerant listeners. That combination can really get the conversations going.

Another guy I went to college with was known as “Long Story”. Not only was he long, but he was unbelievably boring. His stories went on for ever – they were just random uninteresting information about his day. For example, he’d start to tell you the facts about his morning – such as his breakfast, which would remind him of a breakfast he had years before with someone named Sue, then that would remind him of someone else named Sue … then … you were running for the door. His stories never had a point – they were just uninteresting information.

One weekend back then, I was sick in the bed with the flu. Long Story lived for opportunities like this – I was trapped. The flu wasn’t fatal – but the stories almost were – I’m lucky to be here today.

Goethe said that the test of civilization is conversation. A really good conversationalist is like Ricky Rubio with the basketball. Rubio controls the ball, but doesn’t dominate. He keeps the ball moving and passes it to the open player – he keeps everyone in the game. He might try a tricky behind-the-back pass… not to show off, but to get somebody the ball. Witty people can be good for a conversation – but not if they’re just showing off – if they’re keeping the conversation lively and interesting, that’s great – but not if it’s just a trick shot.

I’d rather play golf with good conversationalists than with good golfers.

Cheers,

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