Greetings Golfers,

How are you coming with your New Year’s Resolutions?

Don’t get defensive … I’m not trying to run your life. But, most of us do need to work on a few things.

Actually, I have a pretty long list … but I’ve learned not to take on too much (I’m pretty good at rationalizing). So, here’s one that’s staying on my final list: “Just think positive thoughts while playing golf.”

I can hear you laughing. Sounds pretty trite and ridiculous. Though I love to play golf, I can get really frustrated, and get pretty negative. Does that negative attitude help my game? Not so much. How about my enjoyment of the game – does the negative attitude help that? Again – not so much. Then what’s the point? Why be negative?

Well … it is hard to justify. In fact talking about it is kind of embarrassing. What happens, is that it feels like God or the gods of golf have turned on me – that they want me to suffer. Then I get mad and want to fight back. Who? Fight whom? Maybe if I squeeze the club really hard and swing really fast … yeah – that’s real helpful.

Every year we watch “Christmas Vacation” … not “White Christmas” or “It’s a Wonderful Life”, but “Christmas Vacation”. Do you remember the scene where Chevy Chase is unsuccessfully plugging in his Christmas lights and goes crazy? He starts to kick and punch the yard ornament reindeer and Santa – he snaps – the gods have turned against him. Sometimes golf makes me feel like that … ok – a lot of the time.

That was last year. Oh, I might get that tinge of frustration … but I’m going to shift gears into being Mr. Positive.

Can’t wait.

Happy New Year,

Tom

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

Greetings Golfers,

People need heroes. We need to be inspired. Life gets tough and the example of a hero can be really helpful.

But what is a hero? I think we’ve gotten confused with thinking that celebrities are heroes. Maybe a hero becomes a celebrity, but being a celebrity doesn’t make someone a hero.

A hero does something heroic. A celebrity does something to become famous. Kim Kardashian – celebrity. A good samaritan who pulls a drowning kid out of frigid water – hero.

In 1962 Dan Boorstein wrote a book “The Image: or Whatever Happened to the American Dream”. In the book he said “ Images now replace ideals.”

The goalie for the Wild – Josh Harding – is a hero. Not because he’s a professional hockey player, but because he has MS and is fighting to keep his job. His spirit – not his talent is what makes him a hero.

Celebrities are the latest fad. Heroes endure. There’s nothing wrong with getting a kick out of celebrities… but a society is in trouble if celebrities take the place of heroes.

Celebrities are usually the recipient of God-given gifts… the hero is the one who overcomes the odds to do the right thing.

Heroes are admired for bravery, nobility, honor, and character. Celebrities are admired for beauty and talent.

There’s room for both… I just don’t want to see celebrities become our idols instead of heroes.

Cheers,

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