Greetings Golfers,

I need to talk about the “Spirit of the Game”. I think it’s at the heart of golf and what makes it such a great game.

Here’s what the R&A says it means: “Honesty, Integrity, and Courtesy”. They then go on to say: “Part of that spirit sits beneath the term ‘etiquette’ and part of it relates to the Rules of Golf. But the Spirit of the Game goes much deeper than just those two intangible terms. It is something that every golfer should develop an innate sense of, something that is born of golf’s unparalleled history, and something which lifts golf, one could argue, among other sports.”

You probably don’t want to just read quotes from the R&A, but you have to admit that they did say it well; because without the Spirit of the Game, golf just doesn’t work. You have to be your own referee. And that sense of honor and fair play extends to the etiquette of the game. And etiquette means not just being a courteous player, but also not being a rules Nazi. Too many people need to learn that concept.

I wish that the rules of golf were much simpler. The fundamental rule was to play it as it lies. A rule was needed when the ball was lost or unplayable. But the Rules of Golf have been increased to cover every possible situation and to make it fair for everyone. Everyone is as likely to get a bad break as someone else – that’s fair. The game is about taking responsibility for your shot and then making the best you can out of the next shot.

When golf is too much about the Rules rather than the Spirit of the Game … it’s missing the point.

About 100 years ago … Oswald Spengler wrote a book called “The Decline of the West.” The basic premise is that cultures last about a 1,000 years – they start out with Sprit and energy, and then devolve into just a bunch of rules and regulations, and lose the Spirit and energy that made them vibrant. Too often that happens with golfers – they lose their initial zest for the game and just turn into Rules freaks.

Remember – as the R&A says: the Spirit of the Game means Honesty, Integrity, and Courtesy. The Rules are just a way to play the game – the Spirit is why we play.

Cheers,

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

Greetings Golfers,

This week the British Open is at Royal Liverpool. It’s not nearly as famous as the other British Open venues such as St. Andrews, Turnberry, and Muirfield … but it has a great history. For example, Royal Liverpool is where Bobby Jones won the second leg of his historic Grand Slam in 1930.

Royal Liverpool last hosted the Open in 2006 when Tiger Woods won by 6 shots. Tiger’s back – he shot 69 yesterday. Sure, the weather’s perfect … but I didn’t think Woods would break 75.

Last year’s Open champ – Phil Mickelson – shot a wobbly 74. Phil has usually played poorly in the Open. Last year’s victory was a shocker … but Phil is definitely a wild card – ya never know with him.

Rory McIlroy lit it up with a 6 under par 66. Rory has been struggling on Fridays … if he can play well today, he’ll probably take home the Claret Jug.

The locals would probably love a Rory victory – Liverpool is hugely Irish and would enjoy an Irishman winning the Open on their turf.

Liverpool always makes me think of Paul McCartney and the Beatles. It’s a port city that brought music and guitars in from America. So they combined American Blues and Buddy Holly Beat music with Irish folk music … thus the start of the “British Invasion.” John Lennon named the Beatles as a take off from Buddy Holly’s “Crickets.”

An Englishman hasn’t won an Open since Nick Faldo in 1992 … and an Englishman hasn’t won an Open on English soil since Tony Jacklin in 1969. But Justin Rose could change that.

This should be a fantastic Open – looks like the city of Liverpool is back on the map.

Cheers,

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

Greetings Golfers,

Have you heard of Adam Grant’s book “Give and Take”? The concept is that you will be more successful in the business world if you give more than you take.

It’s not really that simple – you need to give what you care about … not just random giving. And you have to do it from the heart – not just act like you’re giving.

Grant says that there are 3 types of people: Takers, Matchers, and Givers. All 3 types can be successful … but the Givers seem to be the most successful – especially in the long run.

This is very interesting, and for some people counter-intuitive. I think for short-term thinking people, this concept is mind-blowing. But the author – Adam Grant – is not just some New Age guru … he’s a big time professor at the Wharton School of business. (Ironically, Donald Trump went to the Wharton School … a long time ago).

I think one of the main reasons that Givers do well is that people trust them. Trust is way underrated in business schools. The book also talks about the importance of networking and relationships. I agree. But networking and relationships only work if based on trust.

Is being a Giver a Spiritual concept? I think so. Is that separate from business? Hardly. You know that saying “It’s not personal – it’s business?” That always drove me nuts. You can’t separate your business life from your personal life unless you’re a psychopath. People who view business as a license to be a-holes are shockingly mis-guided … their god is money … thus the ends justify the means. With their ill-gotten money, now they need to try to do “good deeds” to justify their nasty behavior.

I’m glad to see a big-time business school professor advocate and prove the success of being a good person. Hopefully this will blow-up other concepts such as managing by fear – another short-term concept.

America has some serious financial problems. I believe the only way to solve these problems is to start doing things right. We got in this mess by selfish, short-term thinking – a pretty immature attitude. It’s time to grow up.

Cheers,

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

Greetings Golfers,

I’m writing this from Beaufort, SC … not Beaufort, NC. The North Carolina Beaufort is getting pounded by Hurricane Arthur. I’ve seen enough rain for this year – I didn’t need to travel to the eye of a hurricane.

My brother and I have made this trip to South Carolina an annual 4th of July adventure. Is it hot here? Yeah – feels good … I actually haven’t been wearing sweaters. Some years we leave a hotter Minnesota – seriously. Fortunately, MN isn’t in the 90’s … those ultra-hot temps would do bad things to the saturated turf.

This area is known as the “LowCountry” … it ranges from Savannah up to Charleston and includes Hilton Head Island … Beaufort is in the middle. It’s pretty rugged country – I can’t imagine what it was like to settle it. Those had to be pretty hardy people to deal with the jungle-like conditions and zillions of snakes and alligators. But it’s also beautiful – Pat Conroy does a great job describing it in his books.

The Fourth of July is a big deal here – the Marine base at Parris Island is only 7 miles away. Our plan is to play golf today on the base golf course. You can hear the recruits going through training drills – it’s an amazing place.

And this is an amazing country. The 4th of July reminds me of what early Americans did and sacrificed so that we can live in such an incredible country. I can’t imagine how people settled this area. Or how others settled Minnesota. I guess dealing with a year of heavy rains isn’t so bad.

But I’m still glad that I’m not in Beaufort, NC … I don’t think I could minimize being in a hurricane.

Have a Happy Fourth.

Cheers,

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