Greetings Golfers,

The reaction to last week’s U.S. Open has been pretty brutal. Not a lot of love for the golf course or the tournament … and especially all of the negative reactions to the USGA’s rulings.

I think the intense reaction is the result of a lot of pent up hard feelings. People know – consciously or unconsciously – that something is wrong with golf.

The problem with golf is that it has evolved into two different games – Tournament Golf and Recreational Golf – but the USGA will not recognize that fact. In their attempt to keep it one game, they have managed to screw-up both games.

Imagine if Major League Baseball allowed “hot” balls and metal bats. Every ball park in America would be obsolete and the fundamental nature of the game would be changed. It’s great to go to Wrigley or Fenway and compare modern players to Ted Williams or Ernie Banks. I’d love to see the same Oakmont golf course that Hogan played and compare Dustin Johnson using wooden woods and a balata ball.

Let Recreational Golfers use metal drivers and “hot” balls – but don’t ruin Tournament Golf with that stuff.

And let Recreational Golfers relax. A basic round of golf is not the U.S. Open. Last Sunday on Father’s Day I played golf with my sons – we didn’t keep score. Is that a violation of my USGA Handicap – was I trying to get away with not posting a score?

You’re going to hear a million arguments about the problems at the U.S. Open. But the root of the problem is not accepting that golf has evolved into two different games – Tournament Golf and Recreational Golf.

Cheers,

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

Greetings Golfers,

It’s U.S. Open week… and at Oakmont. That’s as good as it gets for championship golf. I just hope that the weather shapes up and they can finish on Sunday.

The USGA does a great job with the U.S. Open. They do championship golf extremely well. You can’t get lucky and win the U.S. Open … or the U.S. Amateur. But, the 2003 U.S. Amateur champ is caddying in this year’s U.S. Open – success at that level can be fleeting.

This is very serious golf. Though golf is a game – championship golf takes all of a person’s physical talents, strategy skills, and emotional control. This is the ultimate test of golf. And I respect it.

But, recreational golf with your friends is not this type of challenge. And a round of golf where you get paired up with a random person hoping to play, should especially not be intense. Here’s what happened here last weekend. A single player got paired up with a 3some. They did not have a match set up between themselves … just 4 people playing a casual round of golf. During the round, one of the players’ balls was deemed to be in the way of the single player who joined the group. This player demanded that ball be marked, and picked-up with two fingers, and not be cleaned because the ball wasn’t on the green. Now … was this player correct in the specifics of how to mark this ball? Yes. But, was the comment on how to pick up the ball and not clean it out of line? I sure think so. This round was not a competitive round of golf. Ironically the player who was scolded on how to mark the ball is knowledgeable of the rules of golf. But even if she wasn’t – she didn’t deserve this type of treatment from a stranger during a casual round of golf.

Once again, the difference between tournament golf and recreational golf rears its head. They are not the same game.

Tournament golf is about winning. Recreational golf is about having fun.

Cheers,

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

Greetings Golfers,

We’ve all heard the saying “Golf can be humbling game”. And it can be … Tiger Woods recently hit 3 wedge shots into the water at an exhibition. Think how he felt … humbled?

Bobby Jones wrote “Golf is said to be a humbling game, but it is surprising how many people are either not aware of their weaknesses or else reckless of consequences”.

As usual – Jones was very insightful. Lots of people play golf like they’re on a bender. They have every right to do so if that’s what they enjoy … but I don’t see how wasting a lot of strokes is much fun. Golf is a game … and it involves strategy. Sort of like poker. One night I played poker with a bunch guys who went all in every hand … and usually on the second or third card … it was just crazy. I didn’t think it was fun – it wasn’t even a game.

People play golf like that. They hit driver on every par 4, and they also try to reach every par 5 in two shots. And they don’t take into consideration their tendencies. If they usually slice their driver, why hit driver on holes with out-of-bounds on the right side?

That brings up penalty strokes. I constantly have guys tell me how well they would have played if they didn’t have penalty strokes. I don’t know what to say to that. That’s like saying they’d be a good driver if they didn’t have so many car accidents.

Golf is about positioning. It’s about putting the ball in position to put the ball in a better position to get it into the hole. It’s not about hitting the perfect one-in-a-million shot. It’s about hitting a realistic shot to set up the next shot. Don’t laugh – this needs to be said.

Yes – golf can be a humbling game. And I’m not saying to not take chances. But I am saying to take calculated risks – not just go “all in” on every shot.

Cheers,

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

Greetings Golfers,

What is the “perfect putting stroke”? The one that makes the putt. I’m serious. I know guys who have pretty putting strokes who never make anything. Golf is not like a diving competition with judges giving out scores … golf is about the number of shots it takes to get the ball into the hole.  And putting is all about getting the ball into the hole.

Lately I’ve been working with some good players about making putts – not making a pretty putting stroke. I want them to believe they can always make the putt – that it’s easy to make a putt. So, we practice all kinds of ways to putt, but always with the focus of making it. I’m talking about hitting the ball off the toe of the putter … or off of the heel … or with the right hand only … or the left hand only.

There is no reason not to be able to make putts a million different ways. Learn to putt well with a wristy stroke … and with a shoulder-pendulum stroke.

Practice putting with all of your clubs – wedge through driver. And any type of stance – open, closed, wide, narrow, tall, crouched. Make putting fun. Don’t make putting a chore – unless you want to be a bad putter.

You want to look forward to getting on the green because you know you’ll make the putt. We all know people who dread getting on the green – they’re convinced they can’t get the ball into the hole.

Lots of golf people talk about “perfect practice”. Perfect practice in putting means making the putt – not making the “perfect putting stroke”.

Cheers,

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