Greetings Golfers,

Just had a guy tell me that he’d be a really good golfer if he didn’t have so many penalty strokes. He was serious. Actually, I’ve heard that a lot over the years.

That’s like saying “I’d be a really good driver if I didn’t have so many accidents”.

Since I started with a car analogy, I’m going to stay with it. PGA Tour players are like NASCAR drivers – they have to keep it floored. If a NASCAR driver isn’t going full speed, he’ll get passed. If a PGA Tour player isn’t making birdies, he’ll get passed by someone who is.

Well, I don’t know about you … but I don’t like having car accidents. I try to drive to my destination and arrive safe and sound. I also try to drive a golf ball to my destination and arrive safe and sound. I’m not playing on the Tour – I like making pars. I’m not driving in NASCAR – I want to get to my destination at a reasonable pace … but I don’t want to risk my life to save a few minutes.

It’s fun to drive fast – I get it. It’s fun to swing the driver really fast – I get it. But, I also like to shoot a good score, and wild drives turn into penalty shots. And penalty shots make it pretty hard to have a good score. Just like driving fast turns into tickets and car accidents.

Obviously, there is a happy medium. Driving a car at 10 mph would be pretty safe, but it would take way too long to get to your destination. Sounds like another example of risk/reward. Same with using a driver.

It’s not just swinging too hard with the driver – it’s also trying crazy shots. Here’s a typical example: A player rushes to the first tee and tops their drive. It only goes about 50 yards, and it goes into the rough. Rather than just slowing down and hitting a 7 iron into the fairway leaving an easy third shot … they try to hit a miracle 3 wood out of the rough and hit it out of bounds. This player has already crashed and burned on the first hole … needlessly.

Tour players are not good role models. NASCAR drivers are not good role models. Common sense is a good role model.

Cheers,

Tom Abts

GM and Head Golf Professional

Greetings Golfers,

“As soon as laws are necessary for men, they are no longer fit for freedom.” That was said 2500 years ago by Pythagorus – the Ancient Greek of mathematical fame.

The less of a need for rules and laws, the purer the game or a society. Golf is fundamentally a game of hitting a ball where it lies – from the tee to the cup … that’s about as pure as a game can get. Obviously the ball can’t be moving … the object is to hit it from where it lies.

As you all know, last week at the U.S. Open, Phil Mickleson hit a putt while it was still moving. On Wednesday, Phil apologized via a text to some sports writers. Damage control – or a real apology? After the incident on Saturday, Phil tried to explain that he knew the rule he was violating, and thought it was smart to violate the rule and take the penalty.

There’s the Letter of the Law … and the Spirit of the Law. You can learn a lot about someone by which they prefer. The Spirit of the Law is about doing the right thing for the right reason. The Letter of the Law is about what you can get away with … or use as a weapon.

If Mickleson really was remorseful about what he did, he would have withdrawn after his round. On Sunday, he tried to make it into a joke as played the hole that he disrespected the day before.

Mickleson also tried to spin his way out of it by saying it was an act of rebellion against the USGA for their unfair set-up of the golf course. Did the USGA screw-up with their set-up of Shinnecock? Yes. Was Phil’s antic a valid way to make a point? Of course not. He only proved that he thinks he’s above the rules. Not just the USGA Rules … but the Spirit of the Game.

Cheers,

Tom Abts

GM and Head Golf Professional

tabts@deerrungolf.com

Greetings Golfers,

This week the U.S. Open is at Shinnecock – the venerable old-school golf club in New York. I’m sure it’s a very cool place and an incredible golf course. I’ve never been there and probably never will. However, I would love to play Shinnecock and a bunch of those other courses on the U.S. Open rotation. Once.

Why only once? Because a steady diet of getting my brains beat in is not how I want to spend the rest of my golfing days. Golf for me is a chance to get outside and play a game I love with friends and family. I want it not too hard and not too easy … like Mama Bear, I want it just right.

What do I mean by too easy? This: no rough, no curvature from the tee to the green, no elevation changes, no hazards, no OB … just basically a flat, boring golf course where every hole looks exactly the same.

What do I mean by too hard? This: high thick rough, super narrow fairways, constant carries over water, bunkers in the landing zones, too many blind shots, narrow elevated greens that slope off the edges, super fast greens with huge humps … basically courses designed by guys who hate golfers and hate life as we know it. Welcome to the U.S. Open!

Do you remember in 2004 during the U.S. Open at Shinnecock when the green on #7 died? It was just a crusty piece of dirt. They tried to water it during the middle of the round (how “fair” was that?). Should the U.S. Open be a great test of the best players in the world? Of course. They shouldn’t be able to scrape it around and score well. Their shotmaking should need to be precise and their putting should need to be excellent.

That should be the goal of the U.S. Open and those type of courses should be part of the rotation.

I’m not a bicyclist, but I’m sure that the Tour de France is a U.S. Open type of test for bicyclists. Is that what your recreational bicyclist wants for their Sunday afternoon bike ride? Probably not. So, why are there so many crazy difficult golf courses out there? Because lots of club members thought it was cool that their course was known as being impossible to play well. How goofy is that? “I don’t want to enjoy playing my course, what I really enjoy is that my course makes people feel frustrated and inadequate”.

I enjoy seeing new places and trying new things … to add spice to my life. But, what I really value is what I’ve learned over time makes me happy … family, friends, home, my community … and a golf course that I want to play over and over again … not just once!

Cheers,

Tom Abts

GM and Head Golf Professional

tabts@deerrungolf.com

Greetings Golfers,

Last weekend, Bryson DeChambeau won the Memorial Golf Tournament in Ohio. Did you watch it on television? I tried to. Though he was only playing in a 2some, DeChambeau took 5 1/2 hours to play the final round. In between his round of golf: I drove to Deer Run GC, played 18 holes, wrote a golf column, had lunch, went to a graduation party, took a nap, and drove home. Ok … I didn’t really do all of that … but I probably could have.

Golf is not supposed to be a race. It’s a leisurely game … and 4 hours is a leisurely pace. But 5 1/2 hours is a death march.

DeChambeau is the guy with the odd swing that he developed from the book “The Golfing Machine” by Homer Kelley. DeChambeau considers himself a modern day Einstein. I believe he majored in Physics at SMU … and while at SMU he did win the NCAA Championship. The guy is an incredible golfer – no doubt about that.

However, DeChambeau is not a good model for recreational golfers. Obviously, his pace of play is ridiculous. And his golf swing is based on what he believes is science. Ironically, his belief is probably his greatest strength – sort of like those yogis who walk over burning coals. But, I would recommend his swing as much as I would recommend walking over burning coals.

Don’t forget the word “swing”. It’s a golf swing. Body movements can help with consistency and leverage, but they can’t swing the golf club. Sort of like throwing a ball. A pitcher’s windup doesn’t throw the ball – it can help with consistency and leverage – but it doesn’t throw the ball.

Of course DeChambeau hit the ball well last week. But what he did really well was putt. He putted better than anyone else in the tournament. People don’t talk enough about how important putting is. I don’t enjoy watching putting on tv unless the putt matters. But, tv loves to show some player make a long meaningless putt. Though not very fun to watch, putting is vital to a good score – your’s or a Tour player’s.

Is Bryson Chambeau fun to watch? Maybe at first – like a freak show … but it wears off quickly … and his slow play only makes it more annoying. But – he can definitely play and especially putt. I’d recommend to find your own method based more on a “swing” and less on “science” … and to play faster than a funeral procession.

Cheers,

Tom Abts

GM and Head Golf Professional

tabts@deerrungolf.com

Greetings Golfers,

Golf is known as being a game of honor. The concept of honor has moved around from a public to a private virtue. And ways of defending honor have bounced from public (a duel) to private (don’t lose your cool).

Yet, the concept of honor has always been based on being the best you can be – rising above our base instincts.

And I believe that being honorable also means being respectful. That means not being a selfish narcissist. In golf that means not being an annoyance to your playing partners.

Being honorable also involves how to treat other people – not just your playing partners. Last week we had two guys who felt entitled to berate our staff because we were mowing the driving range. They yelled at and insulted everyone from the guys working the range to our maintenance staff to our starters.

After their round, I explained to them that their behavior was unacceptable, refunded their green fees, and told them not to come back. They couldn’t believe it. I guess that they’re normally rewarded for such behavior.

But there is hope – here’s a good story. About a month ago, we were hosting a high school golf tournament. One of the players buried his club into the ground next to 18th green. After he finished his round, I confronted him about his behavior. He was surly and unapologetic. One of the coaches witnessed our exchange, was shocked, and relayed the situation to the player’s coach. The coach asked me what he should do. I told him to have the player send me an email apology that evening. He did … it was lame … but I couldn’t tell if it was his attitude or if he was just a poor writer. I responded that it’s a small world, and that his reputation would precede him the rest of his life. And, that he needed to become these 3 things: Strong – Kind – Respectful.

The next night, his coach sent me an email that the player that afternoon had been the most positive and respectful that he’d been in his three years on the team … and that he’d had his best score ever in a high school tournament.

Was this a life-changer for this kid? Maybe. I hope so. But at least it was a wake-up call. And, I’m glad he was rewarded with a good round of golf.

Honor has its own rewards. Golf is a good test of honor. I wish everyone played golf.

Cheers,

Tom Abts

GM and Head Golf Professional

tabts@deerrungolf.com