Monthly Archives: October 2019

Blog

Thanksgiving in October



Greetings Golfers,

Many years ago on Monday Night Football, “Dandy” Don Meredith would sing “The Party’s Over”. He wasn’t much of a singer, but he was pretty entertaining and Monday Night Football was a big deal. 

Now there’s even Sunday Night Football. Well, I’ll be watching the World Series instead … after I come home from closing the golf course – for the season. 

Yes … “The Party’s Over” for golf at DRGC in 2019.

It was an odd year. The weather was “unusual”. I don’t expect great weather every year. In fact, I hope for C- weather. 

We didn’t get hit by a tornado or a hurricane or even lightening. So I don’t really have anything to complain about. In fact, we had a pretty good year and I’d to thank a bunch of people.

Our staff was outstanding and dealt with whatever came their way with grace and persistence. A-I robots can never take their place. 

Many thanks to:

Dan Abts, Peyton Ayers, Justin Bach, Doug Backstrom, Kelly Benson, Paul Bickel, Emma Braaten, Kai Braaten, Sam Brammer, Grace Bratrud, Heidi Breen, Jerry Brown, Jacob Bryant, Veronica Cemenski, Dean Clark, Nelson Cole, Hayley Cruikshank, Gordy Davis, Mason Day, Ryan DeBenedetto, Kelly Donovan, Darrell Eggertson, Bob Elfering, Anthony Elkins, Leah Elleraas, Don Ellwood, Bill Farnham, Bob Finn, Elle Forslund, Carolyn Gaskill, Jim Gibson, Sydney Gilbertson, Adam Hamburg, John Hermann, Madi Hicks, Ketti Histon, Paul Hook, David Hunter, Olivia Jackson, Jordan Johnson, Sonny Jurgens, Charlie Kelly, Clare Kelly, Taylor Kiffin, Todd Knutson, Madison Koebnick, Austin Kosier, Ray Kutz, Allyson Kuzara, Jack Lahl, Carson Liebeg, Chip Lien, Stephanie Loney, Kevin Loney, Amanda Malo, Cassidy McGillick, Fred McGraw, Dan McQuillen, Mike Melander, Claire Melander, Emma Melander, Beth Melander, Lee Metzer, Dennis Miller, Lori Money, Carter Nelson, Don Nelson, Andrew Neuman, Kristi Notvedt, Conner Olson, Gary Peterson, Gary Plummer, Barry Provo, Steve Ranz, Danny Renner, Emily Renner, John Rochford, Todd Schindler, Paul Schullo, Mary Schulz, Ryan Scrivner, Tita Skeesick, Ron Smith, Ron Solheim, Roger Swanson, Michelle Tentis, Morgan Tentis, Taylor Tentis, John Thompson, Kasey Walker, Fred Whitney, Jon Williams, Blain Wilsey, Jacob Wolf, Ethan Wolf, Jaclyn Zirbes and Ian Zorn.

We won some nice awards in the October Tee Times magazine’s READERS CHOICE AWARDS. The people just listed are the reason why. 

Next week is Halloween. I hope you enjoy it. However, I’m more in the mood for Thanksgiving. Thanks to all of you.

Cheers,

Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com

Deer Run Golf Club
8661 Deer Run Drive
Victoria, MN 55386
(952) 443-2351
www.deerrungolf.com
www.facebook.com/DeerRunGolf
www.twitter.com/DeerRunGolfClub



Blog

My Dad

Greetings Golfers,

I wasn’t sure if I should do this. Too much of what should be private has become public. However, my dad was the kind of guy that we don’t hear enough about.

James Francis Abts was born and raised in Yankton, South Dakota. Though he and my mom moved to Minneapolis over 60 years ago, he still read the Yankton paper.

I wish you knew him. He was fun and funny and charming … but what drew you to him was his kindness. Some people are nice but not kind. He was both … but especially kind.

Yet, that kindness also made life difficult for my dad. He really couldn’t believe that people could be cruel. Not that he grew-up in la-la land. Like too many people, he grew-up in a dysfunctional family. But, it didn’t harden his heart.

So to make a new life, he and my mom moved up to the big city. And he decided to sell life insurance. Wow. A young man with a wife and two kids … in a new city … trying to make a living in a business based on relationships. That could make a kind man cold.

But it didn’t. He had to become a grinder – which wasn’t his nature – but he did it. And he became a successful insurance agent. People trusted him. He actually cared about the people he sold insurance – and they knew it.

I learned so much by just watching him. He always treated people with respect – everyone he met. He saw beauty in life, in nature, in people. No wonder he was kind. He saw the best in this life. Now he’s in an even better place.

R.I.P.

Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com

Deer Run Golf Club
8661 Deer Run Drive
Victoria, MN 55386
(952) 443-2351
www.deerrungolf.com
www.facebook.com/DeerRunGolf
www.twitter.com/DeerRunGolfClub

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Nervous Energy is a Good Thing

Greetings Golfers,

Well, the Twins are toast. All the other division series went to 5 games. It seemed to me that the Twins were just happy to be there … and that they tried really hard to be “loose”. Think how goofy that sounds “Tried hard to be loose”.

Remember early this year when Rory McIlroy was “trying to be loose” … saying that the Majors were “just another tournament”? Worked really well for both Rory and the Twins.

Loose has to be natural – not forced. Shouldn’t you use that energy? Nervous should be used – not fought. The Twins looked flat. Rory looked flat in the first rounds of this year’s Majors.

Obviously for a long season like baseball … it’s good to keep loose and not get too ramped up for every game – you’ll burn out. However, for the playoffs or golf Majors … put the pedal to the metal!

NFL football games are only once a week … and only 16 games. They could ramp it up. The Vikings have looked flat. I think Zimmer is a good coach – especially defense. But a ball-control offense only works with a great offensive line. That’s what Zimmer wants to do … have a low-risk offense and rely on the defense. I get it. But you need to have the horses. Game plans have to be based in reality. Just like your golf game plan. As I’ve gotten older I have to play a different style of golf. My game has lost its horsepower. I can’t play power golf. The Vikings can’t play power, ball control football.

Both these confused concepts are rooted in la-la land. When la-la land meets reality … la-la land is in trouble.

Nervous energy is a good thing. It should be used. And a game plan is good if rooted in reality. The worst of all worlds is “trying to be loose” while sticking to a faulty game plan. Whether it’s your golf game, your business, etc. Somehow apathy became a virtue. And fantasy became better than reality.

Whatever team wins the World Series will be facing reality head-on with nervous energy. I look forward to the battles.

Cheers,

Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com

Deer Run Golf Club
8661 Deer Run Drive
Victoria, MN 55386
(952) 443-2351
www.deerrungolf.com
www.facebook.com/DeerRunGolf
www.twitter.com/DeerRunGolfClub

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The Nuances Make Things Interesting

Greetings Golfers,

Later today, the Minnesota Twins play the NY Yankees in the first game of the ALDS. I’m actually fairly optimistic that the Twins can win this series. They aren’t afraid of the Yankees. They set the league record for home-runs in a season – 307. The Yankees hit 306.

Obviously these two teams are bombers. Normally, I’m not a fan of home-run baseball. I like the nuances of baseball: Is the pitcher consistently ahead in the count? Can this batter hit to the opposite field? Can they steal on this catcher – or pitcher? Etc.

Too often, home-run baseball just overpowers the nuances … almost makes them irrelevant.

This year, MLB, decided to “juice” the ball. It worked – record home-runs.

They think this is what the fans want. Maybe. I relate it to movies. What makes a good story is that the nuances are important – that’s what is really interesting. The plot can be basic. Most of our lives have basic plots. But, it’s the nuances that make it interesting. Same with a movie. If the writer doesn’t really have insight into how things and people work … the writer focuses more on a tricky plot and then uses cliche characters and cliche situations. That type of story doesn’t really get your full attention.

Same with baseball. The nuances are what really get your full attention. Power-baseball is about half watching the game, but getting excited when someone knocks it over the fence. Sort of like a car chase.

Obviously, I can continue this analogy to golf. I much prefer links-style golf to wide-open parkland courses that allow bombers to fly everything that was intended to make the holes interesting. Driver-wedge all day except for driver-6 iron on par 5s is not exactly fascinating.

So, maybe this Twins-Yankees series will be basically a home-run derby. That’s fine with me as long as the Twins win. I’ve loved the Twins since they moved here in 1961. However, I hated the Yankees even before 1961.

Cheers,

Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com

Deer Run Golf Club
8661 Deer Run Drive
Victoria, MN 55386
(952) 443-2351
www.deerrungolf.com
www.facebook.com/DeerRunGolf
www.twitter.com/DeerRunGolfClub