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Strategy

January 31, 2020 mabts232@gmail.com

Greetings Golfers,

Sunday is the Super Bowl. I actually remember Super Bowl I. And I especially remember Super IV … when the Vikings lost to the Chiefs. I won’t even talk about the Vikings’ other Super Bowls.

Back to the Chiefs. I like their Head Coach Andy Reid a lot more than their Super Bowl IV coach Hank Stram. Reid is a genius and Patrick Mahomes is crazy good. Sports are about strategy as much as physical skill. However, strategy isn’t just Xs and Os … that type of strategy only works if everyone is the same ability. Strategy is really about knowing your strengths and weaknesses … and knowing your opponent’s strengths and weaknesses … and then knowing how to capitalize on that knowledge.

I had a friend who was really good at strategy. He took up tennis after college and had terrible strokes. But, he was quick and had good hands. He knew that he couldn’t rally with good players, so he never gave them anything to hit or get into a rhythm … so he just lobbed and dinked the ball around the court. He beat some good players and a few club pros. This character also won the intramural wrestling championship at a big university. He wasn’t a good wrestler or in good shape. But he was a master staller and stayed away from the mat … he always got to his feet and avoided wrestling. Do you remember

Muhammed Ali’s rope-a-dope? That’s how this guy played sports.

Golf is all about strategy. Are you trying to hit shots like you’re Tiger Woods? Think about it … on a par 71 course like Deer Run … if you make 9 bogeys & 8 pars and 1 birdie … you shoot 79. That’s bogeying half the holes! Why are you trying to birdie every hole? You know you can par the par 5s … just par half of the par 4s, and par half of the par 3s. Just don’t be dumb on the hard par 4s and 3s. If you can drive the ball in play and chip pretty decently … you can break 80. I didn’t say bomb it off the tee and stuff your iron shots – that’s how you break 60.

Heard a great line the other day … this guy hit a mediocre shot, turned to me and said “I can do better … I just never do.”

It’s funny because we all get it. For too many of us, our golf strategy is based on hitting our best shot every time.

Sunday, these two football teams had better mix-it-up … maybe not rope-a-dope … but they need to be clever.

Maybe my Vikings lost 4 Super Bowls because they over-achieved just to get there. But at least they got there.

We all want to score well. We keep score when we play sports. We’re not practicing. I’m not saying to play every round like it’s the US Open … rather, just use your head and be honest with yourself … then you can strategize.

Let’s see who can strategize on Sunday.

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

Old School and Lifestyle

January 25, 2020 mabts232@gmail.com

Greetings Golfers,

Today is the last day of the 2020 PGA Golf Show in Orlando. Because we send out this blog every Friday at 9:00am CST … this one is usually my toughest one of the year. I’m actually writing this at 5am … and I blame any poor writing on the PGA Pros who I went to dinner with last night. (Is it “who” or “whom” … see, I’m already struggling).

The PGA Show has really changed over the years … but, what hasn’t? What is most obvious is how casual the attire has become. People used to really dress-up for the Show. Yesterday, most of the guys were wearing zip-up golf jackets and casual shoes. There used to be shoe-shine stands everywhere … the only one I saw yesterday was deserted … I hope the owner has other options.

Remember in the tv show “Madmen” when society was transforming from the Ratpack to the Hippies? Well, that’s sort of what’s happening in golf.

Golf has always been a traditional game. For some of us, there is a timelessness about golf that is linked to tradition. The question is “Can golf change with the times and still keep its core values?”

The “look” in the showrooms was what everyone is calling “lifestyle” … meaning that golfers want to wear clothing that goes from the golf course to the work place or to a restaurant. A casual look that goes anywhere. And that doesn’t mean cheap … one showroom was selling cashmere hoodies … seriously.

Does casual clothing mean a lack of standards? It can, but it doesn’t have to. The young people that I dealt with all week were very respectful. That’s what matters to me. Just because someone is well-dressed doesn’t mean they have high standards – especially in terms of being respectful.

Golf only works if the players have respect for the game, the course, and the other players. Golf doesn’t have referees … it relies on personal integrity. That’s what really matters. It’s all about how people conduct themselves on the golf course (and in the clubhouse).

Last night’s dinner was much like a round of golf. Sure, I liked the restaurant … but I especially liked the people who (?) I was with .. and the ridiculous and hilarious conversations throughout dinner. Some of us were dressed “old school” and some were dressed “lifestyle”…but what mattered was how we got along – not what we wore.

Cheers,

Blog

Seeing Things From the Other Side

January 17, 2020 mabts232@gmail.com

Greetings Golfers,

I spend most of my days trying to figure how to make Deer Run GC work. Not just make it work … but make it good. But, I’m seeing it from the operational side.

When I’m down here in South Carolina, I see golf operations from the customer side. And that’s a good thing … for me and DRGC.

The other day I played and it was cart path only. On one hole when my drive was on the other side of the fairway from the cart path … my first reaction was annoyance – which then made me laugh … I was seeing things as a customer – not as an operator.

It needs to be a two-way street. That’s the only way relationships work … and the customer-business is a relationship. That sometimes gets lost … and everybody loses. I think one side loses trust … that’s never a good thing.

That’s why communication is so important … if people understand the reasons – if it makes sense – people will trust.

For example, a funny guy – Mitch Hedberg (R.I.P.) – known for his clever take on things, once said “ I bought a doughnut and they gave a receipt for the doughnut. I don’t need a receipt for the doughnut. I’ll just give you the money, and you give me the doughnut – end of the transaction. I can’t imagine a scenario where I need a receipt for a doughnut.” Yeah … I get it. But, the receipt isn’t for him … the receipt is needed for the store to keep track of what they sell.

Same thing with staying on the cart path. It was annoying, but it was necessary for the golf course to stay in good shape.

We have days reserved for our leagues. Tuesday is Ladies Day. You have to be in the league to play on Tuesday. Thursday is Mens Day. You have to be in the league to play on Thursday. This gives league members the opportunity to play every week at their own tee time … a pretty cool thing. We don’t open up any of those times – we’re committed to the league members. So, we ask them to commit to playing on league day. How else can we make this work? It has to be a two-way street.

But it also has to be communicated. We need to make the situation clear to league members. Most people would agree once they understand why it has to be that way.

Communication. You always hear so much about it that it seems cliche … but it’s not. Down here I play a variety of courses from dog-tracks to elite … and everything in between. My favorite place is elite … but that’s not the main reason I like it. The staff is great. They’re friendly – yet genuine. They’re good people – who actually like people … they don’t have to fake it. Nearby is another elite club (not as elite) but has a pretentious staff and atmosphere that makes my skin crawl. The place that I play the most is a dog-track. However, I play with a great group of guys and that makes-up for the conditions (sort-of).

I think what most of us want is quality and genuine hospitality – not fake. We don’t need fancy – we want quality. And we sure don’t want pretentious or just rude.

Thats what I want as a customer … and I hope we do that at DRGC.

Cheers,

Blog

Sergio

January 10, 2020 mabts232@gmail.com

Greetings Golfers,

Yesterday, Sergio Garcia turned 40. That doesn’t seem possible … for a couple of reasons: First, it doesn’t seem that long ago he was a teen-ager battling Tiger for the 1999 PGA Championship. Second, he still seems like a kid – not a 40 year old man. About a year ago … he went crazy in a tournament and damaged 5 greens … AND destroyed a bunker during a temper tantrum.

Yet, he can be really charming and likable. His lack of phoniness is what saves him. You want to forgive his childish antics because he’s still a child. Wait … he’s not a child! He doesn’t seem to have any self-control. That can make for really interesting interviews and observations … but his pouting and tantrums are tiresome.

Sergio seems to grow-up when he’s representing more than himself. He’s the all-time point leader in the Ryder Cup and really thrives in the matches – especially when he has a partner. His record as an individual is not as good … he needs the team concept to be his best as a player and a person.

Maybe too much success happened too young. He’s the son of a Golf Pro and won everything as a junior – even won a European Tour event as an amateur. When he battled with Tiger in 1999 … it looked like he’d be the European version of Tiger.

However, he turned into the classic victim of the golf gods. He really believed that fate was out to get him. His playoff loss in the 2007 British Open did have some bad breaks … but he should have already won a couple of British Opens by then anyway … good luck or bad.

His golf swing is ridiculously good. Very Hoganesque with that flat swing and extra-long lag. A fantastic iron player and hits it far … a really talented player. However, we all know that being a golf champion is more than just being talented.

Hopefully, his 40s are when he reaches his potential. He’s not too old physically … and maybe marriage and fatherhood are what he’s needed to calm-down and grow-up.

Maybe 40 is the new 30 … especially for someone as youngish as Sergio. But hopefully, he now has the maturity of a 40 year old. Happy Birthday.

Cheers,

Uncategorized

Priorities

January 3, 2020 mabts232@gmail.com

Greetings Golfers,

A few weeks ago, a local Pro was talking about how he gets too wound-up in big golf tournaments. I get it. You get it … we all get it. What’s the secret to not losing your mind under pressure?

Here’s what I told him: It’s good to be excited and nervous – that will make you sharper than normal. However, too wound-up is like shorting out something you plugged-in … it got too much energy. And, too much energy comes from NEEDING it. It’s good to WANT it, but you can’t need it.

Ok, what does that mean? He agreed with me, and instantly knew what I meant. But, how do I put that understanding into words? Well, I think it goes back to establishing priorities. If winning a golf tournament is the most important thing in your life … it’s just too much pressure … you will freak out. The problem is a lack of perspective … which I believe is a lack of priorities.

If I had to point to one thing that is wrong with our modern society … I would say that it’s a lack of priorities. I’m constantly hearing messages that “you can have it all”. Well, that’s ridiculous. Our lifetime is limited … we don’t live forever. We don’t have the time like Bill Murray did in the movie “Groundhog’s Day” to master languages and art and music and sport and everything else. But what I loved about “Groundhog’s Day” was that Bill Murray finally realized what matters … he finally had priorities … not just a selfish, greedy guy trying to “have it all”, but a guy who wanted a meaningful life with meaningful relationships.

I think a symptom of that “have it all” philosophy leads to people always being in a hurry because they don’t have things prioritized. I play golf Down South with a group of about 12 guys. In that group there are some guys who play golf like it’s a race … and they’re always mad at the other guys for not playing in 2 1/2 hours. The other guys are not slow … it’s always under 4 hours and this is a difficult golf course. So, the racers finish fast and then hang around in the Clubhouse and are sort of bored. They have nowhere to go anyway – what’s the rush? Well, they don’t even know … they just live like that. And, people like that are always late for things. You’d think it’d be the opposite but it’s not. They time things too close to try to “do it all” … but of course that doesn’t work and then they screw-up by being late for an important meeting or missing their airplane flight … while they stop for doughnuts on the way.

You see it in everything. There used to be a saying called “a lazy man’s load”. That meant when moving things, they would take too many things rather than take another trip. So, by carrying too many things in their arms, they ended-up dropping and breaking things. They didn’t prioritize. I think most modern people would try to do this … and be proud of it.

I just arrived in South Carolina. We drove from Minnesota and it gets crazier every year. I can’t tell you how often somebody passes me on the freeway and then immediately cuts over 3 lanes to exit the freeway. What!!!

They’re risking our lives for nothing … zero advantage.

Golf is very much a game of priorities. Many years ago I played with one of my son’s college friends in Arizona. He hit the ball as solid as a Tour player. We played at Gainey Ranch and he shot 81. I hit about 3 solid shots and shot 73. He couldn’t understand what happened. I tried to explain course management to him after his round … I remembered his shots better than he did … he had no strategy – he just went for the perfect shot every time. No wonder he didn’t remember – he never thought about his shots – there was no decision making.

Maybe having priorities and making plans is too old-fashioned. Maybe it’s not “free” enough to “do your own thing”. But are you really free when you’re not planning and making decisions based on priorities … instead of just reacting?

Let’s go back to the Pro freaking out under pressure and needing it instead of just wanting it. The calmest people are not the people who don’t care about anything … apathy doesn’t lead to peace of mind. Disorganization leads to anxiety not peace. Simplification is a result of prioritization.

Golf is the perfect antidote to the modern madness. And of course, the modern “gurus” trying to “save” golf are emphasizing how golf should be more like the modern world. That’s just dumb. The beauty of golf is that it’s timeless.

Of course people need to get their priorities straight … but first they have to prioritize. That goes against the modern idea of “having it all”. Happiness and peace of mind come from knowing what you need – not from needing everything.

Happy New Year!

Uncategorized

A New Year Golf Swing

January 3, 2020 mabts232@gmail.com

Greetings Golfers,

The New Year is the perfect time to work on your golf swing. I’m skeptical of making changes – especially during the summer – but winter in Minnesota is time to work on your swing.

Alignment for most people is a problem – even for good players. Many years ago, I had a new assistant Pro who was a very good player. He was young, strong, athletic and very confident. However, he lined-up right of his target … and wouldn’t change. Lining-up right of the target, promoted over-using his shoulders when hitting the shot. That move feels strong (and is) … but leads to inconsistency … and golf is more about consistency than power. This young fellow wanted to beat me (at golf) but he didn’t … though he made more birdies, he also had a few blow-up holes due to his faulty alignment.

The problem with lining up right of your target is that it causes you to swing left. Swinging left is “coming over the top”. Basically that means stopping your hips from turning and overusing your shoulders.

Now we’re getting to the heart of the golf swing … but it can be confusing and is seldom explained very well. Please bear with me as I try to make this clear.

The golf swing is really a sweep … you sweep the ball off of the ground or a tee. Too many people either hit down at the ball or try to scoop it up in the air. The problems with their golf swing are a result of the wrong concept of the golf swing. Fixing the faulty parts of the swing doesn’t really solve anything if the concept is wrong. They will always revert back to the wrong swing if the concept is wrong.

Here’s how the swing should feel: Swing the club back waist high and hold it. Now, twist your hips to the left and let the hips pull the club through the shot to waist high level. That little half-swing is the golf swing in a nutshell.

I do this drill up in my office and hit little shots onto the couch. Do this during the winter in your home or office.

You’ll see how you need to line-up left of your target to have enough room to swing the club at the target. Otherwise you’ll be stuck or cramped and won’t have a good follow through.

Remember the story of the young Pro who didn’t line-up correctly? Well, he did finally give in and line-up left of the target. He didn’t lose yardage like he thought he would … and he became a much better player … a more CONSISTENT player. And, he started beating me. Not that I enjoyed losing … but I enjoyed watching how well he played.

This is your year to start beating your friends. Good golf is consistent golf. Consistent golf is a result of the proper understanding of how the golf swing should work. A good golf swing sweeps the ball out at the target. It doesn’t pull the ball at the target.

Happy New Year!

Tom Abts

Monthly Archives: January 2020

Strategy

Old School and Lifestyle

Seeing Things From the Other Side

Sergio

Priorities

A New Year Golf Swing

PGA Golf Pro