Greetings Golfers,

This blog goes out every Friday morning at 9:00. Last Friday morning at 9:00, I was at a Veterinary Clinic with our dog Harvey. Many of you knew Harvey. I wouldn’t say he was the DRGC mascot – he was much more than a mascot – he was a real presence.

Harvey had more personality than any dog I’ve ever known. The first year that we had him (we got him as a puppy) he was a full-blown menace. Three different trainers tried and quit – he was untrainable. Harvey wasn’t a jerk … he was just unbelievably independent. And hilarious. He was a trickster. Like most families – we spent most of our time together in the den/tv room. Harvey was always there with us, and would go to the patio door and hit it with his paw to let us know that he had to go outside. So, when I’d get up from my chair to open the door … he’d hop up and steal my chair. This happened constantly. He knew I couldn’t take the risk that he didn’t really have to go outside.

Harvey loved Deer Run. When a friend sent me condolences the other day, he said “How many dogs get to run a golf course?” Yeah – he had a great life. But just like Frank Sinatra’s song “My Way” … he did it HIS way! And like a lot of bright people, he had his neurotic “stuff”. He wouldn’t walk over certain lines in floors. He’d go crazy if I looked out the window in my office. Yet, he was confident. Neurotic and confident – what a combination. And a trickster. And loyal. Very loyal.

That loyal thing dogs are famous for – how good is that? It’s probably the main reason that we become so attached to dogs. We trust them. We don’t have to prove our worth. They love us unconditionally. And hopefully we love them unconditionally. That’s harder for us humans. We get angry when people don’t live up to our expectations. Those expectations get in the way of love. I don’t mean acts of betrayal … I mean not being perfect. Too often we think we’re not deserving of love if we’re not perfect. My lack of perfection was not an issue for Harvey. I knew he loved me.

His final act was classic Harvey. The vet warned me that the shot to sedate him would “sting”. It must have stung … because Harvey bit him. The vet was shocked … he hadn’t seen Harvey move since I brought him in. But that was classic Harvey … he was going to get in the final word or bite.

I can’t believe how much I miss him.

Tom Abts

GM and Head Golf Professional

tabts@deerrungolf.com