Greetings Golfers,

“Courage and the love of golf are two qualities highly-prized in this north country”. That’s a line from an Associated Press article about Ben Hogan’s Open victory at Carnoustie in 1953.

“Where the women are strong and the men are good looking”. As you know, that’s Garrison Keillor’s famous line about our own north country known as Lake Wobegon.

How are these two phrases related? Stay with me as I try to put this together.

This week the Open Championship is being held at Carnoustie. The conditions are said to be extra difficult because of the lack of rain. When Hogan won in 1953 it was dry, too, but also cold – Hogan wore 2 sweaters and long underwear – he was still fragile from his near-death car accident. The Scots are stern people who admired Hogan for his discipline and tenacity.

Last week was the inaugural US Women’s Senior Open. A Brit – Laura Davies – won by 10 shots. But what really struck me is that 4 Minnesota women finished in the top 23 players. Think about that! Not Florida – not Arizona – not Texas – not California – not South Carolina … Minnesota! Do Minnesotans share that Scottish love of “courage and golf”? Well, we’re both definitely “north country”. Maybe our resilience, developed through living in cold winters, makes us temperamentally suited for golf. And maybe that resilience makes us good golfers into our senior years. How else to explain that 4 Minnesota women are among the top 23 senior women golfers in the world?

Courage and the love of golf … it makes us just get better with age!

Cheers,

Tom Abts

GM and Head Golf Professional

tabts@deerrungolf.com