Greetings Golfers,

This weekend, those of us who live in Minnesota won’t have to choose between playing golf or watching the Masters.

If we have to have snow in April, might as well be during the Masters.

Bobby Jones once said about the Masters, “We want bogeys easy if frankly sought, pars readily obtainable by standard good play, and birdies – except on par 5s – dearly bought”.

And, we all know the saying that the Masters “begins on the back nine on Sunday” … because the lead can change quickly.

So which is it? Safe and steady … or risky and aggressive?

Well, the devil is in the details. The golf course is much more difficult than it seems. Conventional wisdom is that the winner needs to be able to hit it high and far, and move it from right to left, and putt great. But, it’s more than that – much more. It’s mostly a position/strategy golf course. Power is great … but no one is going to overpower Augusta National.

Of course good putting is vital. But the putting is dependent on position. You can hit a lot of greens during the Masters and still not score. You have to be in the correct position on the green or off the green. The key is to drive the ball into the right spots to give you a chance to hit your iron shot to the right spot on the green.

The Masters is all about strategy and the ability to control the ball to use that strategy. That’s what the term “master” means. This is not a tournament for one-dimensional players. Or knuckleheads.

The first six holes seem to fly under the radar. They’re not sexy like the back nine … but they are very important. If you don’t survive those holes – playing them in even par is a victory – you won’t have a chance to show your stuff on the back nine on Sunday.

John F. Kennedy once described Washington, D.C. as “A community of Southern efficiency and Northern charm.” Well, the Masters is the opposite … it’s the perfect blend of Southern charm and Northern efficiency.

Enjoy!

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
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