Greetings Golfers,

This week the Tour is playing in New Orleans at the TPC and last week they played on Hilton Head Island at Harbour Town GC. Both golf courses were designed by Pete Dye.

Dye has been known as Dyeabolical. A few years ago, Time magazine had an article about the 10 toughest golf courses in the world, and 3 of them were Dye designs.

Dye was born in 1925 and started designing courses when he was 35. He’d been a star insurance salesman and a hotshot amateur golfer … but sometimes golf can cause a mid-life crisis. But for Dye, 35 was not mid-life. He’s 88 years old and still designing golf courses.

Do I like his courses? Sometimes. I love Harbour Town. It’s not tricked-up, the holes are attractive and make sense, and it rewards the good ball-striker. The fairways are narrow and need well placed drives – usually slightly curved into the landing zones. The greens are tiny and reward good shots – not just good putts. Some of the well known “stars” who just bomb it off the tee and then find it somewhere, and then manage to get it on a huge green and putt well … they usually avoid Harbour Town.

But some of his courses are goofy. And he was the guy who started the fad with railroad ties in bunkers. I much prefer his courses in the Southeast to his courses in the West.

Probably the most famous hole in golf – hole #17, the par three island green at Sawgrass is a Pete Dye design. And I think Sawgrass is actually a pretty fair golf course. But golfers are crazy. Many years ago I got paired-up at Sawgrass with a guy from Chicago who told me that he played Sawgrass whenever he was in Jacksonville. He then opened the side vents of his golf bag and told me that he was ready for the round – the vents were stuffed with about 100 golf balls. After 9 holes he went into the clubhouse and refilled his bag.

That’s not my idea of a good time – but this guy smiled and laughed all through his round. Dye wanted his courses to be a challenge – and they are. Some are fair – some aren’t.
But it’s always fun to watch how Tour players deal with the challenges Dye presents. I’m already looking forward to the Players Championship at Sawgrass.

Cheers,

Tom Abts
GM and Head Golf Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com

Greetings Golfers,

Did you watch “Mad Men” the other night? It was the first episode of their final season, and people complained it was boring.

I didn’t think it was boring. Maybe the soap-opera stuff wasn’t exciting, but that’s not why I watch it. I love the inside look at Madison Avenue during the ‘60s – how those maniacs were trying to control and expand the markets of post WWII America.

But I especially enjoy watching how those experts at knowing the pulse of America were coming to grips with the cultural upheavals of the 60’s. The main character – Don Draper – can’t understand what’s happening. How can his world of Frank Sinatra and the Ratpack be giving way to the Beatles?

How did the world of golf handle those times? Do you remember Jack Nicklaus growing out his hair? I’m serious – he really did. That’s when you knew the tide had turned.

Every generation rebels and wants to be different from their parents. But the ‘60s rebellion was probably the most radical in American history – even more than the Roaring ‘20s. Probably because of the huge number of “Baby Boomers”, and thus their effect on a democracy and a market-driven economy. The sheer size of the number of Boomers made the normal generational rebellion into a revolution.

So now those Baby Boomers are grandparents. My job is to figure out how to market to the Boomers and their kids.  Hopefully both generations like Stairway/Fairway to Heaven.

Cheers,

Tom Abts
GM and Head Golf Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com

Greetings Golfers,

Here’s a bunch of random questions:

• Is Adam Scott the best player in the world?

• Is Tiger Woods done? Steroids?

• Should Wisconsin have beat Kentucky?

• Did winning the NIT help the UofM?

• Is the Wild a good hockey team?

• Will the Gophers beat Union?

• Will the Twins lose 90 games again?

• Are the T-Wolves hexed?

• Will the Vikings draft Johnny Football?

• Will we have a nice spring?

• Was this the worst winter ever?

• Is Flight 370 in the ocean?

Here’s a statement – not a question – we’re opening the golf course on Tuesday.

Cheers,

Tom Abts
GM and Head Golf Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com

Greetings Golfers,

Hemingway described courage as “Grace under pressure.” I think that’s one aspect of courage – though that might also describe a certain type of apathy.

I think most of us would describe courage as doing what we should do when we’re afraid to do it. Courage is more about doing what is difficult than maintaining our cool.

Playing golf can take courage. Playing a shot while strangers are watching is pretty scary for most average golfers. And playing to win can be pretty scary for professional golfers.

That’s what makes the Masters so much fun. The back nine at Augusta National is full of risk/reward holes. It takes courage to go for birdie (or eagle) on those finishing holes. And, the winner goes under par on the back nine – playing safe won’t win the Green Jacket.

I’m not talking reckless – that will usually end in disaster. No, I mean the courage to play smart and be aggressive.

It’s sort of the Wizard of Oz. Like the Tin Man, Scarecrow, and the Lion – you need Heart, Brains, and Courage. Reckless is Courage without Brains.

As for “Grace under pressure” … yeah, I respect that. But courage is doing the right thing when it’s difficult. Hemingway blew his brains out with a shotgun. He was always always obsessed with being cool. When he got older and thought he wasn’t cool anymore… he took a not very courageous way out.

Being courageous is always cool – being cool isn’t always courageous.

Cheers,

Tom Abts
GM and Head Golf Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com