Greetings Golfers,

Once in awhile, you meet someone who “gets it”.

Well, I didn’t meet Forrest Richardson, however, I just watched a video he made about golf course architecture … and he “gets it”. Not just golf architecture … but the game of golf.

Richardson is the new president of the American Society of Golf Course Architects. His love of golf … and his understanding of why people play golf and why it is important to our society and our planet is mind-boggling and inspiring.

In the film he says “The game of 400 years ago was nothing like it is today. The term ‘golf course’ meant nothing until the game had been played for several hundred years.”

More: “We need to keep looking at new formats for courses. We’ve had such a great run of looking at designs that break the mold. Our creativity needs to ramp up as we define what a golf course is and what it can be. Exciting stuff is happening across the world, but I’m certain not everything has been done or considered when figuring out how we design holes or how these new courses are going to look.”

Richardson is not a “change for change sake” guy … he wants golf course designers to ‘keep thinking’.

In fact, he says ‘Less is More’: “Playing the game does not rely on hundreds of acres. That model will live on, but we need to plan smaller footprints or even not leave a footprint at all … rethink the water, the materials, the labor, the resources we use to build and maintain a golf course. The same creativity holds true with practice. Whether indoors or out, fun is now part of the program.”

“Let’s start asking whether there are new ways to play the game, and also the wheres, the whens, and the who? The game itself is where we can make a difference, and creativity is where we will help mold the game to fit an entirely new generation that has yet to come to golf. Golf courses of the future should be different, and they will be. We have the opportunity to ensure that difference will be more fun, more enjoyable, more diverse and inviting”.

See what I mean? … he gets it.

https://www.golfcoursearchitecture.net/content/our-creativity-needs-to-ramp-up-says-new-asgca-president#.X4klGayE5tw.linkedin.

Please hit the link and watch the video. His passion comes through … with intelligence, creativity, and a love of people and golf.  

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

Greetings Golfers,

A week ago I wrote that we were planning on staying open until Nov.1. Hmmm. Looks like I didn’t make a good call. My sympathies to the local weathermen. They get beat-up around here pretty often … everyone’s a Monday Morning Quarterback (just ask Mike Zimmer).

Though the forecasts aren’t always perfect … we do  know that the next few (4) months probably won’t be golf weather in Minnesota.

Now might be a good time to start planning a winter golf trip. Of course everyone thinks of Arizona and South Florida. But, I said golf trip … not hang-out at the pool trip. So … that opens the door to a much larger swath of the country.

Here are some places to consider that are golf-able and probably pretty affordable:

*    Pinehurst, NC

*    Myrtle Beach, SC

*    Hilton Head, SC

*    Savannah, GA

*    St. Augustine, FL

*    Panama Beach, FL

*    Alabama Golf Trail

*    San Antonio, TX

*    Albuquerque , NM

*    St. George, UT

*    Laughlin, NV

I’m sure there a lot of places that I missed, but I’ve played golf in most of those places during winter months and had a great time.

Can I guarantee great weather? Hardly … I’m not even  good at predicting the weather next week in Minnesota. But, I can predict that it probably won’t snow in those places and you will be able to play golf.

I know these golf simulators are fun … but, they’re just to prepare you to play golf. Real golf. And real golf doesn’t have to be shorts and short-sleeves.

Sweaters and golf are a good fit. You don’t need hot weather to play golf. And some of us (me) are better off not hanging-out at swimming pools.

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.twit

Greetings Golfers.

Fall is a time of reflection. Can’t believe it’s October 16.

This has definitely been a strange year. I have to admit that I’m looking forward to putting the golf course to bed.

I think it’s because more than anything … I’m relieved. Like most golf courses, we had a very good year. Obviously the COVID restrictions put golf back on the radar. It was one of the things people could safely do … and they did it. And enjoyed it. And kept coming back for more.

Even this week … cold and windy … we’ve been packed every day. So, we’re going to stay open through Sunday, November 1. That’s late for us. Daylight Savings ends … and the window for play becomes very small.

However, we’ve punched the greens … so we’re only charging Fall Rates.

We also built a berm around #12 green. It’s beautiful. In fact, when you play, make sure that you have a golf towel with you … because the beauty of #12 will make you weep. It’s hard to play golf with tears in your eyes, so make sure that towel is clean.

Since I’m on a self-serving rant … I might as well go all the way. Tee Times Magazine just released their Annual Readers Choice Awards. Click HERE for the results.

We all know that Minnesotans are exceptionally intelligent … and especially Minnesota golfers. And especially the readers of Tee Times Magazine.

So, thank you to the readers … your support is much appreciated.

And to everyone who played golf at Deer Run GC this year – your support is much appreciated.

These are and were trying times. Hopefully things will go back to normal next year.

To all of you … we will get through this … and I’m glad if golf helped.

As I reflect, I realize how grateful I am to golf and golfers.

Thank you,

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

Greetings Golfers,

JFK was a witty guy and left us a lot of great quotes. But, this one is my favorite “Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men.”

How can you not love that?

Isn’t that what golf is all about? Not needing an easy course with perfect weather … but being able to deal with whatever the course and weather throw at you.

That’s playing the game of golf.

It seems to me that too many people want a perfect swing and perfect conditions … that anything less than that isn’t golf.

Actually it’s the opposite.

Golf is about relishing the challenge. And, it will provide a challenge. In fact, every shot is a challenge. Some are just harder than others.

Years ago, when we were visiting our son Mikey in Ireland, he and I went out to play Cork CC. It was March and typical Irish weather – cold (40 degrees) and really windy … and even a little bit rainy/sleety. It was a Wednesday and the course was packed. On the way to the first tee … a gent about 80 years old … looked at us and announced “What a glorious day!” He meant it. Not just a glorious day for golf … but, a glorious day to be alive.

That old fellow is my hero. I try to live that way every day. But, I need reminders. And golf is one of the best reminders I know.

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

Greetings Golfers,

The worst thing for a salesman, is to have a reputation as someone who “Over-promises and under-delivers”.

As the world has gotten faster and people move around, it’s become easier for con-men to do their thing. And at the heart of a con, is to tell people what they want to hear – not the truth.

Too much of our political world has become about over-promising. People want to hear what they want to hear … but they should be skeptical if it sounds too good to be true.

Businesses are also guilty of over-promising. Many do it under the guise of “listening to the customer”.

Let’s say that a restaurant tries to please people with what they do well, rather than try to satisfy the whims of everyone. So, they have a limited menu of what they do well … the staff gets it and also provides good service. That’s a nice combination – I can see why they would be successful.

However, what if they vary from their model? Such as: letting people order meals that are not on the menu. Well, it probably wouldn’t taste very good, and would slow-up the kitchen and screw everything up. And, what if they didn’t have someone’s favorite liquor – so they let them bring in their own liquor? And, what if the customers only want to pay for part of a meal? How does that work?

A quality business cannot operate like that. Actually, it’s a lazy and weak way to operate … though it sounds open-minded and accommodating (at first).

I go to restaurants for an experience. Hopefully they provide food and an atmosphere that I don’t have at home. I stay out of their way and let them do their job.

“Too many chefs ruin the soup”. And if every customer becomes a “chef” … a quality product and experience is almost impossible.

Can you imagine what would happen to a public golf course if they adopted those attitudes?

That’s why there are private clubs … so that the members can have more say in what is offered. But, they sure don’t have total say and get everything they want. If they do want everything their way … they’ll have buy a club and be the only member.

Any golf club – private or especially public – that offers everything to everyone … is just “over-promising”.

And, then they have only one option … to “under-deliver”.

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