Greetings Golfers,

Live! From Orlando, Florida – the PGA Golf Show!

Well, not exactly “live”, I’m writing this on Thursday night and you’ll get it on Friday morning. But hey – it’s a pretty good opener.

My favorite part of the Show is talking to the people who are passionate about what they do. There’s the guy who built a ‘magic” putter in his garage and can’t wait to tell you all about it. Then, there’s Rick Martin who’s been designing beautiful shirts forever (he founded Fairway & Greene) and now has a new company – he’s still really into it. Or Martin Dingman … or … Scott Barber … these are the guys who’s name is the company and they couldn’t be more passionate about what their doing. Or the crazy guys at Bogey Pro (passionate and crazy).

After the first day of the Show, some of us sat around the lobby of the Rosen Hotel solving all the world’s problems and the problems of the golf biz. I’ll only share our solutions to solving the problems of the golf biz … I’m saving the solutions to solving the world’s problems for a world-wide press conference later today.

Here’s what we figured out about the golf business: it’s not about initiatives and wide arching plans … those of us running golf courses have to be passionate. We have to be deadly serious about being passionate about having fun. How ridiculous of a statement is that? But yet, how true!

That’s it … I have to get some sleep and be ready for round 2 of The Show.

Cheers,

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