La-La Land

La-la Land 

Greetings Golfers,

If you want to make someone mad … tell them what they don’t want to hear.

I’m not recommending doing that … unless it’s necessary. For example, someone loves watching Yogi Bear cartoons and thinks that real bears are like Yogi Bear … so … they’re going out to Colorado to hug a bear. Hmmmmm. You should probably tell them that most bears are not like Yogi Bear.

That’s not being mean … that’s being kind.

Here’s a quote from Charles Darwin:

“Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge.”

Just like the Yogi Bear situation. Not knowing about the reality of bears … gives the person faulty confidence in dealing with bears.

Same with operating a golf course. I just read a great article by a golf course consultant disproving the goofy ideas that are constantly recommended to me by people who are ignorant about how a golf course operates.

He gets it. This is how he closes his article:

“The key to financial success is to replace complexity with simplicity.”

Once again … life works better when people live in reality.

I have people who think that we should be Augusta National … and with fancy restaurants and spas and swimming pools … and should be free. Because that’s what they want. Oh … and if we hosted weddings … that would pay the bills.

Here’s another example of La-la Land:

How about crashing your car four times when you’re really hammered on drugs or alcohol?

Should that be acknowledged … or trivialized?

Just read an article by a guy basically scolding people for talking about this. He said that it’s a private matter and was well handled with a public statement.

However … the public statement had no apology.

Doesn’t dealing with it mean facing this behavior that was risking the lives of other people?

And isn’t the first step to apologize?

Not if you live in La-la Land.

But La-la Land can turn into Nightmare Land quickly:

The bear-hug can turn ugly.

The golf course can fold.

The drugged-out driving can kill.

Reality is a good thing. La-la Land isn’t.

Have a Happy Easter!

Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com