A Good Email Exchange
A Good Email Exchange
Greetings Golfers,
I’m writing this on Thursday morning. We’re supposed to get a mountain of snow this weekend.
Sounds like a good time to watch golf. Obviously, I don’t know who’s leading after the first round of the Players Championship … but it’s a fun course and fun tournament to watch. Enjoy!
The other day a former player here at DRGC sent me an email. We haven’t talked forever. He was a very good player - the best player here. He played college golf and was successful in MN tournaments and even qualified and did well in the USGA Mid Amateur. But most importantly, he was bright, likable, and a thoughtful guy. Here’s our email exchange:
“Hi Tom,
I recently read one of your weekly emails explaining why the hands matter in the golf swing. Years of golf analysts drooling over how perfect Tiger’s swing is or Nick Faldo and this goes on. Last weekend we were treated to two golfers battling it out in the final group on Sunday at Bay Hill. Wow! These two know how to use their hands to control the ball. Flighting down drivers and iron approach shots and trapping wedges to control the flight and spin. Berger and Bhatia were masterful, and beyond that - they were fun to watch. Shot making is back, and it is beautiful! Hitting fades, draws, and at times hitting it straight.
When we met in the early 1990s, this is what you talked about. To control the golf ball, you must know what your hands are doing. I could go on for hours about my disdain for being robotic and all the mechanical techniques that teachers use to teach golf.
After 35+ years it is still true, and on this past Sunday, we were treated to two artists using their hands.”
Here’s my reply:
“Great to hear from you!
Glad you enjoy my rants.
I didn’t see Bay Hill … wish I had!
Golf is all about shotmaking.
Nicklaus changed the game by hitting a monster fade … then putting really well. He was not a shot maker and was a poor wedge player. His style turned the par 5s into 4s … which allowed him to just play to the middle of the greens … and he was 4 under.
So then … emphasis was on the body for more power instead of good hands and shotmaking.
And … too much emphasis on putting.
Take care and keep in touch.”
So … here’s his final reply:
“You’re right Tom. Jack made golf a business and he played golf like it was a business. With his abilities, he didn’t need to take chances, and watching him, for me, was boring.
Lee Trevino and Arnold Palmer were shot makers and made the game fun. Fun?? Golf can be fun?
Wonder how that impacted golf course design? Courses were then Jack and Tiger proofed. I watched so many golfers pay large amounts of money to play BLANK for years. Breaking 80 for a single digit golfer was rare. If you made one birdie per round that was good. That course is not fun. Nearly every time I played it I would consider myself masochistic.
Thanks for keeping golf fun.”
How interesting was that? This guy is a golf fiend and an excellent player. He knows a lot about our game. And if he’s frustrated by the modern swing and the modern course … what’s it like for the regular player?
Well … think about it this weekend while you watch the Players and the snow falling by your window.
Cheers!
Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com
A-B-C
A-B-C
Greetings Golfers,
It’s good to be back. I love South Carolina … and I need a break … but Minnesota is home - it’s that simple.
I like simple. And I try to make things simple. We all want to make things easier … but first, you have to make them simple. Complicated is never easy.
The secret to simplifying is to focus on what matters - what’s the point. If something is really complicated … then you need to start connecting the dots and seeing patterns. Otherwise it’s just overwhelming.
I’m very wary of people who make things complicated. Some people think that’s smart. They condemn simplifying by saying it’s making everything too black-and-white.
Obviously we need to be aware of nuances and details … and very often they are more important than people realize and are over-looked or discounted. And they may actually be what’s important.
So it gets back to priorities. I like to prioritize things as … A … B … C. But I know people who think everything is an A. Well … then nothing is an A.
What’s funny is that some people can’t see how that works. For example, if we have a C visible here at DRGC … some people will point it out and say, “If they can’t get that right, how can they get the big things right?”
Well … they’re already taking for granted how well the big things are working … and focusing on petty stuff.
I think they’re referred to as "nitpickers." And they’re usually sort of arrogant … as if no one else has their ability to focus on petty issues. Most people are sane enough to understand that everything can’t be perfect, and they focus on what matters.
Then there’s the “head-in-the-sand” crowd that doesn’t want to admit when big things are messed-up. In fact, they then think it’s good to point-out how the little things are good. It’s like that old-saying about rearranging the deck chairs while the Titanic is sinking.
We see these attitudes everywhere. Of course. The problem is if leaders think like this … or take the advice of these types of people.
These people are usually not villains … but their lack of understanding priorities can ruin a business or a school or a city or a country.
You see it in a golf swing all the time.
Around 30 years ago … a woman came into the shop demanding someone fix her swing. I offered to help. While walking to the range, she explained that she was on the rise at her corporation and they wanted her to play golf, so they had sent her to a famous golf school in AZ for 2 weeks. And … she was struggling with her swing.
So, I asked her to hit three shots with her 8-iron at the 100-yard sign. She did … but it probably took an hour … you’ve never seen such a pre-shot routine. However, every shot went about 15 feet to the right.
Hmmmm. I then said, “You think that the golf swing is a series of steps - A,B,C,D,E,F,G - and that my role is to identify which step needs to be fixed, and then your swing will be fixed, and you’ll hit great shots." She replied with arms-crossed, “Of course!”
Then I said … “What if I told you that none of that stuff matters?” And I asked for her 8-iron and said that I was going to hit it at the 150 sign. And … I was standing sideways to the ball - fully facing the target. And then I asked, “What would they say about this stance at your school?” She said that it was ridiculous. I then got lucky and hit the sign. Then I reversed and set-up with my back facing the target. And another good shot. And then put the ball far away so I really reach … and then another almost off my toes. And fortunately hit good shots every time.
She then proclaimed, “Those are trick shots!” And I replied, “So what? They work.” And then I held her club and pointed at the club-face and said, "You don’t know where that is with your swing. That's what you need to work on.”
She was not pleased. In fact, she stormed away.
However … and this is very cool … she came back a year later and said that she gets-it. I told her that I wasn’t trying to be a jerk … but I could see that she was so brain-washed that I had to be extreme.
There is hope! I believe that most people want to know how things work and don’t really want to be appeased when they have it wrong.
It’s good to be home!
Cheers!
Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com
Cycles
Cycles
Greetings Golfers,
I just read a fascinating article by Andrew Wood … Here's how it starts:
“Every industry loves to believe its growth is permanent. It is one of the most dangerous human tendencies in business. When success arrives, it rarely feels temporary. It feels earned. It feels justified. It feels structural. And in the golf industry right now, that feeling is everywhere.
And if you study the history of the game from an operator’s perspective and not a marketing perspective, a far more complicated pattern begins to emerge.
Because golf does not simply grow.
Golf cycles.”
I agree.
Have you heard about the book “The Fourth Turning” by Kraus and Howe? Its theory is that America cycles every 80 - 100 years ... like a long-lived person. And that America basically goes through the same process as a person from birth to death.
Again … I agree.
I am not a believer in the “Whig theory of history” … a 19th-century British philosophy that mankind is on a linear, progressive march to Utopia.
World War I greatly shook that theory. However, it’s still deeply ingrained in our society.
That Utopian dream goes against nature and reality. It can sound good … but living in la-la land is not good … reality always wins.
I think it’s the same as perfectionism. I love the saying “Perfect is the enemy of good."
Good is a great goal. It’s achievable and is obviously "good." Perfection is not achievable, and its pursuit causes more problems than what it achieves.
Many years ago when my role was golf Pro and not GM … I worked for a GM who one day pointed to his watch and said, “I’m going to get this place to run like a Swiss watch.” I replied, “If that’s your goal, you’re going to wind up in a mental institution and wreck this place. Our goal should be flexible enough to deal with the reality of weather and human beings.”
He just sneered. He was a bright man … he of course, let you know that he was a member of Mensa and a Fulbright scholar … which is impressive … but that doesn’t mean he’s smarter than reality. His arrogance was mind-boggling. He had the prime parking place in the lot with a giant sign saying it was reserved for him.
The 19th-century Whig Brits had that same type of arrogance. Have they attained Utopia? Let’s ask Prince Andrew.
Let’s get back to golf. Golf right now is hot. I love it. And I hope it lasts. How long? I don’t know. But I’m not going to go crazy and do crazy things as an operator because I think we’re on a rocket ship. I want us to keep improving … but in a manageable way.
Not like a British Whig.
Cheers!
Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com
You’ll Like It
You'll Like It
Greetings Golfers,
Let’s talk golf swing.
The point of the swing is to control the ball. Sounds obvious … but too many people believe that making a good swing automatically hits the ball to your target.
That’d be like thinking if you make a good throwing motion that the ball would automatically go to your target. No. You can throw overhand, underhand, side-arm, softly, hard, standing on one foot, not facing your target, etc … and still hit your target if you’re in control of throwing a ball with your hand.
Same with the golf swing. You can swing flat, upright, long, short, fast, slow, off your knees, etc … if you can control the golf club with your hands.
And the most important part of controlling the golf club is making contact. You can make a beautiful swing and whiff. Contact is the game.
We all know people with ugly swings who can play pretty well. They are good at making contact.
I think the secret to making good contact is to have your hands in front of the ball at contact. Too many people try to flip the club at the ball to get it airborne. The loft on the club takes care of that. Flipping the club at the ball results in bad contact.
You can have a great set-up and make a good swing, but if you flip your hands, you won’t be a good player. You won’t be in control of the ball.
So … if good contact is having your hands in front of the ball … you should learn this skill with chipping. Hit millions of chip shots with your hands in front at impact.
Here’s another secret. When you set up for the chip shot … close the club-face. Why, you ask? Because when you hit the ball with your hands in front of the ball … the club-face will be open. Just try it, and you’ll see.
Obviously, you have to play around with this to get the right amount. This is called "trapping." I’m a big believer in trapping the golf ball. You’ll get much more solid contact … and you won’t lose it left or right … it keeps your shorts really straight.
I trapped the ball most of my life. But when I got old and lost a lot of distance … I stopped trapping and tried to have a big release to get more distance. So I would open my club-face at setup and open it even more on the backswing … and then try to whip-it shut on the downswing.
It’s a fun to try … but I don’t recommend it as your normal golf swing. The timing of it is not easy … and it screws-up contact. If you like hitting wild shots … with poor contact … it might be for you.
When I got smart and moved-up to the senior tees … I went back to trapping and can play golf again.
Remember that Alka-Seltzer ad “Try it - you’ll like it”? Or the Men’s Warehouse ad “I guarantee it”? Or the Life cereal ad with Mikey “He likes it, he likes it”?
Well, you will too.
Cheers!
Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com
Living With Each Other
Living With Each Other
Greetings Golfers,
Wow! A lot is going on! Protests in Minneapolis … Epstein Files explode … crazy Super Bowl Halftime show … and an extra-hole playoff at the Phoenix Open.
I’m going to start with golf. First off … how good is Scottie Scheffler???? He’s 10 shots off the lead after the first round … and winds-up losing by one shot. Talent, skill, heart, and grit. Very cool.
I like Hideki Matsuyama … and he’s an amazing player … but I watched the last two rounds, and I don’t think I saw him hit a fairway. Seriously. And then to hit his tee shot into the water on the playoff hole was unbelievable. And yet … I thought he still might make par. He’d played like that all week. You can’t underestimate the value of a great short game. Get working on your short game!
The young guy who won - Chris Gutterup - is a big, strong guy … but what he can really do well is putt. Wasn’t surprised that he made that longish putt to win in the playoff. He putted like that all week.
We all overlook putting and chipping. We think we have to hit it like Scottie Scheffler. That’d be nice … but not very realistic. Scottie has it all … that’s why he’s #1 in the world. You have a much better chance to chip and putt like Scottie than to hit the ball like he does. SHORT GAME!!!!
I enjoy the Phoenix Open … I guess they call it the Waste Management Open. Ok. But I went to ASU in the ‘70s and it was the Phoenix Open played at the Phoenix Country Club. One time while watching it on tv … I talked my grandpa into going over there and watching the last few holes. I knew where to park so we could walk through a neighbor’s yard and watch Crenshaw wrap-it-up for the win. Think about that compared to what it is now. Mind-boggling!
So … the Phoenix Open is more of a party than it used to be. Is it still a golf tournament? Yes. Would I want the PGA Tour to be like that every week? No. Do I like bland, generic golf tournaments? No. I love the Masters … and the US Open … and the British Open. The other Major - the PGA - not so much. It’s bland and doesn’t seem to know what it is. The new PGA guy - Terry Clark - needs to work on that too.
Did I watch the Super Bowl? Yeah. Did I love it? No. Do I like all of the hype? No. I actually like football.
I watched the playoffs and wasn’t impressed with them either. Very often at the end of the half or at the end of the game … you knew that the QB was going to throw to his favorite receiver … and often he was wide open. Huh??? They’re so hung-up on their formations that they overlook the basics. Football is not just Xs and Os … it’s matchups. But in our “modern” technical world … we overlook people. That’s become pretty obvious watching professional sports.
So … here’s where we’re at. Is the Phoenix Open trying to appeal to everyone or just hard-core golf fans? Is the Super Bowl trying to appeal to everyone or just hard-core football fans?
I think most of us want an inclusive world … but does that mean by trying to be everything to everyone that there’s no room for purists?
I’m serious … I think this is what is going on and has everyone so riled-up. Not just about sports … but everything. Public schools … charter schools … private schools. Open borders … closed borders.
Obviously I can go on and on.
I think it’s a constant push-pull. That’s the reality of living with each other.
I think respect is at the heart of this. We can disagree with each other … and want different things … but we have to be respectful.
Cheers!
Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com
Perspective
Perspective
Greetings Golfers,
Well … the PGA of America has a new CEO from Minnesota named Terry Clark (not my sister-in-law Teri Clark).
I don’t know this fellow … but I know a bunch of people who do … and they say that he’s a great guy. He is/was the Chief Marketing Officer at United Health … so he knows the corporate game. Is that what we need? And I say “we” as a member of the PGA. Not the PGA Tour … the PGA of America … two different cats … though at one time shared the same body.
Obviously the mess at the Ryder Cup gave the PGA of America a black eye. Can marketing fix that? I think it goes deeper than that.
Bottom line: Does the organization of the PGA of America care more about themselves than its members?
Hmmmmmmm ………..
Mickey Lolich just died at age 85. Do you remember the ’68 World Series? He won and pitched three complete games for the Detroit Tigers. And hit a home run.
And … he’s not in the MLB Hall of Fame.
Huh …………??????
Obviously I see problems/mistakes/issues out there … but that doesn’t mean I’m pessimistic.
Here’s a thought … if all you can see is crap out there, maybe your head is up-your-butt.
Sometimes, familiarity breeds contempt. Obviously, a famous saying … but true. And people can fall in a rut, and then everything seems bad.
My back is finally ok and I played golf the other day. I really appreciated it! I sure didn’t take it for granted!
I think that “familiarity breeds contempt” can happen with golf clubs. It happens to me with putters. Very often I putt great with a fresh putter. And very often I putt terrible using the same old putter.
Obviously, it’s not really the putter … it’s me.
But the fresh putter seems to wake-me-up. If I get too comfortable … I can’t putt. I usually putt my best with my sand wedge. Seriously.
However, I’m better with other clubs that feel like old-friends … especially my driver and sand wedge.
Now I’m trouble … not really sure what that means.
Let’s see … maybe we need to not get stuck in a rut … but also need things we can rely on.
See … golf is the secret to mental health!
Cheers!
Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com
To Choose or Not To Choose
To Choose or Not To Choose
Greetings Golfers,
I just got an email saying, “Be a part of something bigger than you.”
And … I respect that … and I think it’s important for personal and societal health.
However, I’m always afraid of the hive mentality. It’s basically the same as mob mentality.
But, a lot of the people who run things don’t want people using their heads … they just want conformity.
Have you ever heard of “the father of modern worker efficiency” Frederick Winslow Taylor?
An American mechanical engineer, Taylor pioneered the Scientific Management movement (often called Taylorism) in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
For example, Taylor used stopwatches to break down every manual task into its smallest components, timing each to eliminate wasted movements.
His book, The Principles of Scientific Management, was the voted the most important business book of the 20th century. Though … critics viewed him as a slave driver who dehumanized workers by treating them as interchangeable cogs in a machine.
Yesterday morning, one of my sons sent me a fascinating Tony Robbins interview. It was about how you have to use more than your brain … that you have to be motivated by your heart. And that you have to keep growing no matter how successful you become.
That same son is here visiting … and just came back from a local sandwich shop … which he said has become standard anywhere in America. He wasn’t talking about a chain restaurant … rather a small locally owned place … but it didn’t feel unique to Beaufort.
Over my 20 years here in Beaufort, it has drastically lost its unique look and feel and atmosphere.
I hear so many people say how they love “diversity” … but I’ve noticed what they really love is “uniformity”. Their love of diversity is to make all diverse people and places the same.
I don’t think this is progress.
I don’t like the one-size-fits-all robotic golf swing.
I don’t like every town looking the same.
I like genuine diversity.
I like options … instead of everything trying to be everything to everyone.
As we “advance” into this modern world … I think this is the real challenge.
Do we want a world made up of unique people and places? … or a giant hive world?
It’s that simple.
Cheers!
Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com
Golf’s Evolution
Golf's Evolution
Greetings Golfers,
I’m writing this late Wednesday night … after the first day of the PGA Show in Orlando.
The place is packed. I’ve never seen it so busy … and with so many people. Golf is not fading away.
What stands-out? That’s easy … how casual it is. We used to wear ties and sport coats and leather dress shoes … the shoe-shine guys were overwhelmed … now they’d starve.
But not casual in sloppy, disrespectful way. People are still well-dressed and respectful … and maybe even friendlier than in the old days.
Golf has been evolving by relating to different segments of society. The trick has been how to change … and progress … but not lose what is good.
The other day while waiting in the Savannah airport to pick-up family flying in from Minnesota … I bought the latest Harvard Business Review magazine. The lead story caught my eye - “Rethinking Nonstop Transformation.” The subheading said it well, “Real progress comes from steady adaptation, not endless upheaval.”
Yes!!!
I couldn’t agree more!
That concept is vital. But … we think that everything constantly needs improvement. Really? How about Rory McIlroy’s golf swing? Or what Tiger went through? How about Jordan Spieth?
Or … remember when Coca-Cola blew-up regular Coke and tried to make it taste like Pepsi? And almost sunk the company and had to save themselves by returning as “Classic Coke”?
It’s that old saying of not “throwing the baby out with the bath water.”
You have to know when to start focusing your energy on what you’ve developed … and making sure that it get stronger. Always changing doesn’t let things really settle in and get strong.
It’s easy to be a revolutionary. It’s hard to make things better … and to know when to fine-tune.
I think that golf is in a good place. I think it’s evolving and fine-tuning. It doesn’t need to be in a revolutionary phase. And it’s not.
Do you remember Shawn Phillips? He explains it pretty well in this old song.
Cheers!
Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com
Trust Your Gut
Trust Your Gut
Greetings Golfers,
So, two hundred years ago, one of my favorite writers said “Sit down to write what you have thought, and not to think about what you shall write.”
Ok … you’ve been warned.
Last week, Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead died. Though I wasn’t a huge fan of the Dead … I really enjoyed this song … and Weir’s singing is what makes it work. You’ll get a kick out of the lyrics.
John Phillips of the Mamas and the Papas wrote it … supposedly on the spot in a drunken stupor with Judy Collins, Steven Stills, and Neil Young … and didn’t remember writing it.
Talk about an example of not thinking about what you shall write!
I think sometimes this attitude is good for playing golf. I don’t mean to be reckless or sloppy … I just mean to trust your gut.
Here’s a great story about a guy who trusted his gut … and could really play before he crashed and burned with physical problems. And it looks like he’s making a comeback. This is a really great story - enjoy!
Next week I’ll be at the PGA Show in Orlando. One of my favorite weeks of the year. Hopefully I’ll have some good stories.
Cheers!
Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com
Mad Men
Greetings Golfers,
Hope you’re enjoying the New Year. I’m not … though we made it to SC safe & sound … I thought I was still young and lifted a million pound box … yeah … I’m on the couch and can’t move. Or even think … so … I’m using a column that I wrote in the May, 2015 edition of Tee Times Magazine. It’s about the TV show Mad Men … hope you enjoy it.
Mad Men
This month is the end of the TV series “Madmen”. I love this new style of TV series, started many years ago by the “Sopranos”. Most television shows portray life as la-la land – all of the characters are good-looking, live in beautiful homes, and never seem to work. The reasoning is that people have enough “reality” in their own lives and want to watch fantasy. Fair enough. But some of us like pulling back the veil and seeing how things really work.
Would I like to watch a real show about golf? Yes! Not a “reality” show… we already have that with the “Big Break”. I mean a fictional series about golf – either the Tour or a Golf Club – that accurately portrays the people and the factors behind the scene. Hopefully someone can do it and do it right.
“Madmen” is about the admen on Madison Avenue from 1960 to 1970. The main character – Don Draper – is a classic 1950s NYC guy dressed in dark suits and doing business over 3 martini lunches. Over 8 seasons, Draper builds an ad agency, gets married and divorced twice, and tries to influence the buying habits of Americans.
The series does a great job of showing how America changed from the Frank Sinatra generation to the Beatles generation. Don’s second wife moved to California – so did the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Giants. During those years, so did the TV show “My Three Sons” and the Johnny Carson Tonight Show.
But Don Draper couldn’t make the transition and stayed in New York. And not just physically – Don didn’t change his style and didn’t change his worldview. While the Woodstock generation was rejecting the values of post WWII America, Draper was holding on.
What was happening to golf during those years? Well, I have a photo from the 1964 Masters of Ben Hogan and Arnold Palmer wearing alpaca cardigan sweaters and smoking cigarettes. The men in the gallery are wearing coats, ties, and hats. Six years later, Palmer and Nicklaus are wearing pastel shirts, white shoes and belts, and have long hair.
Every generation wants to make its own mark and thus rebels against the previous generation. But Palmer and Nicklaus weren’t really members of the Woodstock generation – so what happened? Because the Baby Boomers were such a huge generation, their sheer size dominated a market economy and a democracy. Companies had to appeal to the youngsters… and so did politicians. Madison Avenue admen like Don Draper couldn’t make the adjustment. But the PGA Tour did. So did pro football – the AFL came along as the renegade league and challenged the old-school NFL. Then, when Joe Namath’s New York Jets beat the NFL’s Baltimore Colts in the Super Bowl, the two leagues merged. The white-shoed Oakland A’s baseball team won the World Series, and their owner (Charlie Finley) brought the designated hitter to the American League. As Bob Dylan sang – “The times they were a’changing”.
Those were crazy times. I’m surprised at how little has been done in movies and television about those years. Maybe we need more time to understand it and put it in perspective.
Arnold Palmer really brought golf to the masses. But Arnie was much more of a Frank Sinatra guy than a Beatles guy. Arnie was sort of a Don Draper. Golf didn’t have a Woodstock type of guy – Jack Nicklaus with long hair wasn’t the ticket. Tennis filled the vacuum with guys like Jimmy Connors, John McEnroe, and Bjorn Bjorg.
Then Baby Boomers got too old for tennis – at least they thought so … and took up golf. That’s why tennis fell off the map – seriously. So the Boomers took up golf but didn’t fill up the country clubs – that was their parent’s scene.
So how would those Madison Avenue admen sell golf nowadays?What would Don Draper do? How to sell golf to the Woodstock generation and their kids? Pretty tricky stuff. Is it foot golf? Or those surfboard looking things to use instead of a golf cart?
I think golf transcends all generations and styles. The game of golf is timeless – not a fad. Obviously, golf courses have to cater to changing styles and fashions. But I believe that the best remedy is to keep improving the golf experience. Instruction needs to improve. The concept of the golf swing has become too complicated. Golf course
design has to improve. Many golf courses that were built over the last 40 years are ridiculous. The rules of golf need to be simplified. Pace of play needs to improve – a round of golf shouldn’t be a race, but it shouldn’t be a death-march… a 4-hour round should be typical.
Golf is a great game. Don Draper’s life was a mess. He needed to play golf.
Cheers!
Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com
Happy New Year
Happy New Year
Greetings Golfers,
Every year, most of us look forward to a new year - a new beginning (some years more than others!).
And New Year resolutions have become as normal to the New Year as Christmas presents are to Christmas.
Probably the most typical resolutions are about health: losing weight, getting in shape, etc.
Being golfers, we need to do those things … and improve our golf game. We can always improve our chipping and putting. And, improve our golf swing. But just improving our golf swing won’t make up for not improving our health and short-game.
We need to do it all.
That wasn’t meant to sound overwhelming … it’s just the truth. We can do it … but, I recommend baby steps … not leaps. Every day, eat better (and less) … do some exercises … go for a walk. You’re not Rocky preparing to fight Apollo Creed … you’re just trying to improve.
We all want to hear what we want to hear. Thus … we’re vulnerable to quick fixes, magic pills, shortcuts, etc. But hearing what you want to hear isn’t always good.
Well, I have no agenda. I’m not running for office or selling a video of how to be a scratch player in one week. I’m just recommending being the tortoise instead of the hare.
It will be a good year … step-by-step.
Cheers!
Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com
Dealing With It
Dealing With It
Greetings Golfers,
Isn’t life about how you deal with it?
Lately, driving on icy MN roads has been mind-boggling! People just look at the speed-limit sign and drive that speed … with no consideration of the conditions. That’s like looking at the yardage on a range-finder and not factoring the conditions.
Huh.
But hitting the wrong golf shot isn’t nearly as dangerous as driving the wrong speed on an icy road.
I think it’s just not wanting to face reality. Ever hear that saying “Ignorance is bliss”? Well … reality always wins. I find that ignorance makes me anxious and that finding the truth is bliss.
We have logic … and we have feel. Why not use them both?
Is just looking at a sign or info on a machine all that is needed to navigate life?
I also think relates to manners. Manners is about being considerate of others. Driving safely is about being considerate … which means facing reality.
Little things like opening doors for people is being considerate. The other day when I went to church, while holding a bag of groceries for the food drive … I held open the door for the couple behind me. There is another set of doors right there, and usually in that situation, they hold open the door in return. No … this time she bolted through, and it looked like he would hold open the door … but … no … he changed his mind and let the door shut on me.
This is all the same. Not valuing how you deal with life … but just valuing getting to where you want to go … no matter what. Even at church.
If the point of life is to just get to where you want to go … then why not be a criminal? Or, is the point of life about how you do it while trying to get there?
Well … we’re looking at a new year … 2026. Let’s get to where we want to go … and feel good about how we get there. Maybe take a lesson from the Par Patrol.
Cheers!
Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com
What is Unseen
What Is Unseen
Greetings Golfers,
One of my all-time favorite books is “That Which Is Seen, and That Which Is Not Seen” by Frederic Bastiat. Though Bastiat wrote his treatise on economics, the premise applies to understanding anything.
As we grow up, hopefully, we learn from experience. But, too often, we only learn the immediate result - we don’t see the other results of our actions. Usually, our actions have unintended consequences. Thus, we need to develop foresight to become aware of the consequences of our actions.
Usually, the quick fix doesn’t solve the problem because it doesn’t get to the root of the problem. Obviously, if you’re bleeding, you need a band-aid - but, band-aids are usually only temporary fixes.
You get the point ... you don’t need me to belabor how short-sightedness hurts our health, our relationships, our businesses, our economy, etc.
What blows my mind is that Bastiat wrote this book in 1840, and it seems that we still haven’t learned this basic lesson. Maybe it’s because our lives are so short that society doesn’t learn mature lessons.
Ironically, as we become more modern and “advanced”, we want immediate gratification. A fast-paced consumer society can easily become shallow and short-sighted. But a communistic society is based on “materialism” - I mean the Marxist definition of materialism - that life is only what you see (matter) and not spiritual.
I believe that the lack of spirituality is at the root of the problem. If humans do not believe that life is more than it seems ... their view of life has to be pretty superficial. The depth of life is what gives it meaning, what makes it make sense - it is “that which is unseen”.
The beauty of the Christmas season is wonderful - enjoy it. But, especially treasure the beauty that underlies the visible world ... that’s what this Holiday Season is really about.
Merry Christmas,
Cheers!
Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com
What Matters
What Matters
Greetings Golfers,
Winter is a great time for reflection. And retirement can also be a great time for reflection.
So … here’s a great reflection. I saw it on LinkedIn … and posted by Alan Ferebee - Director of Golf Operations at New Bern Golf & Country Club:
“With my retirement from the golf business only a few short weeks away, I have some unsolicited advice for the new PGA Professionals.
Everyone does customer service - do hospitality.
Build relationships - not just customers.
Always be attentive and in the moment.
You are a leader - lead by example.
Never stop learning, and never look back.
I will miss the people more than anything.”
How good was that????!!!!
I especially like 1 and 2.
Number 5 … I like “Never stop learning” … but I don’t like “Never look back”. Looking back is part of learning. I don’t mean getting stuck in the past … I mean looking and learning from the past … and applying to the present AND future.
As much as I like number 1 … I love number 2. And … I think number 1 is a natural result of number 2 … seeing people as relationships and not just customers.
We’re all so sick of the world just seeming transactional.
In my little town, we have 2 new restaurants … and they’re nailing it … because of hospitality. Especially the one owned/run by an older guy. He’s a character and really into it. His personality runs through everything - especially his staff. My granddaughter and I had lunch there a few days ago … he just came over and said hi … and it felt personal - not transactional.
Restaurants in both locations have consistently folded … because of a lack of hospitality.
Hospitality is not name-tags and scripts … hospitality is genuinely caring about people.
Isn’t the Christmas season all about hospitality? Or is it just about the stuff? We all know the difference.
Well … I’m not ready for retirement … though I have a plan in place. And my main concern is that our focus on hospitality and relationships continue.
Otherwise … what’s the point?
Though retiring, I hope that Alan Ferebee doesn’t abandon the golf world. We need more people like him who get it. I hope he had a good succession plan.
Cheers!
Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com
Bernhard Langer’s Sage Advice
Bernhard Langer's Sage Advice
Greetings Golfers,
Bernhard Langer is on the cover of the latest GOLF DIGEST magazine.
Langer flies under the radar. He was a great player on the Tour … but his success on the Champions Tour is mind-boggling. He’s won a record 47 tournaments since he turned 50 … and finished in the top five an incredible 156 times.
So when Bernhard wants to tell his secrets for old age success … I’m listening!
He advocates a narrow stance to eliminate sway and ease your turn. Makes sense to me. And he recommends turning your ahead away on the backswing, like Nicklaus used to do. Makes sense … if you can do it.
Then, on the downswing, he recommends more of an emphasis on trapping the ball and reducing the amount of spine tilt through impact. Basically, just letting your body move through the shot … it’s a lot easier on your back. And he recommends trying to create club speed with more emphasis on getting your forearms and wrists more involved in the strike … than emphasis on leg strength and hip rotation.
And he especially emphasizes to work on your short game. Get really good at chipping. You don’t have to be young to be a good chipper (Thank God!).
I think it’s wise advice … and not just for seniors. I think it's good for most people … maybe not for young Tour players … but most of us aren’t young Tour players.
Speaking of young people … remember how much fun it was to go sledding as a kid? Whether on sleds or toboggans or saucers … it was a gas. And we’re pretty understanding of that on the golf course. However, we need the kids to stay off the greens. Please help … we don’t need to start the season with screwed-up greens. The latest Tee Times Readers poll ranked us with the 3rd best greens. It’s VERY important.
And speaking of very important … tomorrow is our Sale. Open from
9-2. People show-up early. I arrive at 7am … and there’s always guys waiting in the parking lot. I hope the weather will be warmer than the -6 outside as I’m writing these words.
Well … no matter the temp outside … we’ll have fun inside. Even us seniors who are older than Bernhard Langer.
Cheers!
Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Greetings Golfers,
Hope you’re enjoying the Thanksgiving weekend … despite the change in weather. Winter is here.
So let’s talk about Thanksgiving. Though I believe we should be thankful just for living … this holiday was meant to be thankful for living in America.
President Lincoln proclaimed it in 1863 … and then in 1941, President Roosevelt enacted it into law. Both of those happened during wars - the Civil War and WWII.
Obviously, the Presidents were trying to keep the citizens thankful for being American during very stressful times.
But what is at the root of being thankful for being American? I think it’s the concept of ordered liberty.
Order without liberty is a nightmare. And liberty without order is also a nightmare.
The goal is a balance - ordered liberty.
However, I believe the key relies on personal responsibility.
Here’s an example: parking your car. You have the freedom to park so that you take up two spaces. But if that becomes normal … we’ll need a law that you can only park in one space - or get ticketed.
If people are going to use liberty to act like selfish jerks … then we need more order … and lose our liberty in the process. Which also feeds into control freaks who’d love to run everyone’s life.
I think Oliver Wendell Holmes said, “Your freedom to swing your fist ends where my nose begins.”
Most societies have been more weighted toward order than freedom. And then it goes too far, and they have a revolution.
Well … I don’t want chaos and anarchy and getting punched in the nose for no reason. And … I don’t want to be controlled like a slave.
As messed-up as America is … I’m thankful to be an American. The balance between order and freedom will never be perfect. It really depends on a society who believes in personal responsibility.
Which, as you know, is the basis of the game of golf. (You knew I had to get here!).
Cheers!
Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com
The Love of Golf
The Love of Golf
Greetings Golfers,
This time of year really flies. Normally, this week is Thanksgiving … that’s why I sent that Holiday Pass blog on Weds. In case you missed it … here’s the link to the Holiday Passes.
So next week is Thanksgiving … then the next week is the Sale … then it’s almost Christmas … then New Year … and then we have to start getting ready to open in March. It goes that fast!
An early opening is really good for golf courses … we have more daylight in the Spring than in the Fall. But some courses stay open late in the Fall. In fact, I played one on Saturday. I had so much fun, it was ridiculous.
I never do that. I forgot how much fun it is to just go out and play golf. This happened to be at a nearby public course that I’ve only played once - about 25 years ago as part of my high school reunion. Back then, I didn’t let it happen here because I didn’t want to throw drunks off the course who may have been old friends of mine. Now that we’re old … I host it here.
So … teed-off around 11:00 … temp in the 50s and sort of windy - but not bad. Played with two young guys and a middle-age guy … just a random pairing of local guys trying to get in a round of golf before Winter. We were very appreciative.
For the past 20 years, I’ve played golf during Jan. and Feb. in South Carolina. And I enjoy it. But this was different. This was home … with local guys at a local course. A lot of my rounds in SC are at courses on Hilton Head … kind of resorty and usually with vacationers. I do play every Monday with those local characters I’ve talked about … mostly retired Pros from New England … and it’s great. But just playing a random round with local MN guys was different … sort of like dropping-in at a local pub … it was just really fun and comfortable.
Golf comes in many flavors … and I like most of them. I need to get out more and see what’s going on. I feel guilty when I’m not here … and I genuinely look forward to coming in every day … but the place will probably survive if I take some time and play other courses. Not just at the sexy places … but also at the regular courses … as I said - like at the local pub.
How good is golf??? How lucky are we to play this game?????
Cheers!
Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com
Teed Off
Teed Off
Greetings Golfers,
Last week, people loved hearing Mike Harmon talk about building and running a golf club. One guy even said it was my best blog. Ouch.
But there are wise people whose thoughts about golf should be shared. So I’m doing it again. However, this writer - Ed Curtain - I’ve never met, but we’ve corresponded over the years … and he sent me this a few days ago. I love how he thinks … and I think you will too.
Here goes:
TEED OFF WHILE RELAXING
Sports only matter because they don’t. And because they don’t – are forms of play meant, most importantly, to be fun – they change depending on whether one is playing them or watching them being played. While both participants and observers can take the playing seriously, in today’s world the spectators, who vastly outnumber the players, tend toward fanatical seriousness. And the television corporations that present sporting events have become fanatical techno-scientific numbers crunchers, mathematizing every aspect of all the playful contests.
My son’s two dogs are growling and wrestling in the next room, jumping from couch to floor to couch, nipping and pinning each other in a joyful game of pure play. They are doing what humans do when they allow themselves to play for fun, even as it looks and sounds as serious as do the dogs to those who never met the dog in themselves. Playing sports is fun and irrational; it’s all dogs’ play, self-limited in time and place and leading nowhere. It is meaningless in its meaningful ways, especially when it isn’t fun.
Nevertheless, like many people and like my son’s dogs, Steve and Rex, I love sports and have spent a lifetime playing and following them. If you wish to call me shallow, that’s okay with me. I am shallow – some of the time. Which is good and suggests its opposite – depth at other times.
There are times to shoot hoops and times to jump through hoops, trying to grasp the meaning of life and the truths behind political and economic life. There is a time for everything under heaven, as some wag once said.
“It is only shallow people who do not judge by appearances. The true mystery of the world is the visible, not the invisible…. ” said Oscar Wilde, a witty Irishman.
I was reminded of this a while ago when I was watching a few minutes of the Ryder Cup golf tournament on television (sports being the only thing I watch on TV), when on the left side of the screen a blood pressure measuring gadget appeared.
Was it real? Surely I saw it; it was visible, but at first it seemed mysterious. I realize that much of what appears on the TV screen is only a screen image and not a reflection of the world beyond the screen, but I briefly wondered if I were hallucinating? But no, for the announcer chimed in that as the American golfer Justin Thomas was about to tee off, we were going to see his blood pressure monitored on the device. Which we did. It went up a slight bit and down again, not much variation, as those gadgets tend to do when attached to thirty-two-year-old athletes doing nothing more strenuous than swinging a stick. But the fact that this was being done startled me, although it should not have.
I was well aware that the socialization of technological medicine was well underway, but this bit of morbid, medicalized nonsense in the midst of a sporting event that was supposed to be a fun competition between a European and American team was a hypochondriac’s fantasy. I wondered if I kept watching would they soon be offering the sound of Rory McIlroy’s heartbeat as he stood over a putt or another golfer’s temperature fluctuations as he sweated out the flight of his ball over a water hazard. Was the whole world becoming a hospital?
It was, of course, an absurdity piled on absurdity. For only one devoid of any sense of humor would fail to realize the comical nature of men hitting little white balls down long grassy fields over and over again to try to get them into a hole in the ground. To try do this in less than seventy or so strikes on the ball and to celebrate it if they can. You might think the ball would be celebrating being struck less, not the ball’s abuser.
As the announcer spoke in his anticipatory hushed voice appropriate for a funeral home, church, or the hospital bedside of a dying person, I assumed Thomas was hooked up with a blood pressure gadget; that he was a willing participant in this further degradation of a sport that he seems to love and that has made him very wealthy.
But then I realized that the socialization of technological medicine was fully out of control and was about to make another leap into cultural life, a life where health has become an induced obsession where people and machines are becoming indistinguishable and one’s health is determined by numbers.
The analytics that dominate the world of sports, the posting of numbers for everything from the speed a ball leaves a baseball bat, a tennis ball a racket, and in golf the speed, height, curve, apex, carry, and launch angle when a ball is driven – all these are part of a larger mathematization and medicalization of society at large.
The rising and falling blood pressure numbers came and went and the golf tournament proceeded. Thomas survived his barely elevated blood pressure and walked after his little white ball. I turned off the television and went outside to find some wild beast to wrestle for fun.
As the etymology of the word sport attests (from old French, desporter to divert, literally “to carry away”), sports are a diversion from something. Let’s call it “real life,” the place from where, as Ernest Hemingway so aptly put it in the title to his short story, “The Winner Takes Nothing.” Trophies are handed out after golf tournaments and at post-season dinners, but as the American philosopher William James said, “The skull will grin in at the banquet.”
Although sports can inspire one to think deeply, for most people, athletes and spectators alike, sports are a diversion from existential matters involving relationships, fears, politics, deep feelings, wars, life’s meaning, love and loss, death, etc. While surely fun, entertaining, and lucrative for professionals, sports are also absurd since they involve movements through time and space toward unnecessary and fictitious goals where someone wins (lives) and someone losses (dies) in a game of unreality. In sports, we play to overcome artificial and superfluous obstacles for fun and money – and for deeper reasons we may not realize.
To play for fun and to wonder about the meaning of fun are a lot of fun.
How good was that? I knew you’d like it. Next week, I’m sending out a blog on Weds about the Holiday Passes. And then on Friday, I’m sending out my usual type of blog written by me … get ready!
Cheers!
Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com
Leadership
Leadership
Greetings Golfers,
Election week got me thinking about leadership. And, talked to a young Pro about succession … I’m not as young as you think I am (just kidding).
Now it gets weird. While looking up this young man on the internet … an article popped-up about one of my favorite people on the planet. It’s an interview with Mike Harmon - the now retired Pro at Secession GC in Beaufort, SC.
The interview is so good that I’m just going put it right here. It’s mostly about leadership. Mike and I used to talk about this stuff all the time. You can’t believe how insightful he is. Enjoy!
Honoring Timeless Traditions
Q&A with Mike Harmon, Secession Golf Club’s former Director of Golf
I recently sat down for a virtual Q&A session with Mike Harmon, former Director of Golf at the acclaimed Secession Golf Club in Beaufort, South Carolina. Mike was in charge at the storied clubhouse for more than 30 years, building a unique culture that has matured into a model of success and vintage refinement.
Mike was a golfer on the PGA Tour in the early 1980s before transitioning into the club business. That shift, in his early thirties in 1986, enabled Mike to blend his deep knowledge of golf with his knack for membership ideal that thrives on authentic camaraderie.
With about 825 members, Secession Golf Club is a premier, old-fashioned, invite-only club with a mandatory walking policy on the Lowcountry-style course that features breathtaking views of the tidal marshes of South Carolina.
I asked Mike about how his experience creating the culture at Secession Golf Club offers valuable lessons in the broader business world.
Question 1: You’ve said before that the secret to success at Secession Golf Club is its understated elegance and simplicity. This seems to gratify your members because the club delivers on the promise of its experience. When companies search for an identity, how important is it to know what type of talent and mindset you’re trying to attract?
Mike Harmon: With regards to the “type of talent and mindset you’re trying to attract” and its role in the success of any business venture, it’s absolutely paramount that a company knows what it “is” and who best qualifies to do business with you. It is, perhaps, more important than the product itself!
At Secession Golf Club, we set out from day one to identify a person with a high golf IQ – one who understood the game of golf and its many traditions. We wanted someone who understood and appreciated the simplicity of the old great clubs of the U.K. and U.S.; not someone that needed all the fluff and puff that many American clubs offer today.
We were about golf in its purest form, walking only with caddies, a beautiful setting untouched by real estate, understated amenities and, most importantly, a membership that was affordable for all ranges of golfers who wanted such a unique experience.
In the world of golf, most great clubs are financially out of reach for the average player, and inevitably, take on an ambiance of refinery, service beyond measure and, in the end, feel a bit stuffy. We set out to keep Secession affordable and simple, yet unparalleled in its presence and comfort.
The Bruce Devlin course is easily in the top 200 of U.S. rankings. The conditions of the course are always exquisite and our accommodations, while perfectly simple, are not the offerings of the “Ritz” or its counterparts – because it doesn’t have to be. They are classically understated, comfortable and perfect for the simple environment we sell.
Our food selections are contained on a one-page menu – most of which have been there for decades. It features local specialties our members and guests return for each and every season. As I’ve said many times, the member knows what he is going to eat here for three days prior to arriving at the Club. All very simple, and I might add profitable!
Each of these components are sold to the potential member as part of the uniqueness of Secession, and since all are invited by other Members, they are well aware of our structure and most likely, have had the opportunity to visit a few times. They either like that or not. And for those that don’t, I politely say to them that this really isn’t for you and suggest other clubs in the area that might appeal to their particular needs.
I remember talking to a gentleman from Augusta, GA, who knew several Members. Augusta is a great golf town, and after discussing the Club, the costs and such, he said to me, “there is no way you can be that special on those numbers!” At the moment I knew he was not what we were looking for and politely ended the conversation.
My two original general partners, Tim Moss and Bob Walton, once told me, “if you sense that the guy isn’t right, he more than likely won’t be and will become a real headache if he does, in fact, join. Follow your instincts!”
$60-70 million in membership sales backed that theory up. We have held to our earliest structure and convictions, remaining steadfast to our ideals in a world that is all about compromise. That is why it worked: comfort, simplicity and affordability.
Question 2: Mentoring played a crucial role in your entry into the club business. When you retired from pro golf, you were briefly an outside cart attendant at Palmetto Dunes before making the leap into business, with help from your mentors. What role have mentorship and service played in sustaining and growing the reputation of Secession Golf Club?
Mike Harmon: Mentorship has served me immensely my entire life! The best mentor I ever had was also my best friend – my Dad. He guided me in so many ways, not with a heavy hand, but with a kind and gentle approach that kept us close until the day he passed away. He never imposed, but brought the consequences of my decisions into view, something devoid in a large part of society today.
When I was struggling to decide whether to play college baseball or golf, he said “you can play baseball, if you’re lucky, till you’re about 30, you can play competitive golf for the rest of your life!” I made that decision in 10 seconds, and what a life it has brought me!
I think a good mentor lays out all the facts from his sage position, then never intrudes into the conversation or decision after that: it must be individual who decides, for they are his consequences, his life.
Also helping in my development through life were several wonderful friends, surrogate dads if you will: Jim Gunter, my golf instructor; Charlie Drawdy, a dear friend and early founding member at the club; and my PGA mentor, Tim Moss, who hired me out of Palmetto Dunes (ultimately became one of the Original General Partners at Secession GC) and who a year or so later, hired me to handle the Golf Operations and Membership Sales at SGC; and of course, the late and great Ernie Ransome, Chairman of Pine Valley whose direction and input into this fledgling club gave it all the momentum it needed to get where it sits today. He taught me so much about the “runnings” of a national golf club!
Because of this great help and advice received in my early professional career, I made it my goal to do the same with the young men and women under my leadership from then on. I have expressed to my employees, in countless “learning moments,” little details about our business – not only operationally, but personally and politically, and how best to navigate the treacherous waters that pervade our business.
Golf is a magnificent game, perhaps the finest of all sports, but it is not a very good business. Only a select few succeed and an even smaller number reach greatness. As Director of Golf at Secession Golf Club, we had almost 20 assistants go on to wonderful head professional jobs throughout the country, and their performances delight me and make me very proud. We stay in contact regularly and I still get asked for advice, just as I ask them for advice!
In the same vein, my door and phone have always been open to help other PGA professionals, golf course superintendents and caddies. It has been an honor to have this platform and I wear a gorgeous ring symbolic of the National PGA Award for Mentoring, the Bill Strausbaugh Award, given each year to honor those who have taken the lead in mentoring young professionals.
What an honor it was! We have also had a junior outreach throughout the community of Beaufort S.C., the hometown of Secession Golf Club. It’s a program I started 20 years ago for local kids who showed extraordinary talent to play our game. This program, called the “Academy Program,” has resulted in the advancement of many young kids and their games, not to mention two South Carolina State Junior Champions, one of which has moved onto the PGA Tour and remains there today. This outreach is simply a way for our club to give something back to our community and it has been a real blessing for so many kids, as has our LeVeen-Roach 9-11 Scholarship Fund, set up in the two names after they perished on that fateful day in NYC. Most of the “Academy” kids participate in this program once they have matriculated to college, another great feature to being selected to the Academy Program.
So, I simply say, if you are in charge of people, you owe them honor, integrity, honesty, consideration, respect and mentorship, period! Without it, you are not a leader, regardless of what you might think.
Michael Kelly: Part of what has made your club such a gem in the golf world is the long view you have taken in “protecting what has worked very well,” you’ve said in the past. With so much pressure to innovate and evolve in the business world, what advice do you have for executives to stay true to the question of culture that ensures their longevity?
Mike Harmon: I have spent 33 years selling – not Secession, not the golf course, not the famed back porch, nor the beauty of the Low Country or the wonderful little town of Beaufort S.C., but where this magnificent club could be in 75 to 100 years.
It is a purely historical perspective. The game of golf is a very old game, with golfing exploits chronicled as far back as Danish sailors in the 1400s and Mary, Queen of Scotland, in the mid 1500s. Most clubs in the U.K. have been in association for well over 100 years (many 200) and I recently went to Dornoch Golf Club in the Highlands of Scotland to celebrate their 400th anniversary! Extraordinary!
So, while Secession Golf Club has certainly made its mark on the golfing world in three short decades (both in the U.S. and Internationally), we are far too young to “crow” about how special we are. I made sure that everyone who joined our wonderful place knew that the real goal was still 40-50 years distant, a day when, if the ideals of the club were protected by the decades of leaders to follow us, then their sons and daughters would see the true accomplishments of the dream our original founders envisioned. That goal was simple, that this club would be mentioned in the same breath as all the other great national/international clubs in the U.S., which are some of the finest clubs in the world.
That was the goal from day one and it remains the same goal today; to lead this club to its full maturity within the golf community, knowing full well that will take 75-100 years to accomplish! That one simple – well not so simple – baseline was the key to our success and we stuck to it.
We were not looking to make millions, we were not looking to be just successful – we were looking to be historic and that is very much alive today! As of July 2020, I have retired after more than three decades to enjoy a much quieter and peaceable life, but in departing, I leave the club on solid footing to ultimately reach that goal, but I won’t see it. None of the early founders or the original general partners will see it. We knew that right from the start, and most of the membership today will not see it, for it still sits 50-60 years away. But it’s within reach; the club is that special.
But as just mentioned, the club must be protected, it must retain the qualities that made it work for three decades, and in our world of luxury, we often take successes and turn them into failures, all in the name of elevating the experience.
Here is where Mr. Ransome, mentioned earlier, became so valuable. I will never, ever forget the day he told me, “Pro, the finest word in the English lexicon is also one of the shortest, NO!” Within the fabric of the word “no” is found structure, boundaries, limits, restraint, and without it, even great businesses will fail, as they become overextended in an effort to grow or elevate.
A true leader has to learn to say “no,” and we have done that well at Secession Golf Club. I just pray for the future generations of members that future leaders understand that word as well. Say “no” to valet service, “no” to stewards that help you with luggage, “no” to sushi and food stations on the course, “no” to 15,000 bottle wine cellars and all the other “unmentionable” items that complicate and undermine the success of a simple golf club.
That is what every leader here has done in over three decades of guidance and I truly believe it will continue for decades to come as the precedent has been set. Historic and the word “no”; a wonderful bedrock to lead any business.
Michael Kelly: Members at Secession Golf Club have included everyone from NFL owners to plumbers. What seems to unite them in their love for the club is its emphasis on standalone quality, an experience that needs no comparison. What is the sweet spot for uniting people of different backgrounds and socioeconomic statuses? What lessons can companies learn from the oasis of the golf club about how to connect human beings on such an elemental level?
Mike Harmon: Certainly, the time-honored traditions and camaraderie carry the day for us, but I have always believed that the sweet spot is the relatively low cost of Secession Golf Club.
It is attainable for everyone that is making a decent living and whom wants the wonderful, traditional offerings this club honors. The plumber, to use your example, can afford it, the billionaire writes the check because he simply wants to be here. He loves the vibe, the ethos. And soon the plumber meets an NFL team owner at the bar following a round, they mingle and chat, and those chats never have to do with “what you do.” Only “where are you from,” “how did you play today,” “how long have you been a member,” and “come outside and meet my guys.”
I personally could care less whether you got to Beaufort via your private jet, car or donkey – it all equals out once you get inside the gates, and that is not the case when you pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to join a club. That’s something else… I can guarantee that that’s something other than the simplicity of the game of golf.
The billionaire gets no benefit from writing a check to join Secession Golf Club – he simply wants to be there. And the guy that owns a small landscaping company, a deli or the plumber is infatuated with being a member of a national club like this. They blend perfectly.
I always took a great deal of satisfaction in NOT knowing what most of this membership did for a living, and, amazingly, it never came up! They were here to have a good time and everyone at the club made sure they had a good time. Period. No fluff, no puff, just golf at its best and all the simple pleasures that come with playing and staying here. This is a retreat, a place for most of these guys to get away from the world and hide for a bit. That’s all it was ever supposed to be – just like Pine Valley, Augusta and Cypress were supposed to be 100 years ago, and what they are even today, havens and sanctuaries. And by the way, they’re also feature some of the finest golf courses in the entire world!
As for a company finding this same niche, I would say take great care of your people, pay them well, treat them well, and LISTEN to them, it will come back to you in spades.
Obviously, whatever you are selling has to work in the ideas of the marketplace, but your employees are the key to it all. They are the frontline people – your frontline people – and if you isolate them, treat them coldly, then that same chill will resonate to your customers.
The vibe here is very reminiscent of Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland, where the Members of Parliament and roofers play and dine together united by one love, golf! In the work place, you must make their work a passionate part of their life; otherwise, you have people just punching a clock. The famed retailer Jack Mitchell wrote two of the finest books on sales I’ve ever read: “Hug Your Customer” and “Hug your People,”
It’s all about relationships and doing the little things right. That’s what makes great companies, men’s stores and golf clubs!
Michael Kelly: It’s a testament to your grace in the golf world that you’ve earned the moniker “Old Pro” among the members of your club. As an individual who carries the responsibility of fostering that positive culture and ensuring the fulfillment of your members, what advice do you have for business leaders who need to be “the guy” who sets the tone? Any examples of how you’ve made that mantle a point of pride?
Mike Harmon: Oh, so many points of pride. How about a thousand close friends worldwide! Can a man be any richer? I simply tried to serve this membership as best I could. I always had a hug, a smile and a cold beer with them at some point of their trip. I knew their families and probably spent a good bit of time with their kids. It was a family, a family built around the game of golf.
At the highest levels, the game of golf is a small world. Many of the same people move in the same places and as a fledgling club, Secession has stepped into that pantheon of great clubs over the last 35 years. It is not only a joy, but quite an honor for a young club.
I had a small part in that, fighting for it every day. And believe me, this was no pleasure cruise! I remember cleaning toilets in the office because we couldn’t afford to have someone come in and clean. True story! The place was padlocked in 1993 and about 6-8 of us stayed on in belief that it would work out. It did.
The devastation of 9-11 rocked our small club with over 125 resignations within 8-10 months. 08’-09’, wars, hurricanes. We’ve seen it all, but so have all the great clubs of the world. Augusta had to herd cattle on the course during WWII to get by. How are they doing? Mr. Jones, my idol, should be very proud! You just go in and fight every day. That’s why you have to have a team. To know that someone else is shouldering the load is huge. But I, nor any of the 800 members ever let go of the dream. We never lost faith in where we could be – both now and at 100 years old. And today, she’s an absolute beauty! To your leaders, do your best to create a “family” within the workplace. I just don’t see how that doesn’t bode well for the future!
Lastly leaders, protect your honor and your integrity; it can disappear in a heartbeat. It’s everything! I’ve tried my very best to walk in honor and integrity, doing it right! It’s not easy – in fact, it’s hard, and at times very lonely – but never lose that honor.
Hundreds, perhaps thousands look to you for a ray of light, a point of honor, and as the leader that mantle is a mainstay in the success of your business. Don’t give it away. It’s invaluable. My personal faith has always been the foundation of my life. It’s my guide and my rock, and with that at the center, I have been able to weather not only the storms at work, but multiple battles on the home front. I once heard a pastor say “Honor is the gift a man gives himself!”
How amazing was that????
I wish he’d run for office.
Cheers!
Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com
Halloween
Halloween
Greetings Golfers,
Here’s the AI Overview of Halloween:
“We celebrate Halloween because it has ancient pagan and Christian roots and has evolved into a modern secular holiday focused on costumes, candy, and spooky fun. The tradition began with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, which marked the end of the summer and the beginning of winter, a time when people believed the boundary between the living and the dead became blurred. To ward off spirits, they lit bonfires and wore costumes. Later, the Christian Church created All Saints' Day on November 1, and the night before became All Hallow’s Eve, which eventually became Halloween.”
I think it’s fun … and I love giving out candy. Fortunately, we live on a street in a little town that is packed on Halloween … I give out over 300 candy bars from 5-9pm … seriously. It’s hilarious!
However, the concept of the blurred boundary between the living and the dead is not hilarious and yet needs to be part of our awareness.
Just a few days ago … a close friend of future Nephew-In-Law lost a close friend at a wedding in the Dominican Republic. You might have heard of his passing - Cody “Beef” Franke. He was a Bar Stool Sports Golf Personality. Here’s a quick look at his life.
I never met him. But he sounds like he was a great guy. Though only 31 years old … he had a huge impact on the people around him. His love for golf was only overshadowed by his love for people. R.I.P.
The other night, I had a meeting with a man almost 3x Cody’s age. He’s one of my son’s neighbors and he’s had an amazing life. He immigrated to America in 1959 from India, and got a college degree in electrical engineering. Then went back home to get married … and then they came back and settled in Minnesota.
As much as he was into engineering (he told me he was known as the “problem solver”) … he was even more into his religion … he’s a Sikh.
Because Sikhism is only 5% in India … you can imagine its tiny size in America. He herded up Sikh organizations in Minnesota and built a Sikh temple.
Why am I telling you about him? Because it’s inspiring to learn about someone who has taken on life to the fullest. I was in awe listening to his stories. He’s very aware that he’s looking at the other side of life … and he wanted to share his story while he could.
It’s a shame the Cody “Beef” Franke couldn't live to the age of my son’s Sikh neighbor. But it seems like “Beef” had a wonderful life - short as it was.
Well, enjoy the fun of Halloween … but also take some time to reflect on the “other side” … and how fortunate we are to be on “this side.”
Cheers!
Tom Abts
GM/Head PGA Professional
tabts@deerrungolf.com