I’ve gushed plenty about Deer Run over the years and as I look back and wonder if I haven’t oversold its pristine playing conditions, or its best-in-class practice facility, its charming old-school meets contemporary clubhouse atmosphere and its second-to-none customer service experience. After a bit of thought the answer comes shouting back to me in capital letters – NO! The Deer Run Golf Club is the best all-around golfing experience you will have anywhere in the Twin Cities. Our annual Readers Poll will bear this out but to really let it sink in, jump in the car and head to Victoria. Tom Abts and his crew will be waiting with big smiles and will step up to take care of the rest.   

Tom is an ambassador for the game and its place in the world. He has opinions about the state-of-golf like we all do, fortunately for us he articulates them much better than most. To get on board with his weekly blog you can sign on for his golf and everyday-life musings through the Deer Run website. I highly recommend it, you will find a concise, well-thought-out perspective on broad range of topics related to our game and how the game relates to our lives. This email drops every Friday into your inbox. For a sample of his weekly conversations with himself go to the website and click on ‘Blog.’ How’s that for bringing wisdom, humor, and smarts to your doorstep?

I love the fact that all the bells and whistles are in place at Deer Run without the pretension. You know what I mean.  Sure, collared shirts are recommended and pace-of-play is on the radar throughout the round but look around, not a single element is out of place… routing, rakes, amenities, check-in, well-placed beverage carts, pre-round preparation, pro shop goodies, a focused menu, comfortable elbow room on the patio under a shade tree no-less and anything else you don’t notice outright but seems to fall into place like magic. Truth be told, it’s not magic, it’s care, it’s attention to the finer details, it’s a love of the game, it’s a deep understanding of what makes a golfer experience click. Why is the beer always the perfect temperature here? Answer: because someone cares.      

You’re here for the golf, so let’s talk signature holes and a course layout that keeps reminding you that risk/reward is a real thing. It starts at hole one where trimming the corner for a few yards isn’t likely to work out as well as you would like. Keep it center cut and par the dogleg. The short par 5 number 4 is another example of a deceptively clean look that can go bad, especially on a long second shot into the green. The pond on your right doesn’t hand your ball back to you. Be smart, don’t lose a stroke when a par or birdie is sitting there for the taking. Hole 7 is tough, no sugar coating it. A sweeping, downhill tee box that looks into a narrow abyss between two water hazards. Lay up too much and you have a long second shot into a table-top green. Bogey is just fine here. Hole 11 twists to the left at about the 200-yard landing spot. Trying to shave yards around the corner is not needed, the flat, somewhat forgiving green provides a great second shot target that yields putter results. Take the gift, don’t give it away. The par 4 15th hole is one of my favs. A perfect spot for right-handers to try out that DJ power fade. Here’s the issue, you will feel like the hulk on the tee box, over-grip and yank it into the water left, or open the swing and donate a ball into the neighborhood on the right. Best to keep a steady, controlled swing and put a little trust in your second shot. The par or birdie is there, you just must execute. Great hole. The par 4 17^th hole plays like a walk through a minefield (if you’re stubborn and think length equals birdie). It’s short but big hitters going for the green can easily fade or hook into OB and or the pond that hides on the left side. Subtle bunkers complicate your landing spot decisions, great risk-reward stuff here. The round finishes on hole 18 with the visual splendors of the repurposed former farmstead now a beautiful clubhouse backdrop as your swing target. Show-off a bit for those folks watching from the patio and arrive in two shots, then sink the eagle, tip your hat, take a bow and offer up a ‘thank you very much.’ You’ve capped the round in style.  

Tom might be watching you come in, he’s everywhere all at once. He may pat you on the back and offer to serve up a vintage brandy or ice-cold lemonade. He may offer to check next week’s tee-sheet to see if he can slip you in for another go at the course before you even ask. He will say thank you for coming out. It’s that kind of place. He’s that kind of man. He loves what he does, and that love is on full display at Deer Run.