JOHN TYSON - Digital Publishing Software | Page Turning Software

My TurnThe Blessings of GolfAs Told To Jim HarrisJohnTyson:About the same time Stephens Inc.chief executive officer Warren Stephenswas putting together his Alotian Clubin central Arkansas, another man withmeans in northwest Arkansas had asimilar idea for an exquisitely designed,exclusive, private course in his neck of thewoods.John Tyson, chairman of Tyson FoodsInc., wanted his golfing friends in the areato have a dynamic challenge but withgorgeous views and the meandering ClearCreek — literally in his backyard — inplay. In 2004 he unveiled Blessings, whichhas been ranked among the best coursesin the state.Talk about a challenge. College golfersand other outstanding players immediatelylabeled Blessings the hardest coursein the region from its tips, though Tysonsaid some tweaking over the past eightyears has softened it somewhat.Robert Trent Jones Jr. and his designteam accepted Tyson’s challenge to createa difficult test. Along with the course,Blessings was blessed with an award-winningclubhouse design by Marlon Blackwell,a University of Arkansas professor,which blended tradition with a modernapproach.Last year, Warren Stephens sat downwith Executive Golfer’s Jim Harris to discusshis love of golf and his motivationsfor building the Alotian Club. This year,Tyson agreed to take that seat oppositeHarris to discuss the what golf has meantto him, where the game has taken him,his creation of the acclaimed Blessingsin Johnson (between Fayetteville andSpringdale) and what he hopes to seefrom the game in Arkansas in comingyears.What follows are John Tyson’s views ongolf, in his own words:I actually started playing golf when Iwas 8 or 9, long before I went to work forthe company. At the time, Springdale hada little nine-hole course and it was prettymuch outside of town. You could put yourbag on your shoulder and have a senseof freedom. It’s probably why presidentsplayed golf; it’s gives them that little senseof getting away for a while.My dad didn’t play. He fished. I playedin college and I’d travel and play. It waswhere I’d go to be with my friends, myclose friends. We created some travel golftrips to Europe, which were very enjoyable.Life is not perfect and golf sure ain’tperfect. There are a lot of similarities. Justas soon as you think you get it right in life,you screw up, and just as soon as you getit right at golf, it goes bad. When you thinkyou have it, you don’t, but you still keepgoing back out there to get it right. That’swhy we do it.You think about what you’re goingto name a course as you’re building it.We talked about it coming along out ofthe creek with the birds and trees andthings, and we were just rambling alongand one day it felt like the good Lord justsaid, “You’re blessed. You’ve got so manyblessings. You’ve got the blessing of beingoutside, of being around your friends.” Itbecame very clear, a very apropos name.We had this land for a while. WhenI’d fly in an airplane over it, I’d think,“That looks like a nice piece of land tohave a golf course.” When you were firston the land, before there is a golf course,you could look around and there’s sixor eight holes right there. I always hadan interest in architecture and building,per se. I’d been thinking about building10 ARKANSAS BUSINESS EXECUTIVE GOLFER / 2013