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Month: October 2016

My Favorite Time of Day

October 30, 2016
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| Blog

I think I am pretty clever to use the driving range at night when it is less crowded. Unfortunately, there are a few folks who feel the same way. I have to put up with the same throng of people as I do during the day. Lately I have been feeling a little overburdened with some personal and work issues, and I need to unwind at night to stave off burnout. We all go through these phases. My friends and I often talk about what makes us feel this way and it takes the weight of worry off our shoulders. When you share experiences, you get suggestions for solutions or just suddenly come up with your own.

The range is beautiful at night in any case, whatever reason you choose this time to day for your round of golf. People who experience it for the first time get hooked. Sometimes I get home late and miss dinner if it had been planned for an early hour. Okay, I’m fine with reheated leftovers. I don’t play golf at night every night. It would be a discourtesy to my family. But as I mentioned, when I need a personal release, it becomes the perfect panacea. I sometimes ask friends or co-workers to join me, but in some cases I just like to be alone with my thoughts to unwind. It pays to have someone along to help you find your way back to your car if it is a dark light with not a trace of the moon. Usually the other person remembers better than I do where we left the car in the huge parking lot. I don’t relish the idea of walking around and around it before stumbling on my vehicle.

If I am alone, the best plan I have devised is to take a medical penlight with me to help me look at license plates so I can identify mine. It also helps illuminate the door lock so I can see better when I slip in the key. I was given this great penlight as a gift and love it because it is not big like a huge flashlight. Who would want to drag that around the driving range? A pen light has a lot of light if you get a good one. I love that it fits nicely in my shirt or pants pocket. Maybe someday the course will put in bright light bulbs in the parking lot, but so far it hasn’t happened. Then I can dispense with the pen light, but frankly I just like having it. It could get you out of some fixes. You never know. I like it so much that I don’t even mind putting it in my golf bag. It isn’t as easy to retrieve as from my pocket, but at least I know where it is and that it won’t fall out. So treat yourself to a medical (high-powered) pen light. I know of what I speak.

Posted in Blog

Saves me a Visit to the Pro Shop

October 17, 2016
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| Life

I am a busy man. I have my all day job at the golf course and then my responsibilities at home. I am a do it yourself kind of person so I enjoy spending weekends around the house and yard sprucing things up. There is always some landscaping task the lawn to mow. I like to plant seasonal flowers whenever I can. As a result of all my time-consuming efforts, the house looks great, in tip top condition. Where I draw the line is the car. I do not work on engines. The best I can offer is a good washing and chrome polishing now and then. My preferences clearly lie with the house. My wife makes a list of things to do in order of priority and I try to get them all done within a month’s time. Don’t feel sorry for me that I have all these tasks. I still have time for friends and family on weekends, especially at night. I take advantage of any free moments to entertain in my basement rec room. I have a giant plasma TV ideal for watching any ball games or golf tournaments. Those occur mostly in the day time so on those occasions, I take a breather from household chores. I like to do the shopping and run errands rather than sitting around the house. My home is indeed my castle. Installing a home theater makes it even more so. I more than enjoy a busy life. Work and play: that is the balance we all seek.

Having accomplished all of the items on my to do list, I then proceeded to work on removing the old and worn grips from my golf clubs. I have a home air compressor perfect to help me execute this job. Being able to do it myself saves me a trip to the pro shop. I don’t mind errands, but this is one I don’t need to do. I was able, with the help of the compressor, to do a pretty good job. The appearance of the clubs was certainly improved. I use the compressor for other tasks, and this was an odd one to be sure. These tools are a must for anyone with a workshop in the garage. You don’t have to have old golf clubs to require buying one. Remember they inflate tires.

There finally came a time when I had gotten so much done that I was practically idle. I must have been working at an accelerated pace for months. I was an eager beaver to prove I could handle any task, but it now leaves me with too much free time. I may have to build something like an outdoor pergola or kitchen on the terrace in the back yard. This will take at least a few months and will certainly occupy my mind and body. I might even pop over to the pro shop to see what is new.

Posted in Life

Just Doing my Duty

October 12, 2016
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| Strategy

Any Wildfire pro-am golf event is a major crowd pleaser and a local attraction of renown. It takes a committee of people dedicated to making sure that everything proceeds properly and there are no glitches. We have had people who failed to perform their duties in the past with disastrous results. So when a committee is formed, it better consist of reliable people. The event has to have publicity and press coverage. It has to start on time and all bases covered from start to finish. We also celebrate the top golfer of the day with a reception. Catering has to be organized and a location scouted out so that it is a pleasant experience. We do many events per year so we practically have a ready-made agenda. As long as experienced people are always included in the planning, nothing can go wrong. At least not anymore. There were times when things went haywire. I remember when we started doing brochures to promote the Wildfire pro-am and they fell apart. These were important elements in the publicity category and the consequences were felt far and wide. We had to scramble at the last minute to find other solutions. We ended up with one-page color flyers, which wasn’t a bad idea, but certainly not as nice as a brochure. Flyers can be a little cheesy and easily become overlooked.

So I was asked to be responsible for the brochures for our last pro-am and it was a job I would take seriously. To run a smoothly-operating organization, you give yourself a schedule to follow. I was anxious to order my paper, write the copy, and get ready for the printing, all far in advance. We had several great photos to include and they had to be placed appropriately. Over all, I think it was an attractive brochure sure to get us the promotion we needed. But remember, in the past, the brochures had fallen apart. Frankly, I am not sure exactly why. I think it was the cheap elementary school style stapler used for the job. The staples were always jamming and sometimes came out two at a time. I was not about to let this happen again. I borrowed an electric heavy-duty stapler and tested it many times. I had to wait for the proof copy to arrive from the printer. Once I accepted the color quality and the paper, I ordered the first batch. I was waiting in the wings with my stapler to get buy assembling the brochure. It worked well and I waited for the next batch. It was a nice little booklet and it looked like the staples were going to be permanent. I didn’t need to panic. But another sloppy job wouldn’t be tolerated. I was looking for perfection. It’s all in the tools you use. I got a really good one I could rely on. Everyone was pleased with the quality of the work and we proceeded to get the brochures in circulation to promote our event.

Posted in Strategy

Marketing and Branding

October 2, 2016
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| Strategy

I wanted to promote my golf instruction business and figure out a way to get the word out. My students of course were a big help in getting my referrals but I needed more than that. Any business, even if it is one person at a golf course, needs to grow. Of course you need a business plan that dictates your hours, locations, and how many people you can accommodate. The plan should also deal with publicity and promotion. One idea I had was to get a local newspaper to do a story on me and the interesting celebrities I have coached. Another was to include testimonials on my website of happy clients. People do look on your website these days to gather information and find out a little bit about who you are. The site should have photos and embedded videos of some instruction techniques. The contact information should be easy to find and you must include a way for visitors to the site to sign up for your emails and/or newsletter.

So it is all about marketing and branding when you have a business. It doesn’t just happen on its own. It must be built and nurtured over time. The idea is to get attention from prospective students and to become known as the best local pro. You can make flyers for a little added exposure especially if you have a special offer: let’s say a day of golf lessons for a discounted price or a group lesson for half the usual fee. All of these things: the newspaper article, the flyer, the website work, but there was one more idea I had to try. I wanted to paint a stencil of my company logo and phone number on my golf cart. I had an airless paint sprayer in the garage and realized that it hadn’t been used in ages. I got it out, cleaned it, and drove the cart home. I decided on the size and placement of the logo and if I wanted to add any more information. I preferred to keep it simple. I think people at the course will get the idea. Most know who I am. I wanted a reminder that was highly visible and colorful. It had to catch the wandering eye. The paint sprayer made the job easy and it looked very professional if I have to say so myself. I won’t be embarrassed by the quality. It won’t look like a do it yourself job.

It worked very well. I know because people commented on what a good idea it was. These were people who know me, but strangers also asked about my lessons. There is always a need for coaching when it comes to golf. New people start the sport all the time and don’t have a clue how to begin. It makes my business one that is in demand. I have an excellent program and a good reputation. Now all I needed was promotion.

Posted in Strategy

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