As my thoughts started to turn towards our Christmas marketing campaign this year I spent a lot of time trying to come up with a really clever slogan, a catchy idea or a new promotion for the shop, then I got to thinking about my experiences this year, and what I really valued.
Like most small businesses and retailers this year has been a bit scary; lockdown looked never ending and with no retail or coaching revenue you wonder how long the business would survive. Lockdown also taught me a lot about myself and what means most to me.
I work long hours in a profession I love, but during lockdown I spent more time with my family than I ever have, and I must confess it opened my eyes. 70+ hour weeks are common in my profession and I didn’t realise how much of my family’s life I was missing out on. Simple walks with the dog, kicking a ball in a field, drawing pictures, playing board games… the list is endless. Two things really stuck with me though. My son is only 6 and he and I cycled the path along the canal into town on a few occasions and we loved it, but what really resonated was his face on the day before I returned to work and the dawning realisation that we weren’t going to be able to do that every day as he wanted - Dad was too busy. It’s something which really stuck with me and I’ve made a promise to myself that I’m not going to fall into that trap again.
The second thing was walking the golf course with the kids. Because of my job too they were able to come and help check over he shop, to clean the buggies, to help me film on the course for our updates. Again, spending time together doing simple things suddenly became really relevant. My wife and I joked that we spent more time together during lockdown in those few months than we had cumulatively during our married life- the sad fact is it was probably true!
I turned 40 this year (I know, I’ve had a hard paper round!) and my best mate and I had promised ourselves a trip to play the Old Course at St Andrews. Almost 25 years to the day since we’d sat at the road hole and watch big John Daly lash his driver down 18, we were standing with another couple of friends on the hallowed turf. The phot from the Swilcan Bridge is one that will remain one of my most memorable photos.
As we neared our October holiday our annual trip to Turkey was cancelled, instead we visited a lovely farm outside of Aberdeen and, once again had an incredible time, doing loads of things we had never done before as a family. I must confess I loved seeing the milky way at night, and collecting conkers by day!
The cancellation of the holiday to Turkey immediately made me wonder about my next favourite week of the year, the TGI Pro-am in Belek. For 10 years now we have been making this trip, never coming near the prizes, but each year having a great week of fun, enjoyable company and sometimes even some decent golf! Who knows if we will be allowed to return in 2021?
There’s a common theme running through all of this. The things I’ve really valued haven’t been the expensive watches or fancy cars; new gadgets or even expensive hotels. What meant the most to me was time. Time with the people I care about the most; my mates, my family. I realised that golf was a common thread through most of this; the trip to Turkey in March is work but really it’s a chance to spend quality time with people I care about and who’s company I enjoy (most of the time!). St Andrews was really special to me this year for a whole host of reasons, but once again it allowed me spend time with people I cared about and to share an experience we had spoken of for many, many years. The time on the golf course with Eilidh, Flynn and Brodie was a great laugh, even washing down buggies somehow became fun.
I realise even more as I listen to my members as they worry about lockdown returning that golf means exactly the same thing to them; time with their family, with their mates, with their parents. They don’t need to play great golf to enjoy their round, the company more than makes up for that. The social and mental implications of golf are so much more significant than ever I appreciated.
The uptake in memberships at Clubs, from those who felt they couldn’t previously afford it, has highlighted that I am not the only person to come to this realisation. Golf is an incredible vehicle to afford you the opportunity to spend time with those people who’s company you value the most.
My Christmas campaign this year is based on just that. This Christmas, whether it’s golf or not, buy presents which give you time with those people you want to spend time with the most. If it’s golf then buy that membership, purchase the equipment that will allow you all to be out there and enjoy the game. If it’s cycling buy that bike and gear that gets you out on the road with your friends. Regardless of where your mutual interests lie, identify them.
This Christmas Buy Time.