"Making the Tour" Posts from the Pete Dye Classic

Day 5: Thursday

Typically in the pre-dawn hours at the Pete Dye Golf Club you’d expect to hear little more than crickets and the occasional splash of the bass or catfish in the pond in front of the clubhouse. But this is no typical day. Today is round one of the National Mining Association Pete Dye Classic.

Today, 150 athletes, a premier golf course, sponsors, staff and volunteers are on display to more than 70 million households worldwide (the event is broadcast live on the Golf Channel). Today 150 athletes begin their quest for one prize.

While they’ve had their fun earlier in the week, even in darkness it is obvious the mood has changed. It’s showtime.

As I walked around the clubhouse I noticed each of the golfers talking to their caddy. These two-man teams were planning strategies, recalling what they’d learned in earlier practice rounds and going through their final rituals.

The PGA TOUR has a saying. “These Guys are Good!” Perhaps the above explains why.

So how do we as marketers prepare for our task(s) at hand? What do we do in our “practice rounds?” What are our pre-game rituals?

Answer those questions and maybe then when people speak of you they’ll say, “these guys are good too!”