I’m a huge college basketball fan. I always root for my beloved Kansas Jayhawks (a team that’s consistently snatched defeat from the jaws of victory the past few weeks), but I just adore the whole March madness process in general. The color, the pageantry, the upsets, the betting brackets … I love it all.
The onset of the big NCAA tournament got me thinking about how our happy little industry has its own variations on March Madness. Allow me to elaborate:
1. Michigan madness: This phenomenon applies not just to Michigan but to all snow belt states where golfers and course operators start getting antsy because there’s still five &$%#&*! inches of snow on the ground on March 14 and no end in sight! Memo to Mother Nature: Enough already … send in some sunshine, songbirds and snow-free days. Seriously folks, the revenue clock is already ticking up here. We may not be playing golf until mid-April at this point, and that ain’t good. The industry needs a decent weather year, and it starts now for those of us in the seasonal golf regions.
2. Masters madness: OK, you know the drill. All the Augusta anticipation (including Tiger, Phil, Ernie, Vijay and a $7-million maintenance budget) conspire to create a fantasy world for the folks who will show up at your courses post-Masters have expectations that are just a wee bit high (e.g., “Why can’t our greens stimp at 15? You obviously aren’t doing your job properly”). What’s the cure for Masters Madness? There is none. It’s like the Ebola virus … you just have to suffer through it and hope you survive.
3. Marketing madness: Welcome to the time of year when every supplier in the industry is trying to sell you something. All the turf companies are convinced that you only start buying stuff when the tee time sheet starts to fill. Is that really true? I don’t think so, but all of the marketers do. Good luck sorting through all the direct mail, e-mails and phone calls you’ll be getting the next few weeks. Just remember, they’ll leave you alone once July rolls around.
The madness has begun … enjoy your spring while – and if – you get a chance. Now, I’m out to door to go shovel a few more inches of sunshine off my driveway.
Keep in touch …
PJ
