Took A Free Day

I took Sunday off. I did some reading but no work at all. I didn’t even return any emails. It’s been busy. Sunday was a Free Day. Jay Paterson blogged about this many months ago here.

I’ve been thinking more and more about this concept of Focus and Free days, and how to best spend the 168 hours we have each week. I’ve re-read Jay’s post a few times.

It’s such a departure from my normal modus operandi. I generally work a lot. Almost every day.

I remember speaking with a friend recently. We’ll keep his identity confidential. He invited me to his cottage. I noted that I was rather busy and don’t really take very many days off. He replied, “I know. That’s why you should come to the cottage.” Point well taken!

I didn’t fully enjoy my Free Day on Sunday. All day I was hoping to get some good news, some great news really, and it never did arrive. The great news did finally arrive today, although it was short lived. But, we accept what life sends our way and treasure every moment. We act with great belief, intention and industry. And we continue to believe no matter what comes our way and no matter how many obstacles appear before us.

I was reminded yesterday of this telling quote:
“The art of resting the mind and the power of dismissing from it all care and worry is probably one of the secrets of our great men.” -Captain J.A. Hatfield

Let Go Of The Frustration

I mentioned in my previous post that I wanted to quote Andrew Winston, our Vice President of Franchise Training. I had lamented to him about my many technology issues of late. Here’s part of his reply.

“When I golf and hit the ball into the forest, I have an undying belief that the trees will kick the ball back out onto the fairway. ‘Trees are our friends’ is what I yell and it works. I guess what I'm saying is that your attitude will dictate your results. I know it's difficult when each step you take is a hassle. But let go of the frustration when you're dealing with the minutiae and it won't mean so much on the negative side.”

He’s right, of course.

I’ve had a lot of minutiae pile up over the last couple of weeks. I generally deal with most of the real non-value-added stuff on my weekends, but my weekends of late have been busy, or I’ve taken time to relax (like last weekend). So some of the real boring stuff piled up.

My plan for this weekend is to rip through all of that as quickly as possible. I got organized last night and figured out what had to be done. I like to start with the worst/least-enjoyable tasks and work my way through to the more pleasant tasks.

Also did some yard work last night. My eldest son cuts our grass, but there are other tasks that he’s not quite ready to tackle.

I started this morning with a great workout and then dove right into my to-do list. I’m at least three quarters of the way through the list and have only a few of the more pleasant tasks left.

I hope to complete most of them today and then set tomorrow aside for some RnR.

Technology Challenges or Opportunities

It’s time to change gears. We now have the bulk of our capital lined up. (Is that a dangling participle? I can never remember. My Grade 9 high school English teacher, Mrs. Ballard, God bless her soul, may not be happy if she notices!)

I’ve spent the bulk of my time to date securing capital. It’s now finally time to start the marketing training provided by the franchisor, and then move on to marketing and selling memberships, and soon construction.

I can’t wait. Many people have asked about purchasing a membership – friends and new acquaintances (future friends). I really look forward to creating our little golfing community/club and watching new friendships and camaraderie develop.

I’ve faced more than my fair share of technology issues of late. For most of the week now I’ve been receiving two copies of all emails on Blackberry. I have a few different email accounts and the problem is only affecting the one account. I still have not solved it.

It’s rather ironic. For many of the emails I receive, I don’t even want the original, let alone a copy!

Also, on Wednesday, I learned that my computer headset is no longer working. I had installed some software related to a digital voice recorder I’ve been using. Said installation basically obliterated all of the audio drivers for my Logitech USB headset. I’m told there’s no way to fix it. We in the Parmasters world use Internet-based/online meeting rooms for many of our meetings.

I lamented some of my technology misfortune to Andrew Winston, Parmasters’ Vice President of Franchise Training. He wrote back and reminded me of many of the principles in The Secret, without ever really mentioning The Secret. I’d love to quote him here, but don’t have his permission. Perhaps in my next post.

And lastly, before I head out to a day of meetings, we must all applaud Mr. Hunter Mahan for his performance at our “Open Championship” yesterday. I’ve witnessed many a hole-out, but never two in a round. Great to see! It’s also nice to see young Canadian David Hearn fairing well on opening day.

Have a look at Mahan’s score card. You won’t see many like it!

Big Day For Parmasters Kitchener-Waterloo

We’ve just completed one of the most important days in the brief history of Parmasters Kitchener-Waterloo. I can’t make any big announcements yet, unfortunately. Suffice it to say that we took a giant leap forward today and are much closer to our opening day. It’s quite amazing, and surprising, what can happen within a few hours.

Today was spent with Tom Matzen, Parmasters’ President and CEO and Andre Ferris, Parmasters’ Canadian Regional Franchisor. We went from meeting to meeting, with investors, with shareholders, with partners and with other stakeholders.

It was actually Tom’s first visit to southwestern Ontario, which really surprised me. He grew up on the prairies and has done most of his business on the west coast.

All of our meetings today went very well. The three of us – but predominantly Tom, since he is a co-founder – answered a wide array of questions regarding the business. Shareholders wanted more details, and wanted to ensure we had our focus on certain areas. Potential investors were asking tough questions related to risk. Partners and stakeholders spent most of their time congratulating us on our concept and our progress to date.

Of course, as with every fantastic day in business, the day after is when the rubber actually meets the road. Tomorrow is when we’ll start to paper some agreements that were hammered out today. Tomorrow is when I must inform all necessary parties and start marshalling the troops to move forward much faster than previously. Tomorrow I must adjust my to-do list and ensure my focus is appropriate given these new developments. It’s time to accelerate, once again. The time is nigh.

So, for now, it’s time to relax and recharge.

Quiet Weekend Not Car-nastie

It was nice to see Padraig Harrington win The Open Championship on Sunday. It was equally sad to see young Spaniard Sergio Garcia lose the same Open. Carnoustie played as Car-nicetie this time round, rather than the fabled Car-nastie of old. But then, as many analysts have since pointed out, Mother Nature was unusually benign. A little wind, a little cooler and this year’s Open would have been completely different.

I had a fairly quiet weekend. I worked Saturday morning but then attended a folk music festival in London in the afternoon. The music was wonderful but I was quite distracted with many other things on my mind.

I also relaxed in front of the television a fair bit this weekend. Very unusual for me. I’ll watch a few sports now and then, but rarely sit for extended periods of time and watch a movie or show. I think the tally came to three movies this past weekend, along with part of a fourth. They included, and I may get the titles incorrect, A Few Good Men, The Jackal, White Lightning and Little Man (chosen by my young, but not-so-little men).

I’m about to leave for the airport to pick up the Tom Matzen, Parmasters HQ President and CEO. We have a full day of investor candidate and shareholder meetings tomorrow. Looking forward to some good discussion and challenging questions. Tom was a co-founder of Parmasters, so I always learn a lot when with him.

Parmasters CEO Visiting

The President, CEO and Co-founder of Parmasters Golf Training Centers, Tom Matzen, is coming to town next week. We’ve arranged the trip to put Tom in front of both existing shareholders and potential investors. I’m looking forward to the sessions.

It will be a whirlwind 24 hour visit. Tom will arrive late in the evening and leave for Vancouver late the next evening.

This will be Tom’s first time in Kitchener since I purchased the franchise rights. It will give him an opportunity to tour our coming location at Market Square (at the corner of King and Frederick Streets in Kitchener).

I’ve been busy inviting interested attendees and making other arrangements. The schedule for the day is still up in the air, but we’ll get the details ironed out on Monday.

I still feel like I’m behind on my to-do lists and regular tasks. I look forward to the weekend and an opportunity to get caught up. Of course, I also feel I’m a little behind on my RnR time, so hopefully I can get some of that in on the weekend also.

Golf Course Architecture

It’s been another stretch of very little blogging. I have found two sets of circumstances that lead me to blog less than normal.

First, of course, is when I’m extremely busy. It’s difficult to make and justify the time to blog during very busy periods.

And second, during vacation periods, no matter how long or short. I didn’t do a lot of work late last week. And my parents visited over the weekend. During periods like that, I try to simply do whatever I want, whenever I want. This helps me to relax and rejuvenate.

I recently read an interesting article in Golf Canada (published by the RCGA). Titled “Lessons from the Past,” it focused on the evolution of golf course design. It’s an area that has always intrigued me, and so I read the article with much anticipation.

Of course, in the very early days of golf, there was no such thing as golf course design. As the article states, “the game’s initial courses were often ’18 stakes on a sunny afternoon,’ … within an interesting piece of property.”

Apparently one of the first to actually alter the land was Willie Park Jr., “a British designer whose work in Canada includes Calgary Golf & Country Club and Laval-Sur-Le Lac Golf Club.” Approximately a century ago Mr. Park made subtle alterations to properties/courses, but certainly never sculpted mass swaths of land.

Alister Mackenzie stands out for his contribution of “13 Golf Commandments,” essentially a list of concepts that all great courses should share. The list included such things as the importance of hills and valleys, beautiful surroundings as well as testing both proficient and beginner golfers, and motivating golfers to improve.

Longer holes traversed “less impressive land” and par-3’s were placed very strategically, to take advantage of beautiful locations.

Towards the end of Stanley Thompson’s contributions, and at the beginning of Robert Trent Jones’ career, the advent of massive earth moving equipment brought new possibilities to golf course design and construction. No longer was the architect relegated to merely tweaking the natural landscape. Wholesale change was in vogue, and possible.

This trend ushered in the concept of the famous golf course architect. Since it was no more the architect, and less the land, that created the end product, the architect’s name became very prominent. PGA players, such as Jack Nicklaus and Ben Crenshaw, began to make a name for themselves in golf course architecture.

The article ends describing the most recent movement back to the basics, a minimalist and naturalist approach. This takes architecture full circle, back to designs that wind and weave through untouched properties, with the designer and design yielding to the land, rather than vice versa.

In reading about the journey that golf course design has taken, I was reminded of a sculptor. Some describe sculpting as molding a solid block into a beautiful representation of some form. Others describe it as an effort to free the form that lies trapped within the original solid block.

I look forward to learning more about golf course design. One brief article has only whetted my appetite.

University Campuses

I've been reminded this week of how much I enjoy university campuses. I'm not sure exactly what it is about campuses but they always lead me to new ideas and very positive feelings.

I have degrees from both the university of Waterloo (B.Math.)and Wilfrid Laurier University (MBA). Those two campuses are very familiar, like an old pair of jeans. I considered some globally renowned ivey league schools for my MBA, but opted to stay home in Waterloo, ON.

While working in sales at Maplesoft (mathematical software sold mainly to universities) I spent countless days visiting campuses throughout the United States. Some were incredibly beautiful and inspiring. Some were more "practical" or "utilitarian". But all inspired.

I believe there's a sense of possibility and new, fresh ideas that is essentially inherent in all/most campuses, both by design and by happenstance. There's a freedom from judgment and a spirit of stepping well outside of "the box" and one's "comfort zone." Campuses are also a wonderful reminder of days gone by, be they personal memories or society's history in general.

I've been reminded this week that, for me, setting aside time - even brief periods - to think, to ponder, to analyze, and to consider the "big picture" is a very valuable and high-leverage activity. And a university campus inspires very clear thinking.

It's so easy to get into a habit or mode of constantly doing, and often difficult to remember to step back and consider whether you're "doing" the right thing(s).

"It does not take much strength to do things, but it requires a great deal of strength to decide what to do." -Elbert Hubbard

I resolve to dedicate more time to contemplation and analysis, and will consider best locations - including nearby campuses - for such activity.

Moe's Birthday

From the golf blog In Golf We Trust (www.ingolfwetrust.com):

On This Day In History - 10 July 2007

Lee Trevino wins his first Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, finishing with a 70 for a one-stroke victory margin over Taiwan's Lu Liang-Huan. Trevino came into the tournament in form, having won the US Open and the The Canadian Open weeks earlier. 34-year-old Lu, contended right from the start and he Trevino and Tony Jacklin took a three shot lead over the field going into the final day.

Lu trailed by a shot going up the 18th and his errant drive struck spectator, Lillian Tipping, who was concussed and taken to hospital needing several stitches. Despite going to her aid, Lu managed to make birdie, but so did the Merry Mex to win his first Open, which he would successfully defend the following year at Muirfield.

Lu would have to be satisfied with being remembered for his pork pie hat and his role as the heroic underdog. He and Mrs Tipping sent each other Christmas cards for many years afterwards.

...

It's also the day that one of the greatest golfing mavericks off all time was born. Canadian Moe Norman never made the grade on the PGA Tour, but his ball-striking exploits are legend. Tiger Woods once said that he aspired to 'own his swing' in the way that only two players – Ben Hogan and Moe Norman – have previously.

Parmasters KW On The Web

As some of you may have noticed, we’ve recently launched our web pages / website. You can Parmasters Kitchener-Waterloo here. As with all Parmasters Centers, our web pages are accessed via the main Parmasters Golf Training Centers site.

Our web pages provide a wealth of information about our site and also allow you to sign up for a membership giveaway and to simply join our mailing list to learn more about membership and other opportunities as they arise. You can sign up here.

We will start selling memberships in the coming months. Residents of Waterloo Region will hear plenty from us as our marketing efforts begin.

This also marks a transition in this blog. Up until now, almost all readers have been friends and family, people that I’ve spoken to personally regarding our Parmasters Center. Now that our web pages are live, and we’re getting some media exposure, readers of this blog will include future members and clients that I have not yet met. I have not yet decided whether this might alter my musings and writings.

Our press release, issued yesterday, was picked up by the Kitchener-Waterloo Record. Here’s a link to the article, and the full text, below.

CORE SCORE

Parmasters 'health club for golfers' comes to Market Square in downtown Kitchener this winter targeting those duffers without regular access to training facilities or coaches

MICHAEL HAMMOND

KITCHENER (Jul 4, 2007)
A "health club for golfers" is set to open in the Market Square in downtown Kitchener, adding fuel to hopes of a revival in the city's struggling core.

Stephen Southern, president of Parmasters Southern Ontario, said he hopes to open his golf training centre in the mall this winter.

"We describe it as a health club for golfers," he said.

The Parmasters chain, based in Memphis, Tenn., currently has facilities in Memphis and Guangzhou, China. It plans to open dozens of similar golf training centres around the world, including 27 in Canada.

The Kitchener centre will occupy 15,000 square feet of space in the Market Square's main floor retail concourse, although a specific location has yet to be confirmed. It will be the first Parmasters location in Ontario.

Southern, who holds the Parmasters franchise rights in southern Ontario, said he wants to offer a year-round attraction where the average golfer can work on his or her game.

"Our studies show there are about 70,000 golfers in the region," he said. "That's an absolutely prime market. There aren't many places for public golfers to practise their game."

Linda Stewart, executive director of the Kitchener Downtown Business Association, said the "out-of-the-ordinary" attraction represents a much-needed endorsement for the core.

"I'm excited they picked Kitchener's downtown because it speaks to the fact that we've got some great developments going on here," she said. "This type of business is going to attract different people to the core."

John Vickery, manager of leasing for Cora Group, which owns Market Square, said the golfing attraction will bring new momentum to the south end of the downtown.

"We've tried a couple of strategies to bring in new retail without much success," he said. "We hope this will attract a whole new audience to Market Square."

Vickery said his group possibly will shift several stores around in the mall to make way for Parmasters.

Both Cora and the Kitchener Market have had trouble retaining tenants, Vickery said. "I think that's indicative of how difficult it is leasing retail space in the downtown."

The golf centre will include five or six golf simulators, a 4,000-square-foot putting green, a sand trap practice area and an automated driving range simulator that places a ball on a tee every few seconds.

The attraction will employ 15 to 20 people. Southern hopes to begin selling memberships, which will start at $39 a month, later this summer or in the fall.

The centre will be open to the public as well. The facility will also have a pro shop, fitness area and cafe.

Southern, a self-described serial entrepreneur who has worked for several technology startups including SlipStream Data in Waterloo, is targeting golfers who don't belong to golf clubs and don't have access to training facilities or golf coaches.

He said he plans to eventually open Parmasters locations in Cambridge, London, Windsor and Chatham-Kent.

Besides Market Square's central location, Southern said there were several key factors that led him to locate the centre in downtown Kitchener.

More than 2,500 professionals work within a five-minute walk of Market Square, at the corner of King and Frederick streets. There also will be hundreds of affluent condominium owners in the downtown in the coming years at the Kaufman Lofts, Eatons Lofts and in the proposed Centre Block development, he said.

State-of-the-Art Golf Center

We issued our first press release today, and I gave my first interview related to Parmasters Kitchener-Waterloo! The Record tracked me down early this morning.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 3, 2007
Play Golf All Year Long in Southern Ontario Parmasters announces the opening of state-of-the-art Golf Center

July 3, 2007, KITCHENER-WATERLOO – Parmasters is pleased to be opening the first of five golf centers in Southern Ontario at Kitchener’s Market Square, 100 King Street East, at the corner of King and Frederick Streets. This location will open this winter with other sites in London, Windsor, Chatham-Kent and Cambridge to follow soon.

Typically, a Parmasters Golf Training Center is 12,000 to 15,000 square-feet and is “the ultimate golf training and practice facility” offering a climate-controlled, indoor golfers haven and an affordable, non-intimidating alternative to the traditional, typically expensive teaching methods that guarantees a 25 per cent reduction in handicap.

This center will feature 5 state-of-the art golf simulators, 2 or more fluency bays (with an automatic tee that tees up a ball every 1.5 seconds), other driving bays such as fairway bunker, uneven lies long game areas, a pro shop, a golf fitness area, and a 4,000 sq. ft. indoor undulating green surrounded by rough and bunkers for short game practice. Parmasters Golf Training Centers have been designed to have the look and feel of a high-end clubhouse including food and beverage service in the Company’s “Links Golf Café”.

A 2006 Ipsos Reid poll indicated that Canadians spent a total of $11.23 billion in 2005 on green fees, membership, equipment and apparel and also indicated that 5.95 million Canadians participated in the sport in 2005, representing a 21.6 per cent increase from 2001.

In summarizing the poll results, Ipsos Reid senior vice president, Amanda Maltby said: "The game is in good health…I'm not in the industry but looking at it from a research perspective . . . we're seeing very robust growth.”

“I’m excited and the timing couldn’t be better for opening a Parmasters Golf Center,” says Stephen Southern, President, Parmasters Southern Ontario. “And with support from the Canadian Regional Franchisor of Parmasters Golf Training Centers we hope to pre-sell a target 750 Charter Memberships prior to opening.”

As an entrepreneur and former sales and marketing professional, Stephen’s broad business knowledge, his strong customer service orientation, his leadership and team building skills, as well as his commitment to sales and marketing fundamentals, will all serve him well as Southern Ontario Area Developer for Parmasters Golf Training Centers.

To date, eighty-three franchises and eight regional franchises have been awarded. The first location, a 25,000 sq. ft. center in Memphis Tennessee opened in June 2006, and the first international centre in Guangzhou, China in April, 2007. The opening of 12 additional golf training centers and 20 Links Golf Cafes are planned by April, 2008. In Canada, 27 franchises have been awarded to date, with further opportunities in Ontario, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Quebec.

Tom Matzen, an international speaker and best-selling author, founder and past CEO of Entrepreneur Coach Inc., together with Scott Hazledine, a Class A PGA member, Master Teacher, and Master Player, recognized the growth in golf and teamed up to form Parmasters in 1999.

Parmasters is optimistic about its future as an indoor golf training center because new golfers want to learn, they want to improve and they want to look good on the fairway. Parmasters primary focus is offering one-on-one golf skills training. This training will differentiate itself by its fun and easy format, guaranteed results and an overall goal of increasing each attendee's passion and excitement for the game of golf.