Chance at Free Golf for LIFE!

We issued the following release earlier today.

Londoners Offered Chance at Free Golf for LIFE!

Imagine free golf for LIFE! Visitors to this week’s London Golf and Travel Show will have a chance to win exactly that! Parmasters Kitchener-Waterloo will offer this opportunity at the Hellenic Community Centre, 133 Southdale Rd. W., from 10:00am to 6:00pm on Saturday January 19 and from 10:00am to 5:00pm on Sunday January 20. Golf for LIFE! includes a Lifetime Full-Play Membership at Parmasters Kitchener-Waterloo along with an annual free round of golf at a local course, for life!

Parmasters Golf Training Centers is the world’s first indoor golf practice and training centre franchise. The Kitchener-Waterloo location is opening this summer at Market Square in Kitchener’s downtown core.

Flexible hours and climate-controlled indoor facilities allow golfers of all levels to gather at Parmasters to enjoy the ultimate golf training and practice centre. Charter Memberships are also available, which provide members with preferred access to the unparalleled indoor practice facilities and centre amenities, as well as additional member benefits such as special discounts and other member perks.

The Golf for LIFE! winner will be announced this summer at the Grand Opening of Parmasters Kitchener-Waterloo.

“We’re very excited to bring Golf for LIFE! and the Parmasters message to the London Golf and Travel Show!” comments Stephen Southern, President, Parmasters Kitchener-Waterloo. “This kicks off our Charter Member marketing initiatives, offering future Parmasters members unparalleled value and amenities!”

To date, more than 90 Parmasters franchises and eight regional franchises have been awarded. The first location, a 25,000 sq. ft. centre in Memphis Tennessee opened in June 2006, and the first international centre in Guangzhou, China in April, 2007. Recently, Parmasters Noblesville (Indianapolis), Indiana held their grand opening event.

Parmasters Kitchener-Waterloo: www.parmastersgolf.com/kitchener-waterloo

London Golf and Travel Show: www.golf-show.com

London Golf and Travel Show

As mentioned previously, we’re exhibiting at both the London Golf and Travel Show and the Hamilton Golf and Travel Show. The London event is this coming weekend, Saturday and Sunday, January 19 and 20.

Look for us in booth 414. You can find a floor plan here.

Stop by for your chance to win Golf for LIFE! The draw will be held on the day of our Grand Opening this summer. The lucky winner will receive a Lifetime Membership to Parmasters Kitchener-Waterloo, as well as a free round of golf at a local course every year for life! We can’t wait to make the draw and present the prize!

You can also visit our website to enter a draw for a 1-year Membership!

This past weekend was very productive. I typically use my weekends to catch up on tasks that are Important and Non-Urgent, as well as a few that are both Important and Urgent. This past weekend was no different. I also managed to squeeze in a workout, a run and an hour of hockey with my son’s team, during the annual parent-son tilt. The parents prevailed in a 15-12 defensive battle!

And today was both productive and very enjoyable. Today was like a glimpse into the future, and the future looks very bright! We look forward to opening Parmasters Kitchener-Waterloo, and then London, and Windsor, and …

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves …

Time for a little shut-eye. Early rise tomorrow!

Fans Crave More Success from Canadians

Lorne Rubenstein recently assembled this introduction to the 2008 Canadian golf scene. This comes from the Globe and Mail, here.

Fans crave more success from Canadians

LORNE RUBENSTEIN
From Saturday's Globe and Mail
December 21, 2007 at 10:01 PM EST

The 2007 golf season had its highs and lows from a Canadian perspective.

The high of highs was Mike Weir's win against Tiger Woods in their Sunday singles match at the Presidents Cup in September, while the low of lows is the fact that only three Canadians will play the 2008 PGA Tour — one more than this year.

Those three are Weir of Bright's Grove, Ont., Calgary resident Stephen Ames, and Oshawa, Ont., native Jon Mills. Weir and Ames won late-season events to set themselves up for a strong 2008, while Mills finished fourth on the Nationwide Tour to earn his PGA Tour card for the second time. He played in 2006, but finished 227th on the money list.

Mills, 29, is full of talent and experienced enough to win on the PGA Tour. He's a more mature golfer than the one who appeared to go for most pins a few years ago. One example will make the point.

During the 2001 Bell Canadian Open at Royal Montreal Golf Club's Blue course, Mills bombed a drive on the par-five 12th hole. The hole was cut to the left, behind a deep bunker. Mills went for the green with a towering shot, but his ball caught the bunker and left him with hardly any shot. He bogeyed the hole.

Woods came through around the same time and hit his drive to nearly the identical spot as Mills. Woods played far to the right of the hole, thereby taking the deep bunker on the direct line out of play. He hit the green and two-putted for a birdie.

Mills has since learned to manage his game. He plays smart golf now, which doesn't mean he won't use his power at the right time. Golf Magazine noted in its current issue that he makes a boatload of birdies, and included Mills in a list of five lesser-known players who could do big things in 2008.

Away from the PGA Tour, it should be interesting to follow Hamilton's Alena Sharp. She had her best season on the LPGA Tour, finishing 57th on the money list. Her finest moment came when she tied for 10th at the CN Canadian Women's Open. Sharp is getting close to a win.

Then, there's Charlottetown native Lorie Kane. Kane's been slipping in recent years. She finished 74th on the LPGA money list. Kane did tie for fourth at the Long Drugs Challenge in October, and believes she can win again. The 2008 season will go a long way toward determining whether Kane has much of a future left on the LPGA Tour.

Over on the Champions Tour, Toronto's Craig Marseilles might be worth watching, but this doesn't mean he can win there.

Marseilles has very little experience at this exalted level, as he's played most of his professional golf on the Canadian Tour.

But the 50-year-old did get through qualifying school. That gets him into a qualifying round before each tournament, where up to 90 players compete for seven or eight spots in that week's competition.

Richard Zokol also plans to play the Champions Tour after he turns 50 in August. As a PGA Tour winner and veteran member of the Tour, the Vancouver native gets into the same qualifying rounds as Marseilles. He's played no competitive golf the past few years, so he'll have quite a challenge ahead.

Meanwhile, the Canadian Open has a new sponsor in the Royal Bank of Canada.

On the Canadian Tour, commissioner Rick Janes and deputy commissioner Dan Halldorson continue to make strides toward a coherent, coast-to-coast schedule. They don't have it easy.

Nor does the Canadian PGA have it easy. Its Canadian PGA Championship was played from 1912 to 2005, and the roster of winners includes Gordon Brydson, Stan Leonard, George Knudson, Al Balding and Moe Norman. Efforts have been made to revive the important championship, but no luck so far. That's too bad.

It's also too bad that the Royal Canadian Golf Association has yet to come up with a rotation of courses for the Canadian Open, or announce a venue for 2010. Tournament director Bill Paul said Friday that the RCGA plans to announce a number of courses for future Opens by the 2008 tournament in July.

Paul added that the RCGA is working hard to bring the 2010 Open to St. George's in Toronto, but that significant challenges remain. The 2008 and 2009 tournaments will return to the Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont.

Canadians love their golf. The pro game gave them some excitement this year. Revved up by Weir and Ames in particular, they crave more.

Shoulder Problems

I’ve been battling a shoulder injury lately. On Monday morning I visited Doug Chase at Active Therapy in Waterloo for an assessment. He started treatment, and he did explain what the problem was, but I forget the names of the muscles that he cited. They’ve been strained.

It was funny, because I asked him how these muscles might have been strained. The problem is in my right shoulder. He suggested that a very common cause is someone repeatedly stretching their arm back behind them, while seated in the front seat of a vehicle, to grab something from the back seat.

That was funny because my vehicle is currently my mobile office, generally with many files and documents in the backseat, and I frequently reach back to grab something. Doug had nailed it.

And I must now constantly remind myself to get out of the vehicle to retrieve my files, rather than reaching.

Holes for Sale

In business school, Wilfrid Laurier University in my case, we were taught that Black and Decker doesn’t sell drills. Black and Decker sells holes.

At Parmasters, we don’t sell golf lessons. We sell a 25% reduction in your handicap (or your handicap equivalent), GUARANTEED!

You see, no one purchases a Black and Decker drill simply to have a drill. Well, virtually no one anyway. I suppose there could be the odd individual with a drill fixation, but that’s beside the point. People buy drills for holes, not for drills.

I started thinking about this in terms of Parmasters Golf Training Centers, and our Straight-Line Golf™ System.

Throughout the golfing industry, most trainers and teachers offer no guarantee whatsoever, while a few brave souls guarantee “satisfaction”, that the student will be “satisfied” with the outcome of the lesson.

At Parmasters, we guarantee results. The following statement of our guarantee is taken from the Parmasters Kitchener-Waterloo website.

The Parmasters Straight-Line Golf™ System guarantee:

WHAT THIS MEANS TO YOU: The Straight-Line Golf™ System has delivered a minimum 25% reduction in handicap to thousands of golfers for over ten years. It works. So, if after completing the eight-hour Straight-Line Golf Clinic™ and the twenty-four private session Open Series training program:

• your handicap is not at least 25% lower (if you have an established handicap);
• your handicap equivalent is not at least 25% lower (for golfers without an established handicap); or
• your scores are not at least twenty strokes better than when you began training with us (if you are a new golfer)…
  

... then Parmasters wants to make it right.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Parmasters will work with you until you see and feel the results of the Straight-Line Golf™ System, or at your option, we will simply give you your money back.

You see, at Parmasters Kitchener-Waterloo, we won’t be selling golf lessons. We won’t promote golf lessons and we won’t ask any members to consider golf lessons. We will sell results! We offer a 25% reduction in your handicap, GUARANTEED!

Return the Call

A close friend of mine left a voice message at a local hair salon, which shall remain nameless, on Friday afternoon. She related the story to me because, as of yet, she has not had her call returned! She’s knows that within the Parmasters world, service is paramount!

I blogged on a related topic recently here. We actually call our members every three months, just to ask how we can improve.

And of course, when someone calls us, we’ll answer the phone in almost every case. If, for some reason, none of our staff can take the call when it arrives, we’ll call you back, promptly!

Now it may be that this particular hair salon is absolutely overrun with business! They may be full to capacity, turning away new customers because they can’t keep up with their existing clientele. That may be the case. But I doubt it!

Even if this hair salon is currently overwhelmed with business, that’s no reason to alienate a potential new client. Why not grow the business? What if a few clients take their business elsewhere? Great businesses are always looking for their next client, while also focusing tirelessly on their existing clientele!

Needless to say, my friend will not return to this particular establishment. It’s all very unfortunate, and unnecessary.

Personality Types, Belief Systems, Values

I got thinking today about different personality types. Many are familiar with the Myers-Briggs tools and/or various other personality representation tools, many of which boil down to different colours indicators.

I'm a fairly strong Gold according to one of these tools. And in the Myers-Briggs world I'm an INTJ.

I was chatting with a close friend who is facing some frustration in a team situation at work. I believe and suggested that it all comes down to personality and values clashes.

As a Gold herself, she values punctuality, accuracy, meeting commitments, deadlines, etc. Others in the group, based on their colours, are more driven by relationships, a need to belong, new/fresh ideas, etc.

So I started thinking about a Parmasters golf training center, such as Parmasters Kitchener-Waterloo. We hire staff based on the values and personality types. We seek individuals that will thrive and maintain a high energy level, while providing the service that is integral to the Parmasters experience.

We then teach the skills that our team members require.

So, our team members will all have fairly similar values, beliefs and personality types. They won't be clones by any means, but they will all feel an affinity with each other.

Our members, on the other hand, will be as varied as the population of Waterloo Region. Varied personality types. Varied belief systems. Varied value systems.

Our goal is to hire staff that love and care about people, that love to communicate effectively, that love life, and that love to serve and please. We also look for a love and respect for the game of golf and all it represents.

Experience at other Parmasters centers shows that if we hire effectively, and train effectively, our team members will be well equipped to provide ALL members with exceptional service and a fantastic experience, time and time again! Personality types will vary dramatically throughout our membership, but ALL members will hopefully agree.

Parmasters provides a "WOW!" experience, every time!

To the Golf Shows We Go!

We’re kicking off the pre-opening marketing efforts for Parmasters Kitchener-Waterloo with two golf shows. Look for us at the London Golf and Travel Show on January 19th and 20th and then at the Hamilton Golf and Travel Show on February 2nd and 3rd.

It’s a very busy month! We have lots or work to do to be ready for London. But, as with all things, we simply plan the work and then work the plan.

I met earlier today with another very solid potential employee. As I’ve mentioned before in this space, we hire based on personality and value system, and then we teach the skills that our employees require. So many companies hire based on skill sets, and then attempt to “instill” the desired personality and values. In the Parmasters world, we believe it’s easy to teach skills, and virtually impossible to “instill” values.

The gentleman that I met with today has the personality and values that we seek. Specifically, we look for things like a respect for people, respect for the game of golf, the grand old game as some say, an interest in people and their stories, a genuine desire to be of service, to help, and an outgoing, high-energy personality.

Golfers Can Practice Year-Round in Noblesville, Indiana, USA

Parmasters Noblesville, Indiana, USA received some media coverage earlier this week. The Indianapolis Star article can be found here.

I’ve also included the full text of the article below.


Golfers can practice year-round at center
By Betsy Reason
Betsy.Reason@TheNoblesvilleLedger.com
January 2, 2008

NOBLESVILLE -- Golf balls tee up every 1.6 seconds, playing Pebble Beach Golf Links is a swing away, and businesses can work and play in the same place at a new golf training center.

Mike Jaensson can't swing fast enough before another golf ball automatically tees up at Parmasters Golf Training Center, inside the Hamilton County Sports Complex, 9625 E. 150th St. He called the two fluency bays -- private rooms where golfers work with coaches to develop smooth, fluid swings -- awesome.

Four simulators offer play on 30 golf courses, and the 2,500-square-foot short-game area that's 30 feet tall doesn't leave a shadow on the ball.

"There nothing around here like it," said the 40-year-old Noblesville golfer, who joined the semi-private membership-based center to keep in practice during golf's off-season.

Which golfers can do, every day except Christmas, at a comfortable 72 degrees. They also can work out in the club's fitness center, said Noblesville's Betty Anderson, manager and co-owner.

She and husband Dave bought the franchise because they both love to play golf. Tom Christie of Connersville, Ind., is co-owner.

Their location is the third Parmasters center in the world. The first opened in Memphis, Tenn., and the second is in China. The Andersons own the rights to open up to five more sites.

The center offers a 13,000-square-foot wonderland. Golfers can pay as they play or buy a membership, said Dave Anderson, who's offering a complimentary two-hour pass to check out the facilities. He has 1,000 members, but the number can change every month because members pay month-to-month.

Golfing buddies Todd Thurston and Mark Breedlove tried out the pass Friday. Playing Pebble Beach on the simulator, Thurston said they'd become members.

"I just like the fact you can work on your game in the winter time," he said.

"And when it's raining," chimed in Breedlove, whose 6-year-old son Charlie practiced his short game.

Parmasters is the world's first year-around indoor golf training center franchise that guarantees results, said franchise co-founder Scott Hazledine, who played professionally from 1981-95.

In Noblesville two days last week certifying the center's golf coaches, Hazledine said the center will begin seminars this spring for companies that want to increase their sales on the golf course.

Scott Rebic, 59, of Fishers signed up for an eight-hour golf workshop, and said he's guaranteed a 25 percent reduction in his handicap, his money back or to continue instruction until he reaches the goal. Rebic said since he became a member when the center opened Dec. 3, he's hit the ball straighter with more accuracy and picked up 15 yards in distance.

He said, "This is about as close as you can get to the real thing."

Marketing Meeting

I’ve been a poor blogger again, over these Christmas and New Year holidays. It’s just been a very busy time.

I met today with Tom Matzen, Parmasters Co-founder (not to be confused with confounder), President and CEO. We dedicated close to three hours to a discussion of the initial marketing efforts for Parmasters Kitchener-Waterloo.

You’ll start seeing our various marketing initiatives in January. Prior to our grand opening, we focus primarily on signing new members. We call these early members our “Charter” members, and they receive special bonuses and incentives for signing up prior to our grand opening.

I can’t wait to see our marketing efforts begin, and then bear fruit. We have such a positive message for any golfer or would-be golfer in Waterloo Region and beyond. It’s going to be very exciting as we start to really spread that message and see the reaction from the local golfing populace.