It’s August and our season’s challenges are no less relentless. Temperatures continue to rise, customers feel a bit more demanding, and the end is out there but not clearly in sight. As professionals in a game whose popularity has not reached this height in more than twenty years, we must persevere. I believe it is in times like these that we are ultimately at our very best. As one section member recently remarked, “it’s pressure that makes diamonds.” In that theme I thought I would share a story some have surely heard, few may remember, but all of us might take inspiration from as we push through August and round the corner into the final weeks of our season.
Once upon a time a son complained to his father that his life was miserable and that he didn’t know how he was going to make it. He was tired of struggling all the time. It seemed just as one problem was solved, another one soon followed.
His father, a chef, took him to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Once the three pots began to boil, he placed potatoes in one pot, eggs in the second pot, and ground coffee beans in the third pot.
He then let them sit and boil, without saying a word to his son. The son, moaned and impatiently waited, wondering what he was doing.
After twenty minutes he turned off the burners. He took the potatoes out of the pot and placed them in a bowl. He pulled the boiled eggs out and placed them in a bowl. He then ladled the coffee out and placed it in a cup. Turning to his son he asked, “What do you see?”
“Potatoes, eggs, and coffee,” he hastily replied.
“Look closer,” he said, “and touch the potatoes.” He did and noted that they were soft. He then asked his son to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, he observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, he asked his son to sip the coffee. Its rich aroma brought a smile to his face.
“Father, what does this mean?” he asked.
The father then explained. The potatoes, the eggs and coffee beans had each faced the same adversity – the boiling water.
However, each one reacted differently.
The potato went in strong, hard, and unrelenting, but in boiling water, it became soft and weak. The egg was fragile, with the thin outer shell protecting its liquid interior, until it was put in the boiling water. Then the inside of the egg became hard.
However, the ground coffee beans were truly unique. After they were exposed to the boiling water, they changed the water and created something new.
“Which are you,” he asked his son. “When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a potato, an egg, or a coffee bean?”
Helping us “create something new” all year long are our valued Section partners. This month, I would like to ask you to join me in thanking our very good friends at Wildhorse for their 20 years of generous support! I would also like to say “thank you” to Kim Ponti with Adidas and Robert Su with Taylor Made for their support of the 2022 Washington Open. Lastly, I welcome Turtleson to our family of partners. Turtleson and their CEO, Andy Plate, are proudly sponsoring the 2022 Arizona Pro Am.
IMPORTANT REMINDER: Join us in person, September 24-26 at the Greater Tacoma Convention Center for the PNW PGA Merchandise Show.
As if you needed any more reason to attend…
You may have seen the Ireland Bucket List Golf Experience sweepstakes that we are running with Section sponsor, Garmany Golf. Garmany is generously offering a second Ireland Golf Experience giveaway – available exclusively to attendees of the PNW PGA Merchandise Show. Come to the show and you just may be lucky enough to win a free trip to Ireland, complete with six nights of five-star accommodations and four rounds of golf at magnificent courses, all ranked Top 100 in the UK and Ireland.
We also have an exciting education schedule planned, including:
“From Fitting on the PGA Tour to Social Media Ambassador” with Chris Trott, sponsored by TaylorMade
As always, if I or our fantastic section staff can ever be of service to you, never hesitate to contact us.
Frank Talarico, CEO