Had three lovely guys from Virginia yesterday who played out of the Winchester Country Club and were over on a tour of Ireland and Scotland. They had been soaked on Royal County Down the previous day and were glad to see the sunshine over the St Andrews Links. It was lucky however that they were not playing Carnoustie, as this huge and threatening rain cloud hung and dumped there all afternoon.
Dale, the elderly character in the group had a wistful and witty look and was quite a mean golfer into the bargain. Turns out he had worked in construction all his life, building mainly pubs, and that he had finally decided to build himself one. He now owns a place called Piccadilly’s which is close to the Winchester Course. He intimates, with a wink, that his wife is the boss of the show and that he is the ‘Social Director’. In a pad which turns over two to three million a year I would say that is a pivotal and vital role. I mean it’s really the sort of job the right man could flourish in.
He showed me his golf ball which had the words printed on it ‘redeem for a cocktail at Piccadilly’s’, which was justly honoured to any member of Winchester who happened to find one of Dale’s lost balls!
Now in a round about way I’d call that a very sound piece of marketing.