Golf and Tacos Make Tuesday Much More Tolerable
A pitch for rebranding the second day of the week.
In my day job, I work with clients to help tell compelling stories and grow their brand awareness. If Tuesday was on my call sheet, I’d tell those in charge that it’s time to orchestrate an overhaul. That’s because of all the days of the week, Tuesday is certainly the most forgettable. Based on personal experience, my first recommendation would undoubtedly be to create a strategic partnership with the game of golf.
Overlooked on most calendars, the second day of the week feels like it was thrown in to make a larger product seem more valuable. It’s unnecessary filler. Tuesday doesn’t have any style. It just lacks sizzle.
The worst thing any brand can be is indifferent, and that’s exactly Tuesday’s problem. Nobody gets a “case of the Tuesdays.” There’s no hump to get over yet. It doesn’t “feel like Friday.” And nobody takes the day off to start an early weekend. Tuesday usually means nose to the grindstone. A gut-it-out day of work. It's leftover meatloaf and falling asleep on the couch before 9pm. In many respects, it’s the hardest day to get excited for.
That’s why my friends and I started a Tuesday night golf league.
In my line of business, the old adage of “perception is everything” has never been more true. In a world in which we are constantly bombarded by advertisements, emails, newsletters, and DMs, brands are trying to shape our perceptions morning, noon, and night. However, the best recipe for changing perception is often just giving people something to anticipate. A little window of happiness that you can look forward to can become a powerfully addictive device. Especially when golf is involved.
In recent years I’ve seen pushes to celebrate “Mandatory Golf Friday,” and lots of folks proclaiming “Saturday is for the boys,” but do either of those days really need such encouragement? I think all the other days are doing pretty well. Tuesday, however, is ripe for a major brand repositioning.
Our Tuesday league was founded with high hopes of creating a new ritual for the daylight savings time season. With the extra hours available for golf after work, we gave it a go. Five years into the experiment, I’m happy to report the game is thriving. Thanks to those outings, Tuesday has become our favorite day of the week.
For the 20 or so of us who turn up every Tuesday night for golf and smack talk, this little evening jaunt has evolved into a serious affair. Some good jokes, a little cash on the line, and an evening walk around our favorite course puts everyone in a good mood. Although we may only be a small band of misfits in Tallahassee, I feel as though we’ve stumbled upon the perfect model to rebrand Tuesday around the globe.
Allow me to share a few reflections on how our gang has repositioned Tuesday here at home. For starters, we decided to jump on an existing bandwagon that has seen some promise in changing how people think about Tuesday. Nearly every town in America has a restaurant with a “Taco Tuesday” promotion, so no matter where you are there already exists a good foundation to build upon. We all meet for BBQ tacos at noon and start ribbing each other over big plates of pork and pico. It’s a great primer for what's to come.
Over those tacos, we talk about handicaps and course conditions while laying out sidebets and ridiculing anyone who's had a hot hand in recent weeks. This lunch break banter sets the scene for a highly competitive and enjoyable evening. The hours between lunch and 5pm now fly by, and all across town there are smiling golfers thinking about their swings while answering emails and wrapping up calls. When quitting time rolls around, there’s a mad dash to get to the course and ramp things up.
Some of the punctual guys get there with plenty of time to hit range balls and roll a few putts, while others (self included) pull into our course’s oak-draped driveway leaning on two wheels. The game starts at 5:30pm, so it’s best to have all home and office affairs sorted well before. That’s a tough ask for many, though. All across the parking lot, guys are changing from their work wear into shorts and golf shoes. Many are still talking to clients and wives over Bluetooth headsets while taking some warm up swings. For us time-pressed players, the first golf shot of the day is often one that counts.
We play a nine-hole points game with skins on the side, and everyone knows the payoff for good play can be large. Winning the Tuesday night game isn’t going to speed up anyone’s retirement, but it may fill the wallet for a night and make someone walk around a bit taller at work come Wednesday. That sort of pride can lift the spirit of a middle-aged man and help push through the work week.
Before we can start, our golf professional comes around to collect little green portraits of Alexander Hamilton. He dishes out the playing assignments and the herd starts to rustle. Once everyone has their starting hole and group assignments, this gaggle of golfers gathered at the clubhouse descends upon our home course like a pushcart armada. With beers in hand and hope in our hearts, we walk out to conquer the evening. Most of our golf dreams don’t make it back alive, but if you play bad at least there’s plenty of beer on tap.
We may get a hall pass for golf on Tuesday night, but that doesn’t mean we can stay out indefinitely. Everybody has a home to get to, and you don’t want to get banned for the following week. The round doesn’t drag though, because the sooner we finish the more time there is to hang out before we have to be back for dinner. It’s a fast-paced and quick-witted walk. Balls and barbs fly frequently, and we usually traverse the course in well under two hours.
On Tuesday night, we laugh, swing, and have great fun together. It gives us some glory to chase amid raising kids, returning client calls, and paying bills. There have been quite a few good memories made too. Thanks to this new tradition with each passing week we only fall more in love with Tuesdays.
What we’ve created is a mid-week escape. It’s a Tuesday night fairytale for guys with growing families and expanding bald spots. Golf is an important part of all our lives, and not a week goes by that these walks don’t remind us of why.
Our league nights have become a staple on the calendar. We set our schedule around this golfing interlude and soak up every minute we can. You have to enjoy time like this, because it’s a rare break from the punch list that life can become when you get too busy. It’s a chance to have a ball on Tuesday night, and we all go big because the carriage turns into a pumpkin again come sundown. Not that we don’t love our everyday pumpkin existence.
Tuesday has become the main event at our country club. It’s the day we all look forward to most. And beyond all the beers, jokes, and birdies, the golf we play together is an important vehicle for fellowship. People need things to look forward to, and spending time with friends is one of the best recurring meetings you can put on the calendar. I can’t imagine a better thing for Tuesdays to be known for than that.
So, if the Board of Directors for the National Tuesday Council is listening, I’ve got a plan that can help turn your brand around. Let’s find some others who need a mid-week golf game, and make Tuesday leagues a can’t-miss affair. A few tacos and some tee times is all you need to get started. I know lots of golfers who would love to embrace that brand identity, and there’s nowhere to go but up. Give me a call sometime, because I’d love to help you tell that story.
Jay Revell is a golf writer and public relations professional based in Tallahassee, Florida. He is the author of The Nine Virtues of Golf: Essays, Musings, and other Contemplations on the Game (Amazon).