The struggle is real!

Carlos Arraya

When asked how she is doing, my daughter has responded for years with, “Pops, wow, the struggle is real!” This year, my struggle has been prolonged, difficult personally and professionally, and in fact, real.

So yes, honey, the struggle is, indeed, real.

Please do not share that I said she is right. If she ever were to find out I mentioned that she is right, I might never live another day without hearing about it. This article already has become therapeutic for me; thanks for reading. I’ll share more about my professional struggle, with the hopes of providing you with some motivation.

The struggle for me this year is my responsibility for executing a complex greens restoration project that has been accompanied by historic rain events slamming the St. Louis region, all the while trying to reopen a course for play on schedule.

From March 15 through the summer months, there was some form of precipitation on the property every fourth day. I have watched our team rebuild the same areas of our golf course five to six times in a two-week period. Most of our staff have turned into professional bodybuilders from all the times they have repaired bunker washouts this summer.

You may say, “Carlos, that’s par for the course,” but I beg to differ. While it may be par for the course when taken strictly as a course maintenance requirement, the fact remains that it’s more than that. The struggle is the psychological impact on our team members, as well as on the membership. I ran out of motivational tactics, phrases, doughnuts and pizzas, until it dawned on me that I needed to think differently. How in the world do I motivate a group of men and women who seem to be receiving daily haymakers from Mother Nature?

Here is how I overcome the struggle.

Instead of traditional motivational speeches and unhealthy food options, I decided to go with the grain instead of against it. It was by sheer coincidence that I stumbled across a new tactic. It unfolded like this.

After receiving another 3.5 inches of rain one day, I approached a group of our team members. I wanted to start a conversation and check on their spirit, and because I felt terrible that they had
to repeat a task they had already completed, I just couldn’t find a way to start the conversation.

Finally, out of my mouth, came this: “Wow, the struggle is real.” Believe it or not, most of the team members started to laugh when I said it. It immediately diffused the angst, pressure and state of frustration of having to repair a green that was rebuilt five times. It also started a whole new conversation about a real-life struggle. One team member asked, “Hey, have you seen that hurricane? That’s a real tragedy. We need to keep them in our thoughts and prayers. This is nothing compared to that.”

I drove off completely astonished, and a bell went off. Let me try that again. As I approached the next individual, I started with, “Wow, the struggle is real.” The conversation went in a completely different direction, but it worked once again. It allowed that individual to express struggles that had been on her mind for quite some time. And you’ve guessed it; I used the statement to open a lot of my difficult conversations, even with members.

The struggles associated with our golf course operations are real, but nothing compares to life struggles. During the struggle, consider changing your style or simply lend an ear to someone. Don’t ever allow your struggle on the course to become a life struggle.

And never forget: “Wow, the struggle is real!”