Las Vegas, Nevada (May 26, 2015)–Scott Cowan was the head professional at the prestigious Southern Highlands Golf Club for nine years. Prior to that, he cut his golf management teeth at Hamilton Golf and Country Club, one of Canada’s most historic clubs which opened in 1894. To say Cowan has experienced a little in golf is like saying that Jack Nicklaus used to intimidate his opponents a little bit. Cowan, who recently completed a two-year stint as the regional manager of business development for Pacific Links, an international private club membership company, is now plotting his future and launching a new venture, appropriately called The Cowan Golf Company. — By Brian Hurlburt.
Cowan’s focus will be on the organizational management of corporate outings in addition to creating unmatched, high-end Las Vegas golf experiences for his clients. Cowan has access to the best and most exclusive golf courses in Las Vegas, something he’s earned over the years through his personal contacts.
But, according to Cowan, the business with his name on it won’t be any plain ole golf company. The goal of the Cowan Golf Company is to help clients and partners uniquely combine the wonderful game of golf with the business of building—and earning–brand loyalty.
“I have always had a passion for ‘why’, and that has ultimately led me to this moment in my life and career,” says Cowan. “I’ve always been curious about why things happen and why people do things, and continually asking that question has helped me grow as a person. I believe that every experience I’ve ever had in golf and my continual thirst for knowledge has prepared me for this new journey. Why ask why? Because it’s interesting and allows you to understand the world a whole lot better.”
Cowan’s first official endeavor to “why ask why” was when he wrote his Masters’ thesis on the topic of why fans attended the LPGA Tour’s Jamie Farr Classic. Cowan was fascinated both by the results and the process, and continued to ask why as his career took him from Canada to Kentucky and, ultimately, the city that glitters, Las Vegas.
Along the way, Cowan read the book, Linchpin: Are you Indispensable?, by Seth Godin, and it altered his outlook and inspired him to one day put all of his skills to use on his own. The Cowan Golf Company was born.
This writer doesn’t know for sure, but a good guess is that the following Godin quotes inspired Cowan to plan, then act:
“Don’t try to be the ‘next’. Instead, try to be the other, the changer, the new.”
“Change is not a threat, it’s an opportunity. Survival is not the goal, transformative success is.”
Cowan believes his new company will combine the positive attributes of golf with a company’s goal to build a brand. Cowan understands, as Godin does, that marketing and doing business in the 21st century means companies must connect on an emotional level to be successful.
“People do not buy goods and services,” wrote Godin. “They buy relations, stories and magic.”
Cowan’s goal is to bring some magic to the game and his partners. The key, he says, is to create a new way to look at a corporate golf tournament and ensure that indelible memories and impressions are made. He calls these impressions, “instances of delight.”
“I want to change the process of golf,” says Cowan. “Golfers need to feel that they played in a golf tournament. The tournaments that I create will feature small surprises that make a meaningful connection. Camaraderie will naturally occur among players and that will allow for a more meaningful tournament experience.”
Looks like Cowan is on his way to becoming indispensable.