Ouch. In life and in golf, heartbreak hurts.
Dustin Johnson’s PGA Championship bunker blunder cost him the 3rd spot in today’s final championship playoff round.
The least the rest of us can do is learn from his mistake.
Even if we don’t play golf.
On the surface, the situation seemed like a case of mistaken bunker.
But it’s really about always knowing where you are and behaving accordingly.
That’s as true in golf as it is for online behavior.
Whistling Straits has so many bunkers of varied sizes and conditions there is a detailed warning about them as rule #1 of the local championship course rules. Rules reviewed by all. A warning also posted in the clubhouse.
Bottom line: A bunker is a bunker, even if doesn’t look like one, or if it is outside the ropes, has been trampled by the championship crowds, or run over by golf carts.
But on the 18th hole, Johnson got sidetracked. He’d hit his tee shot into the crowd and it landed on a rough patch.
“I never once thought that I was in a sand trap,” explained Johnson later.
Instead, Johnson thought about the sun gracing the ball, asking the crowd to adjust position to block it. Then, as he addressed the ball, he grounded his club.
Enter Local Course Rule #1.
The result: A 2-stroke penalty on the 18th hole and a place in golf heartbreak story history.
I play golf. Maybe you do, too. It’s easy to feel Johnon’s pain.
But let’s not get sidetracked. Where are we now? On a blog about online marketing.
So here’s the takeaway for the rest of us:
What we do online matters. Each platform has formal terms and conditions of participation.
Unlike Whistling Straits, though, no platform provides a complete local rules list. That’s because in addition to written guidelines, there are also understood community expectations. Expectations that change as the communities grow and best practices evolve.
Alas — no warnings posted in a clubhouse, either.
That just means it’s up to you to pay close attention, and make adjustments in your behavior as you move from platform to platform.
Bottom line: Online — as in golf tournaments — think first. Always.
Save on heartache.
A former Corporate 750 client manager and journalist, Certified Social Media Coach and Inbound Marketing Specialist Robin S. Fox helps clients achieve their business goals.