On Thursday afternoon, a selection of Heimir Hallgrimsson's squad made their way to The K Club to take in a bit of the Irish Open. Game recognising game, as the saying goes.
Footballers tend to be big into their golf, both as participants and spectators, even though the respective environments are very different and not just because of the obvious team versus individual pursuit angle.
Some of the tracksuit-clad guests made their way to the driving range to observe the technical excellence of the tour players. Others ventured to the course to watch them engaged in the heat of the battle. You can be sure there is respect for the mental fortitude that is required to stay cool and concentrated while undergoing a thorough mental examination.
And this is where the similarities kick in. Throughout Hallgrimsson's 14 months in charge of the Republic of Ireland, he has spoken of a group that needs to become more confident and trust in what they are doing.
International footballers are motivated by their hearts; the only downside of that desire is that they can lose games in their heads. Golfers will always say that they can't win a competition on the opening day, but they can most certainly lose it. That has been the story of the Republic's recent campaigns.
Add in a managerial team with a game-plan that is built around staying in position, and the analogy doesn't seem so strained. Coach Paddy McCarthy's detailed description of the brief for likely No.6s Josh Cullen and Jason Knight leaned heavily on positioning. If they are both pulled away from the central department, then the Republic will endure an evening in the rough.
"The most dangerous area of the pitch will be in front of our back four," said McCarthy, without directly referencing the importance of Dominik Szoboszlai. "We have fallen victim to that in certain games before and we've done a lot of work on it."
We have fallen victim to that in certain games before and we've done a lot of work on it.
All the messages are good, but then it can often feel that way at the beginning of a campaign. A full house at the Aviva Stadium is a product of hope and expectation.
the Republic's Euro 2024 interest ended so early that it's effectively two and a half years - the narrow loss to France - since the venue hosted a men's qualifier with such a clear meaning. The backdrop is also important.
FAI morale is low, with job cuts on the way. The pace of development around securing Academy funding means that the long-term prognosis is cloudy. As a consequence, getting a result here and now has never been more important.
Responsibility rests on a group with zero experience of what the country is like when this team ignites.
Robbie Brady's injury and the decision to exclude Seamus Coleman means that the link to Euro 2016 is broken and there is no player with form for getting over the line.
Hungary's World Cup famine goes all the way back to 1986, but participation in the last three European Championships means Marco Rossi has a core that have been there and done that even though there is a sense they are now undergoing an evolution.
Hallgrimsson was portrayed as an unknown when he landed in the job, yet he does have an idea about what it takes. An older visiting journalist wanted to ask him about those Euros in France when his Iceland and Hungary drew 1-1.
The Republic boss feels Hungary have better individuals now, with Szoboszlai the obvious reference point. However, he kept those answers relatively short, saving his longer musings for matters about his own group.
He has spent enough time in the Republic to know what the vibe is around this encounter and admitted that management's role in the hours leading up to kick-off might involve tempering the internal atmosphere instead of ratcheting it up.
"My feeling is that our job is more about calming players down," he stressed.
"I think the energy we will get from the crowd with the importance of the game, I think some players could probably get overambitious, so it's our job to calm them and make them think about the tactical things and focus."
My feeling is that our job is more about calming players down.
Time off on Thursday after training at the match venue was built around the same logic. From Friday morning onwards, there's respite. The minute the final whistle is blown, minds will turn towards the flight to Armenia and managing that leg of this window.
Hallgrimsson acknowledged, though, that when the group is over, it's likely that the Republic and Hungary will reflect on their encounters as the key battle.
There is no second chance to get it right and, interestingly, the 58-year-old admitted that his thinking around team selection had been altered during the preparations.
"Electric" was a term affixed to unidentified individuals that have pushed themselves up the pecking order.
Understandably, he wasn't going to disclose the names with the Hungarian media travelling in force to hear his observations. The reality is that the main suspense around the Republic is in the forward departments and particularly the wide areas.
Sammie Szmodics and Chiedozie Ogbene were first-choice players in his opening Nations League campaign until their respective woes at Ipswich took them out of the equation.
Kasey McAteer was the main winner from an unremarkable summer window and appears to be a reason that Ogbene has been allowed to leave Ipswich to join Sheffield United on loan.
Szmodics prefers operating centrally but was selected on the left for the majority of his six starts in this regime. Ryan Manning has put his hand up as an astute option in the area, but Brady's absence means he could be required further back.
Hallgrimsson has always said that there isn't a huge level of difference between his options, and that is evident in a lot of the team predictions. With Evan Ferguson, though, it should be a matter of where he plays rather than if he does.
At Roma, he is the foremost attacker. Hallgrimsson has used him as a No.10 when Troy Parrott was available. Finn Azaz is another creative option here and balance will be key. Management want no confusion in the players' minds.
When Nathan Collins was asked to speak about Hallgrimsson, he honed in on how he simplified the message. The coach prides himself on organisation and coherent instruction, reasoning that repetition is a means to cope with pressure. The men in the spotlight in Straffan this week would relate to that.
Every sportsperson who ascends to a stage where all eyes are on them has achieved something. But it's major wins that define legacies.
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