Playing golf has become more and more important as it relates to business and I would say that right now about 1/3 of my students/clients are pursuing instruction for just that reason, business. Donald Trump, one of the best known businessmen in the world has often spoke about the importance of using golf as a vehicle by which business is done.
This article looks to explore how business and golf can lead to opportunities that might not otherwise come along. Golf can be the porthole to people and possibilities that can help you flourish in business, regardless of what business you’re in.
Let’s start with the arena or golf course if you will. An average round of golf takes about 4 ½ hours to complete (give or take an hour... mostly give), you can learn a lot about a person in that amount of time. Think about it, you have a captive audience, like shooting fish in a barrel as long as your aim isn’t reckless. The amount of time spent on the golf course during a round can allow you to establish a foundation of common ground, business relationships and maybe even long term relationships.
So now that you’ve come to realize golf as a form of business opportunity it’s time to explore what opportunities may be out there. You could join a country club, typically the swankier the club the more likely you’ll find higher end business people although that is not always the case 100% of the time. However, if you’re not at that stage of wanting to join a club there are other avenues to make connections. One of the best ways is to get involved is local charity tournaments. Every community around the country has there fair share of golf events throughout the season whether it be a fund raiser, church group outing or local charity event….get involved! These types of events tend to bring out business people from all walks of life because it’s a way supporting local business. Also, make sure you have a stack of business cards in your golf bag and plan on handing them out. It is true that playing golf generally can/will help improve your odds on crossing paths with a number of business professionals.
Another avenue to help build your business contact portfolio is to join a local golf league. This is a great way of networking to build long lasting relationships. Many public courses offer a variety of men’s, women’s and mixed leagues almost every night of the week. And because many leagues are 9 holes the time commitment isn’t as great (as opposed to 18 holes) but yet the business benefits can still be reaped.
So, wonder if you’re not a golfer but you like the idea of what the game can offer you from a business or even personal stand point? My suggestion is to do some research on locations in your area where lessons and/or clinics are given and get yourself signed up. Clinics are a great intro to the game but to get you comfortable with all aspects of the game I suggest finding a professional and getting yourself a series of lessons that will cover all facets of the game. I once had a female attorney contact me about lessons (for business purposes) and asked if the first couple of lessons we could not touch a golf club but rather spend the time covering things like how to make a tee time, what to wear and not wear to the course, what are the guidelines for gratuities basically get comfortable in the environment. Make sure your golf professional has the flexibility to work with you and your needs.
So, in these difficult economic times if you are looking for a way to have an edge in the business world, golf might just be the partner you’ve been looking for. Golf is kind of like technology in a sense. If you’re still using a rotary home phone, a 7 year old computer, and have no idea what Twitter is or means….you're behind the times no doubt. And if you are not using golf as a vehicle to network and build business, it’s kind of like being in that same boat.
Blog written
by Vince-Director of Instruction at VJF Golf Academy
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