Golf is more than just a game.
It is no surprise that many of us have always associated golf with the business world. Come to think of it, throughout its storied history, it has probably closed thousands of deals on different local courses around the globe. The man known as the Ben Hogan of business golf, Bill Storer, even likens the sport to a “six-hour sales call,” where players pitch ideas and make agreements while enjoying 18-holes.
Considering its unique attribute of bringing players of all ages and abilities closer, golf is a fairly simple sport to take pleasure in with life-long peers, work colleagues, and even potential clients. By looking at it from a different point of view, its social aspects to be precise, you can also see how the game’s qualities can further your professional career.
1. Building networks
Larry Culford claims that golf is a true social endeavour as it presents an excellent avenue to meet people, develop business relationships, and discover possible leads. Since players move from one hole to the next, there is plenty of time to talk and socialise about a subject matter, which in turn, might provide you with a shared objective, a conversation starter even the next time you meet.
2. Promoting work-life balance
In an article on AIB, the writer emphasised the importance of achieving a work-life balance. Despite the game’s difficult mechanics, golf offers a one-of-a-kind benefit that you play amidst open spaces and verdant courses. In turn, it helps you stay calmer, as well as relieves the strains and stresses of working life. More often than not, after completing an 18-hole course, you will be re-energised, poised, and free from all unwanted burdens.
3. Discovering something new
As previously mentioned, playing a round of golf opens the door to discover new things, not just about the game itself, but also your peers. It is great for the body and mind, in such a way that you develop your overall skills, including interpersonal relationships that can further your respective careers. One of the more recognisable advantages of the sport is that it teaches you to stay calm under immense pressure, making you more self-reliant and mentally strong.
These are just a few of the ways of how golf can advance your professional career. However, to think that the sport is all about driving a small ball into a four-and-a-quarter-inch hole, as well as creating and maintaining networks, is just compartmentalising it altogether. It is important to know that the sport, as a whole, is more than this.
Aside from being a vehicle for business opportunities, golf also underlines the value of giving back to the community. For instance, here in Houston, Play Your Course specifies organisations such as the First Tee of Greater Houston and the Houston Golf Association. The former aims to help half a million people by the year 2020, while the latter has raised more than $60 million for local charities since 1992.
From a business to a charitable standpoint, these facets represent why golf is more than just a spectator sport. It has the ability to cultivate deeper connections that help people reach their goals in life, as well as assist others in benevolent ways.
Author: James C. Nielsen
James C. Nielsen is a sports and fitness writer who is very keen on helping others through the topics he discusses.
