Golf is a hard enough game to play to throw more unnecessary frustration into the mix. Using golf as a business tool is also not easy especially if you don’t know how to play business golf.
But, let’s say you do use golf as a business development tool and you play business golf well. There are still things inherent to the way Golf is being played today that takes the fun out of playing business golf.
Here are a few things taking the fun out of playing Business Golf.
Slow Play
The slow pace of playing golf on almost all golf courses is hurting Golf. For the most part, the slow pace of play is killing golf.
Unfortunately, the slow-pace-of-play does affect a round of business golf. Today’s business leaders tend to be much more high strung and scheduled too tightly with both business and personal matters to deal with slow-play.
I have had a few incidences over the year where the business person I invited to play business golf was not very tolerated with dealing with playing a hurry-up-and-wait round of golf and (a few of which) politely excused themselves from finishing the round. That is not good for golf and especially for a round of business golf and it really is not Fun.
Others of my guest I invited to play golf were not so polite with leaving the course due to the slow pace of play and did not hesitate to let everyone know as they exited the golf course. This happens and unfortunately, until golf solves the pace of play issues, will continue to be part of what business golfers will have to deal with.
Still, a good business golfer would anticipate the slow play and would be ready to deal with it when it happens.
Here are a few actions that can be taken to buffer the frustration that can build up when your round of business golf is interrupted by the slow pace of play.
Play Private Golf Clubs
Most golfers who have learned to play business golf would put forth every effort to only play on a golf course that manages pace-of-play. Many golf course cave into the need to raise more revenue by booking more tee-times and placing them closer together. It is getting harder to find golf courses who are not infected with 5 to 6 hour long rounds of golf.
This makes playing a round of business golf at a public golf course on the weekend where the tee times are five minutes apart a near impossibility.
This is not to say the pace of play at a private golf club or country club would be much better than crowded public golf courses. Those clubs who offer reasonable membership rates will attract a large number of members making the golf course, or courses as may be the case, also packed with golfers. Anytime, there are a large number of golfers wanting to play a golf course at the same time there are going to be a slow pace of play issue.
However, my experience has shown there is an 85% better chance of completing a successful round of business golf when it is played at a private golf club versus the 1% chance playing on a public golf course.
There is a 75% better chance of recovering from a round of business golf that encountered slow-pace-of-play at a private golf club versus the 5% chance a business golfer would have to salvage the round of business golf on a public golf course infected with slow-pace-of-play.
Private golf clubs and country clubs have amenities a business golfer and guest can retreat to if the pace of play becomes intolerable. The Grill or dining room at most country clubs make for great places to regroup and move into the 4th step of playing business golf. Private golf clubs are better set up for accommodating a business golf.
Still, a veteran business golfer knows to be prepared for dealing with these type of issues when they happen on the golf course and calmly change plans without notice.
The Art of Small-Talk
Another strategy to defuse the frustration that builds up with slow play would be to engage in small talk.
Many times golfers will take the game of golf far too serious. They should if they are playing competitively and if they are using a charity golf tournament or a member-guest tournament at their club as a round of business golf.
The serious golfer sometimes does not like to engage in small talk. Many business leaders also are not fond of small talk, especially if the talk on a subject they do not want to talk about..such as religion, politics, and money.
This is why it is good for business golfers to work on their small-talk skills. Small-talk is a form of art when it is done correctly. If done too much, small talk becomes a nuisance. If not done at all, the round of business golf can spiral out of control to a bad ending.
Knowing when and what to talk about is all part of learning to play business golf. You need to learn to read body language and personality characteristic of their guest to know when it is time to start the small talk.
If you are not yet at the masters level of small talk it would be good to have some small-talk topics noted so to fill in where the slow pace of play takes place.
The topic I have found to work well, that stays completely away from business-related topics, has to do with golf. Asking a question like…what is the best golf course you have ever played?…or..have you ever hit XYZ irons before?
Generally, having a conversation about golf on a golf courses makes the most sense. If the golf topic is exhausted, and you do not know much about your guest, it would be time to move into asking fundamental questions like… Are you originally from around here? But make sure to not make your questions too personal.
Keep the talk short. Think word count. Think out your statement before you make it. If you hit on a topic that can’t be completely gone over in the few seconds then move that topic to be one you talk about later.
The point is to fill in the time you and your guest are waiting with something more than expressing frustration about something neither of you can do anything about..which is the slow-pace-of play.
Forced Sale
Another aspect of business golf many business people will resort to using that is not fun or part of business golf but they feel strongly they need to make part of the round is to use the round of golf as a six-hour sales pitch.
Obviously, the results are NOT fun. Either the guest is going to get aggravated of having to think about business while playing golf. Or, the person doing the selling is going to get aggravated because he or she is unable to close the deal before they end the round.
Even in the business world, forcing a sale pitch on someone has very limited results. When done on the golf course the sales pitch will eventually lead to bad feelings between the two golfers.
Leave the sale to Step 5 of business golf where it is expected.
The results from a round of business golf come from the relationship that was formed on the golf course. If that is not how you feel you should do business then maybe business golf is not the best business development tool for you.
Business golf and golf should be fun so let it be fun.
There is a lot that goes on during a round of business golf that only golf can facilitate. A person’s true character, integrity, and honesty are a few of things golf highlights during a round of golf.
Learn from what you found out about a person while playing business that can be used to build a solid business relationship. Most importantly, make the time spent together fun.
Let me know how I can help.
