Introduction

By Patricia Napier-Fitzpatrick

“Women—or men, for that matter—who are not golfing are choosing to neglect one of the most powerful business and career-development tools there is,” declares Hillary Bruggen, a former head of global marketing at KPMG.

To play or not to play? I highly recommend it. Golf is still the key to reaching the executive suite. In a 2004 survey of 1,000 golfers, 73% said that the game helped them develop important business relationships; and over half said that being able to talk knowledgeably about golf contributed to their success, according to poll by Golf for Women magazine, investment firm Oppenheimer, and insurer Mass Mutual.

Another study by nonprofit research group Catalyst, found that among 705 women managers at Fortune 1000 companies, 41 % said that not participating in informal social networking held them back at work, and the informal networking activity they most mentioned was golf.

People do business with people they like and feel comfortable with. The golf course is the place to not only make important business contacts; it is also the place to cement relationships with clients and colleagues. What better way to build rapport with someone than spending four hours on a golf course with them?  

Do, however, keep in mind that the golf course is much like the dinner table: there is no better or possibly worse place to make an impression.  Proper decorum and respect for your fellow players is a must if you want to make a good impression on the golf course.

Following is this week’s etiquette article, “Golf Etiquette: A Professional’s Guide,” written by Erik Kemnitzer, Chief Executive Officer of Beyond the Eighteenth, to guide you on the golf course.

Golf Etiquette: A Professional’s Guide

By: Erik Kemnitzer

Business plays its own brand of golf.  Its participants understand the market; and they practice etiquette as much as the swing.  The following five courtesies are essential to anyone interested in networking on the golf course.

Discussion

Do: Make the round your primary concern.
Don’t: Refer to your resume´ on every single hole.
Reason: Even simple interruptions – like a comment about work – can frustrate a player whose chief concerns are “how should I hit this chip?” and “will I break 100 today?”

Swing Prep

Do: Calculate yardage, assess wind direction, and select a club before it’s time to hit.
Don’t: Force your playing partners to wait while you play catch up.
Reason: A round of golf takes long enough without spending 3 – 5 minutes over every shot; and the round keeps moving when you consider a putt before considering the beverage cart.

Playing Order

Do: Give the player furthest from the green an opportunity to hit first.
Don’t: Start swinging as soon as you reach your golf ball.
Reason: Hitting out-of-turn gives the impression that you’re unfamiliar with the game, while indicating to playing partners that your only concerns are your ball, your swing, and your score.

Course Care

Do: Replace divots, repair ball marks, and rake sand traps.
Don’t: Drive your golf cart within fifty yards of the green.
Reason: Courtesy extends beyond your playing partners.  When you ignore your responsibilities as a golfer, you wreck fairways, kill rough, and dent greens – on a course that hundreds are playing.

Score-Keeping

Do: Walk off the green as soon as you finish the hole.
Don’t: Stand on the putting surface and add up every stroke.
Reason: Golfers you’re playing with would like to move on.  Golfers waiting in the fairway expect you to clear the green.  And there’s time to record your score on the very next tee box.

Erik Kemnitzer is Founder & C.E.O. of Beyond the Eighteenth, LLC – a golf education company built around the four hours in every round when players are not swinging a club.  In addition to hosting events and seminars, the company provides personal instruction focused on rules, etiquette, pace-of-play, communication, course networking, etc.