Tee Time

Don’t be left in the office when you could be teeing it up for business.

By Pam Swensen

Statistics show that women who use golf for business close more deals as a result of the increased rapport and trust built with clients by playing golf. So whether you are an avid golfer or you have never even picked up a club, it’s never too late to get started and improve your skills. Organizations like the Executive Women’s Golf Association (EWGA) can help you gain access into the “old boys’ network” by teaching you the skills and etiquette to play business golf.

Here are 10 tips to keep you on course:

1. The social skills in golf are just as important as the physical skills. Take the necessary steps to adequately prepare for your business golf event: Send an invitation to your guests and include directions, time, dress code, contact info at the golf course, any interesting information about the course design, and whether or not there will be time to warm up at the club’s driving range before your round of golf. And, of course, follow up with a thank-you note to your invited guests.

2. Be on time! If you’ve invited clients to join you, give yourself an adequate window of time to arrive at the club before your guests do.

3. Don’t be too competitive. The emphasis in a business golf setting is on building rapport and trust with your playing partners.

4. Should you or shouldn’t you have a friendly wager? Wagering is integral to golf, a way to build camaraderie. Accept it. Embrace it. Keep it friendly and the stakes low. There are lots of types of side bets, including the most common: Nassaus (three bets for the round, including low score on the front nine, back nine and full 18 at $2 each). Make sure you settle your bets at the end of the round. Your maximum out of pocket is $6. After all, it’s just good sportsmanship.

5. Tell ’em or show them that you play: Make sure to include the fact that you play golf on your résumé. Have a photo of yourself playing golf visible in your office. It’s a great conversation-starter and it does impress.

6. Remember that golf is a technology-free zone. Golf is about escaping from the real world for a few hours. If you’re expecting an important call or e-mail, you shouldn’t be on the golf course. Turn those cell phones and BlackBerrys off.

7. Talk the talk. Please know that the word “golf” is not a verb. “Golfing” is not a noun. Learn about the golf culture from movies, books, magazines, websites and TV. Watch a tournament on TV and see who is in the hunt. Knowing who won the playoff last Sunday is a great conversational ice-breaker.

8. Pay attention. You can learn so much about yourself and your playing partners during a round of golf: their decision-making tactics, temperament, sense of fun, tenacity, focus and integrity, ethics, and response to success, failure and pressure. Also, do they follow the rules or make excuses?

9. Don’t make excuses for your game. It’s important for you to know the etiquette of the game. If you are a new player and are with more experienced golfers, please say, “I’m new to the game, and any tips you have to help me move along more quickly, let me know.”

10. Have fun. Get yourself out there playing golf!

Pam Swensen is the CEO of the Executive Women’s Golf Association (EWGA), headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. Since the EWGA started in 1991, more than 85,000 women have benefited from membership in this not-for-profit organization dedicated to connecting women to learn, play, and enjoy golf for business and fun. The EWGA delivers a wide range of golf, social and networking activities to nearly 20,000 members at more than 125 local chapters throughout the United States and international chapters in Canada and France.