6 Reasons Golf Is Good for Your Business

If you remember one of the most beloved TV shows ever, you know Tony Soprano made some of his best deals on the golf course. Of course, assuming you’re not in the specific line of work Tony Soprano was, we believe that golf-related meetings can be both fun and persuasive for both sides. After all, it’s no coincidence that so many professionals around the globe use golf to their advantage.

Not convinced? Here are several more reasons that will make you choose golf as an extra for your CV.

Golf Is Great Mental Exercise

Let’s start from a personal level. Golf sets a series of mental challenges for a player. Arnold Palmer described the game as at least 80% mental. That’s largely because you need to get into the right state of mind and control your emotions before you execute a shot. Also, you need to be able to relax when you are in between shots, but you must stay focused as well. You visualize the shot before making it and then you analyze your success or mistake.

Even outside the field, you will practice responsibility by properly maintaining your golf cart and taking care of the rest of the equipment. These skills will be good for you off the green as well, and you will be able to use them both in your personal and professional life.

It Gives You a Chance to Get to Know Your Coworkers and Clients

People can show their true personalities when playing golf. The game itself gives ample opportunities to show emotional matureness or dubious behavior. Some people can get really frustrated when they miss a shot. Or, even worse, sometimes you can catch a person cheating, which is never a good thing for a business associate. This is why many experienced business professionals take their colleagues and clients to the golf course – to observe and study their behavior and possibly use the knowledge for their benefit.

It Opens Networking Opportunities

The social aspect of golf is undeniable. Many successful business people, CEOs among them, spend a lot of their time at a golf course. This gives you a chance to make new acquaintances and have interesting conversations that can even lead to new business opportunities. After a golf round filled with productive networking, don’t forget to exchange contact information and invite them to play again.

It’s an Additional Chance to Sell

A typical golf round lasts about five hours. That gives you plenty of time to present all of the advantages of your product, service, or company. Additionally, the atmosphere on a golf course is usually very relaxing. It’s a far better place to talk about some more difficult topics (such as money) than an office or a conference room. Also, many golf courses have restaurants or cafes where you can continue your parlay after the game.

It Is a Good Stress Outlet

Let’s take things back to a personal level for a second. Stress is never good for business. It impacts your productivity and messes up your focus. People have different ways to cope with stress. Some like to go jogging, others meditate or read. Golf has several advantages when it comes to the great “stress battle.” First of all, it gives you the chance to spend time outdoors. Because it requires a lot of practice, it can also be a good physical outlet. The focus and mental discipline we wrote about above are useful for stress management as well.

It’s Inclusive

The structure of the workforce, in general, is diverse. And when you organize a meet-up or team-building, you can’t invite everyone, including the 50 and 60-year-olds, to some crazy adventurous event. Regardless of age or physical shape, everyone can participate in a golf game. Everyone has the same chance to succeed and have fun too. All of this makes golf the perfect choice, not only for a specific company but also for networking, because you can meet a lot of different people engaged in this sport.

Final Word

So, now that you know the reasons why golf is great for business, we should also warn you that golf can be so entertaining and distracting that it becomes addictive. This doesn’t mean you should give up on it. Just find a way to balance business and golf, and you’ll get the best of both.