Golf isn\u2019t merely a leisure sport. It\u2019s the martini lunch of the modern workforce, the buoyant venue where business gets done.<\/p>\n
\u201cThink of it as a six-hour sales call,\u201d says Bill Storer, a 22-handicapper who ranks as the Ben Hogan of business golf. Just as Hogan had his five fundamentals, Storer, the president of Business Golf Strategies in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, has boiled the game down to a few basics. And unlike the rules of golf, his rules of business golf are relatively simple.<\/p>\n
But here\u2019s the biggest difference: if everyone follows them, everyone wins.<\/p>\n
1. Pick Your Partners Wisely<\/strong> 2. Don\u2019t Sandbag or Tank It<\/strong> 3. Patience is a Virtue<\/strong> 4. Play Ready Golf<\/strong> 5. Know Thy Partner<\/strong> 6. Don\u2019t Drink<\/strong> 7. Focus on Results<\/strong> 8. Play for the 20th Hole<\/strong> <\/p>\n Source: golf.com<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Golf isn\u2019t merely a leisure sport. It\u2019s the martini lunch of the modern workforce, the buoyant venue where business gets done. \u201cThink of it as a six-hour sales call,\u201d says Bill Storer, a 22-handicapper who ranks as the Ben Hogan of business golf. Just as Hogan had his five fundamentals, Storer, the president of Business […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2460,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,10],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-2459","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-golf-business","8":"category-golf-tips"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thegolferonline.com\/golf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2459","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thegolferonline.com\/golf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thegolferonline.com\/golf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thegolferonline.com\/golf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thegolferonline.com\/golf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2459"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thegolferonline.com\/golf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2459\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thegolferonline.com\/golf\/wp-json\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thegolferonline.com\/golf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2459"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thegolferonline.com\/golf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2459"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thegolferonline.com\/golf\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2459"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nThis isn\u2019t the Ryder Cup. You want to play with decision-makers, not the golfers who can shoot the lowest scores.<\/p>\n
\nIt\u2019s the most common question, Storer says: to win, or not to win. The answer is: play to your ability, fair and square. Gauge the personality of your partner and determine how intense he or she is about the game. If you decide to play a match, use the handicap system to establish even ground. An intentional \u201ctank job\u201d can be insulting to a potential client. But a flagrant sandbagging can be even worse.<\/p>\n
\nDon\u2019t discuss business before the 5th hole or after the 15th hole. Like golf itself, you\u2019re in this for the long haul.<\/p>\n
\nPar is less important than pace of play. When Storer says that business golf is like a \u201csix-hour sales call,\u201d that includes post-round drinks or dinner. Six hours on the course is way too long.<\/p>\n
\nStorer calls this the \u201cplatinum rule.\u201d Don\u2019t do unto others as they would do unto you. Treat people as they want to be treated. Pay attention to the personality. If your playing partner is solemn and serious, act accordingly. The same goes if he\u2019s a garrulous goofball. Remember: though the course isn\u2019t a stage, you\u2019re still performing. Just as you get to see them in an informal setting, they get to see you too.<\/p>\n
\nSave the six-packs for weekend outings with your buddies. This is business. Storer tells the story of a sales executive who had a few too many, lost control of his cart and sent his partner from the passenger seat. The potential client soon became a hospital patient, treated for a serious head injury. Long before the bandages came off, a business relationship had been undone.<\/p>\n
\nAnd by results, we don\u2019t mean score. Before the round, think about what you hope to get out of the day, outlining your goals and how you plan to meet them. It\u2019s a vital component to business golf, as key to good performance as a pre-shot routine.<\/p>\n
\nDon\u2019t feel like you have to have everything wrapped up by the end of the round. Sign your scorecard before you worry about signing a deal. Your first priority is making sure your playing partner has fun. Spare the formalities, unless they\u2019re called for. Storer recommends following up afterward with a thank you letter, a souvenir or other appropriate correspondence that will get you back in front of your customer.<\/p>\n