The Art of Business Golf

Andrew Penner

Posted 2004-04-03

Life is full of dos and don’ts. Do treat your neighbour as yourself. Do bring your spouse plenty of nice “useless” things when you return from a business trip. Don’t lob your bowling ball. Don’t kick your cat, etc. Golf works much the same way. There is a code, so to speak. A code of conduct. And it’s especially important when it comes to “business golf.”

For many people, especially those just getting started in the game, the whole concept of etiquette is overwhelming. There is so much to learn regarding equipment and technique, let alone figuring out when you can – and when you cannot – fix a spike mark or clear the frog out of your throat. Throw in the added pressure of golfing with pending clients or your hotheaded boss, and you’ve got a recipe for a major migraine.

It’s no secret. Millions of dollars worth of business is conducted on the golf course each year. The amount of potential business lost due to poor etiquette and conduct would be incalculable. For most executives, business golf has many consistencies, but, depending on the relationship and the specific goals that they have with their playing partners, there are variables.

“First and foremost,” says Darren Gallagher, an avid golfer and sales representative with Mullen Trucking’s Oil and Gas Division, “I try to ensure the day will be enjoyable. Business always comes second to getting to know the person.” For Gallagher, that means his cell phone is turned off and developing a friendship on the golf course is the first goal. Talking some business might be considered after the round, over lunch or a drink. However, as he explains, if the relationship has already been established, the game may take on a drastically different form. “With some of the clients I’ve gotten to know - and depending on circumstances - the game and developing the friendship might be completely secondary. At times, the course can become a huge meeting room, complete with conference calls and note jotting. But that’s a rarity.”

But, as Gallagher confesses, having a solid sense of course etiquette is important. “It’s definitely a detriment if you don’t know the basics in course etiquette. You certainly won’t be able to covey that ‘I’m confident, competent and savvy’ character that makes people feel like you’re the man for the job.”

Fortunately, common sense prevails on many of the game’s “rules.” Yell in someone’s backswing and you’ll likely get the evil eye. Walk well ahead of your playing partners and you’ll likely be gifted with a Titleist tattoo on the forebrain. Similarly, stand too close to someone when they’re making a swing and you’ll be singing your own version of “Billie Jean” all the way to the plastic surgeon’s office. Of course, those are the easy ones.

Unfortunately, some of the other “rules” may take a bit of time to get, ahem, embedded. Generally speaking, it’s on the putting green where “the code” is most often abandoned. “Perhaps it’s because players are conglomerating in a small area (around the hole), or concentration is at a premium, but more often than not people get in each other’s way and violate course etiquette on the greens more than anywhere else,” says Alberta golf professional Terry Carter, who owns and operates one of Calgary’s top teaching academies at the Player’s Grand Golf Centre in downtown Calgary.

While most of the common infractions that occur on the greens seldom cause people to get their knickers in a knot, it’s definitely possible that the more serious types may get offended by carelessness or ignorance on the greens. One of the most evil sins – which can include various sub-sins – is not respecting or watching out for your playing partner’s putting lines. In other words, nonchalantly stepping on a fellow player’s direct putting path to the hole, casting your shadow on the line while he is about to play the stroke, or positioning yourself on the other side of the hole on an extension of this line, all of which can be distracting.

“The biggest thing I can tell students regarding course etiquette is to be attentive on the greens,” says Carter. In other words, watch out for lines of play, repair ball marks, be ready when it’s your turn to play (player furthest from the hole putts first), and don’t hesitate to finish putting out after you’ve started. Too many people make their putt and then just stand there, lost as to what to do next. Remember, you’ve only got two options, mark your ball and get out of the way or, best-case scenario, finish putting out. Whatever your choice, be decisive and do it. And, perhaps most importantly, let your playing partners know what your intentions are.

In general, most “just-at-the-annual-company-tournament” or weekend hackers have much more important things to worry about than putting through the microscopic heel-print you’ve left behind in their line (such as where the hell the cart girl has been for the last four holes). Which leads to the obvious observation that at many “we’re here for a good time not a long time” corporate tournaments, etiquette is probably the last thing you need to worry about. How your stomach is going to cope with a shooter per hole and that way-too-friendly Texas-scramble teammate of yours who thinks he’s Mario Andretti with the powercart are probably more important issues at hand. Interestingly, motorized transportation also brings its own set of conduct issues. “Power carts are one of the most used and abused sporting goods on the market,” says British Columbia golf pro Jeff Plett. “Most people don’t realize just how much they cost.”

Incidentally, $6,000 is a bare-bones cart these days. And repairs aren’t cheap. Other things to watch out for, ask any superintendent, is where exactly you’re steering your “go-cart.” Keeping the cart on the paths where possible, avoiding skid-marks – especially on the fairways – and not starting the cart or moving around when someone is making a stroke are other things to consider when you’ve got your hands on the wheel. And, trust me, power carts can easily be flipped.

Another issue that often comes up, especially when beginners are out there, is that of giving advice on the course. Contrary to what some better-than-thou type players think, the golf course is not a suitable place to subject your playing partners – and possible clients! - to your higher knowledge. This is not to say that offering a kind word of simple advice is always a breach of conduct, however, discretion and tact are paramount. “I would go on record saying that most people who offer advice on the course really have no idea what is best for that particular player,” says Jeff Plett, a 12-year golf pro. “The old adages like ‘keep your head down’ and ‘keep your left arm straight’ are passé. When you’ve got a raw beginner out there, these ‘tips’ are bound to leave them even more frustrated.”

So what is the best advice to give when someone is having a really difficult time out there? “Unfortunately,” says Plett, “only a trained eye will likely have an answer. And it’s likely something that can only be fixed by spending some time on the lesson tee with a pro.” In the meantime, the best thing to do is relax, have fun, and do what you need to do to get through – even if it means skipping a few holes, employing the odd “hand-wedge,” switching roles and becoming the cheerleader/bartender, or stopping and restoring yourself with some “liquid courage” in the clubhouse (especially if the company is flipping the bill). Chances are, your willingness to accept your own “temporary” shortcomings and not take things too seriously will bode well when it comes to keeping your friends your friends and your clients your clients.

Unquestionably, golf is a difficult sport to learn. It’s one of the toughest sports in the world to play really well. Playing the game requires co-ordination, strength, knowledge, and, as we have learned, good conduct. Oh, and lest we forget, if you’re playing in the company tournament, a good liver and a designated driver is also helpful.