In all businesses, relationships matter. Despite Golf being a sport to some, and a leisure activity for others, there are not many other situations you can spend hours outside with someone in isolation. Golf is a way to help build real bonds and relationships. Since you are away from the pressures of work, those on the course are more comfortable and open to dialogue. We have curated some of our favorite quotes on why golfing matters, to give you insight on the importance of building meaningful relationships in business; in this case – through the scope of Golf.
•“Relationships matter – and golfing helps develop real bonds.” Jonah Engler
•“You observe over a period of time the habits of the individual. You see their integrity, their mannerisms, how they approach different situations, how they deal with success and failure. But in the end, I think the beauty of being able to create a relationship with somebody and bond with them for four or five hours is very valuable—I don’t know that there’s another place that you have the capability of doing that.” Brad Brewer
•”I’m not worried about their skills as a player, but rather how they conduct themselves, as golf, like business and life, will test you in a multitude of ways.” David Rynecki
•“Suggesting a game of golf is an easy way to secure an additional opportunity to get to know someone you might be interested in doing business with in the future. In other words, it is a lot easier to get them to say yes to a round of golf than to a formal business meeting.” Phil Oscarson
•“I have done many deals on the golf course.” Donald Trump
•“The big thing with golf is the social aspect.” Todd Leavenworth
•“Ensuring that the right decision makers attend is key to a successful golf event.” Bryan Starr
•“Golf, in particular, really challenges a person’s patience, and you can tell how they deal with success and failure when they’re playing. I once heard somebody say that golf teaches you about someone’s reactions to adversity.” Jacqueline Whitmore
•“What your behavior is on the golf course tells your customers what kind of company they’re dealing with.” Steve Friedlander
•“And golf is steeped with a lot of protocol. People can tell if others follow rules and are courteous or discourteous to other players. It’s more important, I think, how people conduct themselves on the green versus how good a player they are.” Jacqueline Whitmore
•“It’s crucial to remember that although golf is a fun, more casual way to connect with peers or partners, an event with clients still qualifies as a business environment. How you and your attendees behave on the course says a lot about your company and your personal work ethic.” Agatha Gilmore
•“Let’s be honest, even the most experienced golfers appreciate a confidence builder when it comes to mixing business and golf.” Bryan Starr
•“It’s a bit of a looking glass into how people think.” Brad Brewer
•“Golf teaches you about a person’s reactions in adversity—how they deal competitively with situations—because with golf there is such an easy mechanism to take advantage of the rules.” David Rynecki
•“Remember that more often than not, people make investments in people. A round of golf is a great time to demonstrate you are a smart, competent, and likable person. If you are a thoughtful golfer who engages in good conversation on the course, you will increase your chances for closing a deal.” George Souri
•“Golf can be an extremely effective networking tool. It has long been said, “it’s not what you know, but who you know,” and simply put, a golf course is a great place to get to know someone.” Phil Oscarson
•“There is an energy when golfing that helps business.” Eric Vainer
•”One of the things we like to do is have a little golf clinic out on the driving range before the event to go over chipping or putting, or even to present a type of demo.” J.J. Jaeger
•“You get to joke around and laugh at each other. There’s more of a networking capability at a golf course versus in a boardroom, where it’s a structured meeting.” Todd Leavenworth
•“Whether for business or pleasure, golf is a bonding experience between individuals. Establishing a positive relationship on the golf course enhances the business relationship.” Bryan Starr
•“It’s important to recognize the personality of the person or people you are playing with. You have to recognize that so many executives do not understand why they aren’t as good at golf as they are at business. They work at it and work at it, and just get madder and madder because they can’t succeed as much as much as they do in business.” David Rynecki
•”Historically, people would have been appalled about doing business on a golf course. But today, golf, like everything else, is in transition. It’s rare that someone will say, ‘Okay, I’m going to leave my office and be unreachable for the next six hours.” Ken Wang
•“When it comes to the reception, make sure to keep it casual enough to encourage the continued flow of conversation and help those new relationships, forged on the green, blossom even further.” Agatha Gilmore
•“Golf is a game that involves a lot of downtime so it affords plenty of opportunity for quality conversation. Take advantage!” Phil Oscarson
•“The reason Arnold Palmer was so successful in golf and in business is that he had a passion for winning. Whatever it takes sometimes is the approach he would take, and I’m a firm believer that it’s hard to find a place better than the golf course to build, deepen, and strengthen relationships than the golf course.” Brad Brewer
