Birdies, pars, bogeys can lead to closing deals

On the professional tour, golf is a competitive game. But at the amateur level its more of a relationship builder.

The sport played on beautiful landscapes with walks in between shots traditionally has allowed a father and son or a few friends the extra time to get to know one another better. And increasingly today, golf is doing the same for potential business partners.

Instead of meeting in a stuffy office or talking through an impersonal conference call, businessmen and businesswomen are building more of their professional and personal connections out on the open fairways of the golf course.

Its the social environment on a golf course that allows you to drop some of your guards and communicate more effectively, business golfer Jim Erickson said. Erickson is a principal hydrogeologist at GeoTrans Inc. in Louisville. He frequently takes his clients out for a round of golf on a variety of courses lining the Front Range.

Its not a sport that you are directly competing in, Erickson said. Your primary objective is to be out there and enjoy the environment. In between that, you can interject some business without being so in-your-face.

In fact, business talk is kept to a minimum during most golf meetings. Signing each others scorecard may be the closest thing to a validated transaction. The game is more of a common connection, launching a three- to four-hour conversation on family, friends and travel. Between every shot and every hole, more personal background is revealed, and each bit of information can go on to affect future professional decisions.

Lets face it, clients have a lot of businesses to choose from, and they want to work with consultants that they enjoy being around, Erickson said.

The sports reliance on integrity also can serve as an insight to the personality of a possible business partner, Flatirons Bank President Tom Chesney said.

The game of golf has a code of conduct that goes with it, Chesney said. Accurately reporting scores or keeping clear of the others line on the putting green can exhibit traits of honesty and respect important qualities in the business world. On the other hand, if a fellow golfer loses his temper easily, shaves strokes off his score or plays out of order, these actions can point to questionable habits and perhaps justifiably deter a possible business deal.

Chesney said he mixes golf with business several times a year, either playing in a business charity tournament or just looking to get to know a client better. Golf has become so much of a business tool for people like Chesney and Erickson that one local company has created a business out of business golf.

Teaching golf and business

The Rick Smith Golf Institute at the Omni Interlocken Resort in Broomfield focuses on solving business problems through golf clinics.

What we found is that golf can be a much more sophisticated business tool through clinics, rather than just a single round of golf, said David Schaack, president of the Rick Smith Golf Institute in Broomfield. The clinics not only teach golf, they also instill team-building skills, leadership tools and tips on how to do business out on the golf course. On-course video analysis and other golf learning tools are also available.

Each clinic, Schaack said, is customized to fit a companys need. Prices range from $150 to $900 per person, based on the number of clinics and how extensively the resorts amenities are used.

Schaack worked with Rick Smith Golf Institute Chief Executive Ben Addoms to design and begin the program last year. In its inaugural year, the business attracted about 40 companies, all of which are returning this year, Addoms said. Another five new companies have called early this season to sign up, he said.

Schaack and Addoms said the clinics are a good business tool because they strive to be inclusive, no matter the skill level of an employee or client.

We design the clinics so that everyone feels comfortable, Addoms said. Many times, when the golf program is part of a conference, the clinics will involve the spouses of the business clients.

Perhaps the biggest advantage of a clinic over just a round of golf is that it leaves business clients with a sense of accomplishment that their game has improved, Addoms said.

Believe me, when you make a company executive better at golf, he doesnt forget who did that for him, Addoms said.

When it comes to the business golfing tips, Schaack said there are two questions clients always ask.

First, Do I need to be a good golfer?

You dont have to be a good golfer, but you have to know the rules, Schaack said. Also, if youre falling behind, taking a lot of shots, then you need to know when to pick up (your ball) and move onto the next hole. Ten strokes is usually the maximum score people should take on a hole.

Second, Should I let my playing partner win?

No, Schaack said. You would never want to work with a person who consciously lets you win.

More women in the game

One of the reasons golf triumphs over any other sport for business is that the game can be learned and played by anyone. Golf can bridge people across gender, age and physical ability gaps, Addoms said.

Women in particular are working hard to improve their golf game in what has historically been a male-dominated sport, Addoms said. As the number of businesswomen rise, so do the number of women golfers. For one of its clinics last year, the Rick Smith Golf Institute hosted 30 executive women who wanted to strengthen their businesses by knowing more about game.

At Ute Creek Golf Course in Longmont, assistant golf professional Jolene Hanson said she has seen an increased interest in golf from women of all ages. Hanson played golf for the University of Colorado and also has coached the womens team at Fairview High School in Boulder.

Some of the high school girls (who are considering business careers) seriously say, I want to be able to close the deal on the golf course, Hanson said.

Colorado beauty

Conducting business on the golf course in Colorado has the added bonus of playing in the midst of the states natural beauty.

My clients who come from out of state are impressed with the courses built into the foothills, which gives them a flavor of the mountains, Erickson said.

The Front Ranges average 300 days of sunshine a year is another local benefit to playing golf here, he said. Its always nice. We rarely ever get rained out. Business clients from the lower altitudes also enjoy the areas thin air and less humidity. The favorable golfing conditions usually add about one club of distance to each shot, flying the ball farther down the high-altitude fairways.

Local golf courses, such as the Legacy Ridge in Westminster, host business-related tournaments, head gold professional Chris Swinhart said. The course will run the tournament, feed the players and give away the prizes. The tournament packages at Legacy Ridge cost about $70 to $100 per person.

A lot of them are fund-raising charity events, Swinhart said.

Legacy Ridge will see its fair share of local businessmen and women taking their clients out for a round of golf with the Front Range as their backdrop, Swinhart said.

A lot of them will come in with their corporate credit card, he said.

A round of golf being approved as a business expense shows how important many companies consider the game in building relationships. Even if the business deal closed years ago, youll find many business partners still playing golf on a sunny Friday afternoon now as two good friends.

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