Business and Golf Forum

[Splitt3r]

Who plays with a caddy these days?

Pshh... You must golf at public courses....

[TTH]

I've never been on a business golf outing or played golf in polite company so I've got a question. What about wagers?

Of course, it's not a good idea to initiate wagers/skins/side bets, but what if someone else does? Do you shoot to win or let the client win? Is there even any chance of this coming up?

[jcl2]

Men should never wear skirts.

Oh, good thing you warned me. I thought skirts were required

[deadatheist]

About money and golf though. On the rare instance where any of us gets an ace, it is acceptable and normative for the person that gets the hole in one to buy everyone a round. No, if this is suggested to you, it isn't a ploy or trick. It is a time-honored tradition.

verified.

[bustedup]

one quarter of the 25 million golfers in the U.S are top management exectuives

That is 6.25 million "top" management executives...

So if I go golfing today I should assume that one out of every four people I see out there are "top management executives" (if I go to a nice, private course)?

I am suspicious of this number.

[Farfan1]

Not bad. I'm on my phone (on a golf course in fact) so can't really quote and help you with grammar. But a few thoughts:

The "all of the newspaper" thing is kind of weak.

Suggest to your reader knowing restaurants within the area, should your group want to grab a bite/drink afterward.

Mention pace of play maybe: sometimes courses can be backed up and proper consideration for the people in front and behind you must be made

If you're looking to impress your company, I suggest if there's a bev cart on the course, offer to buy your group a round, and give the cart attendant a nice tip... this I think will impress people who frequent golf courses as its polite and much appreciated when its hot. You should also offer to buy lunch/drinks if someone else bought the round of golf.

If you are buying drinks, don't get drunk

Bring sunscreen.

Ill let you know if I think of anything else

How dare you sit on a cart on the course checking your phone!! Blasphemy!

[crazycanuck]

one quarter of the 25 million golfers in the U.S are top management exectuives

That is 6.25 million "top" management executives...

So if I go golfing today I should assume that one out of every four people I see out there are "top management executives" (if I go to a nice, private course)?

I am suspicious of this number.

I played today with a guy who ran his own manufacturing company that made oil drills in Alberta, he's a millionaire. The other guy in the group was a friend of his who runs some sort of car company. He's also a millionaire.

Usually in a group of 4, unless I'm playing with friends, there will be one top level manager, or top in whatever business practice they do, in the group. Yesterday I played with the general manager of a really nice local hotel, his friend who runs a movie theater and the 4th guy was the manager of the best restaurant in the city. This is at a nice private course. Occasionally I get the odd policeman/army/top waiter/bartender or something, but not all that often. A lot of them are retired too though.

*Shrug* Guess it depends on how you want to define top management executives.

I need to update this article.

[deadatheist]

Haha, so I realized another one today.

At the golf course, you're not allowed to bring a stereo and play music so loud that the 5 groups near you complain. And then when the marshal busts you for it, subsequently you are not allowed to harrass the cartgirl bc you think she complained... Gmafb, this is golf.

[bustedup]

*Shrug* Guess it depends on how you want to define top management executives.

Yep. While you certainly golf with a verrrrrrrrrrrrrrry impressive roster of people ( ) "top management executive" is pretty much the same as saying "super duper business action guy." So you can count the guy who owns the oil company, since he's the "top." You could also count Joe the Plumber (remember him?) since he owned his own company. How about a guy who's three levels down the hierarchy at GE, he's not "top." But he IS "management." "Executive" is a very ambiguous term, made popular mostly by The Sharper Image catalog, after they found that attaching it to product names made them worth 20% more.

LOL at Money magazine (or whoever it was, Forbes?) for using a term like "Top Management Executive"

[bustedup]

Haha, so I realized another one today.

At the golf course, you're not allowed to bring a stereo and play music so loud that the 5 groups near you complain. And then when the marshal busts you for it, subsequently you are not allowed to harrass the cartgirl bc you think she complained... Gmafb, this is golf.

Also....this.

Golf as a super duper business action guy activity will be dead in a few years. The next generation networks in whitewater rafts, at MTB trailheads and at the track on Tuesday mornings. See you there

[LawandOrder]

If I never play golf in my life I will be happy.

[HDAU]

Also, make sure you have a lot of balls and tees in case you lose. And don't be afraid to give some away. I always like if I lose a ball and someone else I'm playing with just tosses me one for another shot.

I would be careful with this one. If you are playing with somebody who takes their game pretty seriously, they probably have their specific type of ball that they play, and not only their specific type of ball, but they probably mark their ball to make sure that they can tell it apart from any other ball. If I was having a good round and hit a ball out of bounds, I would search for the ball and the exact place where it left the course to make sure that I played by the rules with my drop location. Personally, I would prefer somebody not to throw a ball at me. It all goes back to being prepared before you come to the course. If you play a good bit, you should know your game enough to know how many balls you will probably need. If you don't, you will probably spend enough time in the woods to find extra balls if you go through all that will fit in your bag.

[wtx]

If I was having a good round and hit a ball out of bounds, I would search for the ball and the exact place where it left the course to make sure that I played by the rules with my drop location.

If you hit a ball out of bounds and take a drop where it left the course, then you are not playing by the rules. It's a stroke and distance penalty...you have to drop as closely as possible to the spot from where the previous stroke was played. Unless of course you're on the tee box, in which case you can tee it up again.

[jrs12]

Haha, so I realized another one today.

At the golf course, you're not allowed to bring a stereo and play music so loud that the 5 groups near you complain. And then when the marshal busts you for it, subsequently you are not allowed to harrass the cartgirl bc you think she complained... Gmafb, this is golf.

Also....this.

Golf as a super duper business action guy activity will be dead in a few years. The next generation networks in whitewater rafts, at MTB trailheads and at the track on Tuesday mornings. See you there

I wish!

My brothers have been trying to convince me that I'm going to hurt my career by not golfing. I tried for years, but I've never been more bored than on a golf course. I'm such bad company on the links that I think it's much better for my career that I steer clear.

Of course, part of it might be that my little brother is an All-American golfer, so not-golfing is the only way that I can keep him from being better than me at something. Ah, sibling rivalry.

[crazycanuck]

If I was having a good round and hit a ball out of bounds, I would search for the ball and the exact place where it left the course to make sure that I played by the rules with my drop location.

If you hit a ball out of bounds and take a drop where it left the course, then you are not playing by the rules. It's a stroke and distance penalty...you have to drop as closely as possible to the spot from where the previous stroke was played. Unless of course you're on the tee box, in which case you can tee it up again.

Well this depends. If it's OB or a lost ball then yes, however if it is a hazard then you may drop a ball where the ball entered the hazard.

[wtx]

If I was having a good round and hit a ball out of bounds, I would search for the ball and the exact place where it left the course to make sure that I played by the rules with my drop location.

If you hit a ball out of bounds and take a drop where it left the course, then you are not playing by the rules. It's a stroke and distance penalty...you have to drop as closely as possible to the spot from where the previous stroke was played. Unless of course you're on the tee box, in which case you can tee it up again.

Well this depends. If it's OB or a lost ball then yes, however if it is a hazard then you may drop a ball where the ball entered the hazard.

This is accurate, but HDAU and I both specifically referred to hitting a ball out of bounds. While we're on the subject, the options available when your ball enters an area marked as a hazard are as follows:

For lateral hazards (red paint and/or stakes):
1. Drop within 2 club lengths of the point of entry, not closer to the hole
2. Drop on the opposite side of the hazard at a point equidistant to the hole as the point of entry (most ppl don't know this one)
3. Rehit from where the previous stroke was played
4. Drop as far away from the hole as you'd like keeping the point of entry directly between you and the hole.
5. Play the ball from the hazard (can't ground your club)

For regular hazards (yellow paint and/or stakes):
Same as above, minus options 1 and 2.

[pu_golf88]

For what it's worth, in all of my business golf outings (of which there were many), I only ran across one or two people that really played by USGA rules. Unless you are in a tournament, the game is more about fun and conversation. However, there are a few etiquette tips that you should follow:
1) Never, ever, ever, ever talk during someone's backswing. I'd club you if you did it to me.
2) Generally be polite and observe the honor rule regarding order of tee-off. (That is, the person with the lowest score on the previous hole tees off first. In the event of a tie, consider the score on the previous hole. If those are a tie, go to hole before that, etc...)
3) When anyone in your party is addressing the ball and about to hit, attempt to stay out of his line of sight. This generally means standing either facing his back or his chest. While this rule is a little less stringent on the fairway, it is very strict on the tee box and the green.
4) When playing for fun, only observe the "furthest from the pin hits first" rule when it does not unnecessarily compromise speed of play. For example, say your partner is looking for his ball behind you, and you have already arrived at your ball. You may take your shot while your partner looks. Note that this is generally true, but be wary of how formally your group is playing. If they are paying particular attention to the rules and or customs, you should wait unless directed to hit by the player behind you.
5) DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT step in any other player's line on the green. Be wary of where everyone is on the green, and take every possible care to not step where they may putt. DO spot your ball without asking if it is even potentially in the way.
6) If you are holding the pin and it is a windy day, grab ahold of the flag so it's not flapping in the fucking wind while I am trying to putt.
7) If you are the one to pull the pin, don't just drop it on the ground. Set it down. Additionally, if you are simply holding the pin, let the end of it rest on your shoe, and not on the green so as not to damage the putting surface.
If you shank a ball into the woods or think you may have lost it, and you are playing even vaguely by the official rules, hit a provisional. Also, let everyone know what type of ball you are hitting at the beginning of the round.
9) Don't bury your club head into the ground because you just smoked the ball 50yds past the green. If you are going to cuss, do so quietly.
10) If you are a foursome walking and you have a twosome behind you in carts, for christ's sake, let them play through. It doesn't insult your manhood and, as a bonus to you, you won't feel pressured from behind.
11) Fix your damn divots on both the fairway and green. I will give you some slack on the fairway if you aren't in a cart/don't have access to the sand mix. But you still should be able to replace your divot. On the green, if you leave a huge divot and don't fix it I will politely walk over to your divot, pull out my divot tool, fix your divot, then walk over to you and stab you in the neck with my divot tool so that you now have your own divot tool. (Subliminal message: You need a divot tool)

I am sure I've got more, but really these are some basic ones that, if not followed, make me want to never golf with you again.

Here's some other things I like to play by: (1) DON'T PLAY SLOW!!! (don't take a ton of practice swings), (2) don't carry your anger further than the next show, no one likes playing with someone in a bad mood and (3) rake the sand after you hit.

Well time to head out to the links!

[jcl2]

Haha, so I realized another one today.

At the golf course, you're not allowed to bring a stereo and play music so loud that the 5 groups near you complain. And then when the marshal busts you for it, subsequently you are not allowed to harrass the cartgirl bc you think she complained... Gmafb, this is golf.

Also....this.

Golf as a super duper business action guy activity will be dead in a few years. The next generation networks in whitewater rafts, at MTB trailheads and at the track on Tuesday mornings. See you there

I really hope you are right.

[zettsscores40]

What do you guys think of these as a beginners set?

http://www.overstock.com/Sports-Toys/NE ... oduct.html

http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/produ ... 02.2273503

Is there such a thing as getting clubs off season or am I going to find them the same price year round?

[crazycanuck]

What do you guys think of these as a beginners set?

http://www.overstock.com/Sports-Toys/NE ... oduct.html

http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/produ ... 02.2273503

Is there such a thing as getting clubs off season or am I going to find them the same price year round?

Those are both fine beginner sets, see if you can practice with them somewhere and see which you like better.

There isn't really an off season, last years equipment might be cheaper than this years equipment but not really much of a difference as the technology is mostly the same. Just buy the clubs when you're ready for them.

[zettsscores40]

What do you guys think of these as a beginners set?

http://www.overstock.com/Sports-Toys/NE ... oduct.html

http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/produ ... 02.2273503

Is there such a thing as getting clubs off season or am I going to find them the same price year round?

Those are both fine beginner sets, see if you can practice with them somewhere and see which you like better.

There isn't really an off season, last years equipment might be cheaper than this years equipment but not really much of a difference as the technology is mostly the same. Just buy the clubs when you're ready for them.

Is buying golf clubs anything like buying hockey sticks in reference to height? Like how on skates you generally wanted the end of the stick to come up to your nose tip?

[crazycanuck]

What do you guys think of these as a beginners set?

http://www.overstock.com/Sports-Toys/NE ... oduct.html

http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/produ ... 02.2273503

Is there such a thing as getting clubs off season or am I going to find them the same price year round?

Those are both fine beginner sets, see if you can practice with them somewhere and see which you like better.

There isn't really an off season, last years equipment might be cheaper than this years equipment but not really much of a difference as the technology is mostly the same. Just buy the clubs when you're ready for them.

Is buying golf clubs anything like buying hockey sticks in reference to height? Like how on skates you generally wanted the end of the stick to come up to your nose tip?

Um not really, how tall are you?

[EmVan]

Nice post. I want to get into golf and was looking at starting to play this year or next year. I just finished UG and am applying to LS for next fall (2010). I was wondering where to start though. I have an uncle that plays golf and has offered to give me lessons, but wanted to know what you guys think. Where should I start? Reading about clubs, rules, etc? Should I take lessons from a pro? How to go about doing that or finding a good one? How much do these things typically cost? As far as clubs go, should I get my own set right off the bat, try to borrow some first or what? How much are memberships and stuff like that?

Thx and keep up the good writeups

[wtx]

Where should I start? Reading about clubs, rules, etc?

All of this would be good, but nothing beats getting out on the course and putting in the time. I think most knowlegeable folks would tell a true beginner that it's best to learn to play the game from the hole backwards. Start with the putter and go back from there.

Should I take lessons from a pro?

Absolutely.

How to go about doing that or finding a good one? How much do these things typically cost?

You should be able to ask a handful of avid golfers who they recommend and come up with some level of consensus on the pros in your area. As far as how much it will cost you, that depends entirely on the pro. Depending on reputation, they can range from very affordable/inexpensive to extremely expensive. As a beginner, you should be able to find someone with reasonable prices since I don't think it's necessary to hit up Hank Haney or Butch Harmon. In my area you could get an hour long lesson from a good teacher for 30-50 bucks, but this is a very cheap part of the world. My guess is it would be considerably more expensive in bigger cities.

As far as clubs go, should I get my own set right off the bat, try to borrow some first or what?

If you can find a set of hand-me-downs that work for you then that'd be ideal, but you'll definitely want your own set of clubs if you plan on putting any time into it. If nobody has a set they're willing to give you, then you should be able to find a used set that'll work for pretty cheap. Specs on clubs aren't as important for ppl just starting out, but once you start to get the hang of things it's important to be up to date on equipment. Never underestimate the importance of technology in this game.

How much are memberships and stuff like that?

Again, this depends entirely on the venue. The range of cost is pretty wide. I'd definitely hold off on investing in a membership until you're absolutely sure it's something you're going to do a lot of. You should be able to find an affordable municipal course to get started on, but golf is different for everyone...some ppl absolutely love it and are addicted, some ppl hate it but are addicted anyway, some ppl aren't patient enough and get nothing but frustration out of it, and some ppl just find it dreadfully boring.

I'd wait to see how you really feel about it before investing too much because, at the end of the day, it's an expensive game once you add everything up no matter how cheaply you try to do it.

[EmVan]

Thanks for the feedback wtx! Much appreciated