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yeah, dumb sounding question, i know, but just how important is it? and with that, how important is it that you be competitive? i'm sure it won't make or break your job prospects, but i am sure it would come in quite handy. how about golf at different levels of employment? biglaw, clerkships, midlaw, local courts. i can golf, but i would like to know if brushing up on my play would be advised. i pretty much gave up golfing in undergrad, but am confident i could shoot 90 tomorrow (if i didn't live in minnesota).

the reason i ask this question is that it seems like an excellent tool to get to know people, make deals, and entertain clients.

redline380 wrote:yeah, dumb sounding question, i know, but just how important is it? and with that, how important is it that you be competitive? i'm sure it won't make or break your job prospects, but i am sure it would come in quite handy. how about golf at different levels of employment? biglaw, clerkships, midlaw, local courts. i can golf, but i would like to know if brushing up on my play would be advised. i pretty much gave up golfing in undergrad, but am confident i could shoot 90 tomorrow (if i didn't live in minnesota).

the reason i ask this question is that it seems like an excellent tool to get to know people, make deals, and entertain clients.

Hugely important. In fact, i've never heard of anyone getting either a biglaw job or a clerkship without the ability to golf at least halfway decently. You better start practicing, or you might end up in shitlaw.

ph14 wrote:Hugely important. In fact, i've never heard of anyone getting either a biglaw job or a clerkship without the ability to golf at least halfway decently. You better start practicing, or you might end up in shitlaw.

it is a legitimate question and i would appreciate legitimate repsones. i acknowledged it was a dumb question. responding with a dumb answer accomplishes nothing for neither you nor i

redline380 wrote:

ph14 wrote:Hugely important. In fact, i've never heard of anyone getting either a biglaw job or a clerkship without the ability to golf at least halfway decently. You better start practicing, or you might end up in shitlaw.

it is a legitimate question and i would appreciate legitimate repsones. i acknowledged it was a dumb question. responding with a dumb answer accomplishes nothing for neither you nor i

It's not important. Might be nice to bond with your coworkers eventually, but if you are in biglaw there isn't exactly tons of time for hobbies.

ph14 wrote:

redline380 wrote:yeah, dumb sounding question, i know, but just how important is it? and with that, how important is it that you be competitive? i'm sure it won't make or break your job prospects, but i am sure it would come in quite handy. how about golf at different levels of employment? biglaw, clerkships, midlaw, local courts. i can golf, but i would like to know if brushing up on my play would be advised. i pretty much gave up golfing in undergrad, but am confident i could shoot 90 tomorrow (if i didn't live in minnesota).

the reason i ask this question is that it seems like an excellent tool to get to know people, make deals, and entertain clients.

Hugely important. In fact, i've never heard of anyone getting either a biglaw job or a clerkship without the ability to golf at least halfway decently. You better start practicing, or you might end up in shitlaw.

Exactly. I'm resigned to a life of failure once my clerkship is done because I don't know how to golf. I mean, I have a job lined up for the fall, but I'm sure they'll find some way to get rid of me when they find out I don't golf.

Seriously, why are you asking this question? My current judge golfs. My previous judge was mad for skiing. I do neither - which doesn't really matter since they didn't hire me to play sports with them.

A. Nony Mouse wrote:Seriously, why are you asking this question?

because i am curious. i come from a fairly blue collar background, and a large majority of the professionals i know golf. i am thinking it would be an excellent interest and skill to keep, but i am unsure, hence the question and my curiosity.
plausible scenario-
you are competeing for a job as a 2L SA with another 2L SA. you are asked to golf a round with the hiring manager. you accept, because you golf. the other 2L declines because he doesn't. you make a connection with the manager during your round of golf that wouldn't have normally been made at the office. you now have a leg up on the competition assuming all else is equal.

redline380 wrote:

A. Nony Mouse wrote:Seriously, why are you asking this question?

because i am curious. i come from a fairly blue collar background, and a large majority of the professionals i know golf. i am thinking it would be an excellent interest and skill to keep, but i am unsure, hence the question and my curiosity.
plausible scenario-
you are competeing for a job as a 2L SA with another 2L SA. you are asked to golf a round with the hiring manager. you accept, because you golf. the other 2L declines because he doesn't. you make a connection with the manager during your round of golf that wouldn't have normally been made at the office. you now have a leg up on the competition assuming all else is equal.

Agreed, that happens a fair amount. But what you really need to prepare for is an oddball. Sometimes the hiring partner isn't into golf, but rather spearfishing, Zorbing, or big game hunting. Are you a proficient Zorber?

redline380 wrote:

A. Nony Mouse wrote:Seriously, why are you asking this question?

because i am curious. i come from a fairly blue collar background, and a large majority of the professionals i know golf. i am thinking it would be an excellent interest and skill to keep, but i am unsure, hence the question and my curiosity.
plausible scenario-
you are competeing for a job as a 2L SA with another 2L SA. you are asked to golf a round with the hiring manager. you accept, because you golf. the other 2L declines because he doesn't. you make a connection with the manager during your round of golf that wouldn't have normally been made at the office. you now have a leg up on the competition assuming all else is equal.

This is not at all how hiring works. Especially for a 2L SA. Your ability to golf does not matter. Though your ability to hold a meaningful conversation and your ability to hold your alcohol do.

Edit: Typos

ph14 wrote:But what you really need to prepare for is an oddball. Sometimes the hiring partner isn't into golf, but rather spearfishing, Zorbing, or big game hunting. Are you a proficient Zorber?

lol at the zorb reference. no, i haven't "zorbed" yet, but i do keep my interests varied. oddly enough, i do like spearing and big game hunting. i have never been spear fishing, but rather ice spearing. big game hunting is a yearly ritual for me as well.

Icculus wrote:This is not at all how hiring works. Especially for a 2L SA. Your ability to golf does not matter. Though your ability to hold a meaningfully conversation and yield ability to hold your alcohol do.

thats a big check. but yeah, i know it is not how hiring works. just wondering if other people are running into golfing situations at all

redline380 wrote:

A. Nony Mouse wrote:Seriously, why are you asking this question?

because i am curious. i come from a fairly blue collar background, and a large majority of the professionals i know golf. i am thinking it would be an excellent interest and skill to keep, but i am unsure, hence the question and my curiosity.
plausible scenario-
you are competeing for a job as a 2L SA with another 2L SA. you are asked to golf a round with the hiring manager. you accept, because you golf. the other 2L declines because he doesn't. you make a connection with the manager during your round of golf that wouldn't have normally been made at the office. you now have a leg up on the competition assuming all else is equal.

Well, first, you're not going to go play a round of golf with the hiring manager during 2L SA hiring Wait, you're actually talking about during the summer, right? Sure, you can make a connection this way, but like ph14 suggests, not everyone golfs. It's important to look for ways to connect to the people you want to work for/do work for, but the point is that you make the connections, not that there is one way to do so that's better than others. It's not like golf is a bad skill to have, but it's not that the point is to learn to golf, the point is learn to make connections.

The other thing is that it's not that common that all else is equal.

(Anyway, like I said, I don't golf. My current judge and co-clerk golf, there were clerks at my previous court who golfed, and I imagine some of the other judges do, too. I have been asked if I golf. But I've also been asked what sports teams I follow, what kind of restaurants I like, and what kind of music I like. I'm quite sure not golfing hasn't hurt me. Would I have ended up going golfing with my judge/other golfing judges if I did play? Sure, maybe. But oh well.)