Entertaining Customers and Prospects at Golf

Entertaining Customers and Prospects at Golf

Entertaining customers and prospects on the golf course is one of the best ways to strengthen business relationships, instill trust and gain commitment. How many other meetings take place in pleasant surroundings on neutral ground over five to twelve hours?

Active Reference

The overarching objective of any business contact is to 'create active reference’. This means influencing people so that they will spontaneously recommend you and your company to others in the future. Active Reference is your goal when entertaining at the golf course whether the deal is sealed or not. In order to achieve this it is important that you plan your meeting to ensure you create a first class experience for your guests.

Which Golf Course?

This is an important consideration based on their game. The choice of golf course should cater to their handicap. You may think that inviting an occasional golfer to a ‘marquee name’ such as Pebble Beach or Beth Page Black will raise your standing. After a couple of 11’s and 5 lost balls the allure tends to wear off. Pick something that allows you to spend more time talking to them rather than looking for their golf ball. The same thoughts should apply if they are a better golfer than you are.

Send an Itinerary

Preparing your guests in advance with concrete information ensures that they are more likely to arrive in a relaxed state and in a good frame of mind. Let them have a set of directions and precise instructions as to how to proceed on arrival. If they are unfamiliar with the clubhouse tell them what to look out for, who to ask, what to do with their clubs and exactly where to meet you. They will also need to know if there is a particular dress code in operation.

Meeting at the Course

You should arrive at least 30 minutes before your guests. This will give you time to pay for the green fees, get scorecards, organize carts, find out where the first tee is and start ordering refreshments for your guests’ arrival. You may also wish to organize a credit account to be settled at the end of your round.

On the Tee

¬It is a good idea to decide in advance which color tees you will be playing off. Try and choose the tee boxes that will allow your guests to have the most enjoyable round even if you can hit the ball a country mile. Decide the format that you are going to play. Ask your guests if they have a preference. Here is a useful website to help you choose the most enjoyable format for your group:

http://www.golfalot.com/LucyLocket/Formats.aspx

Handicaps should have been declared before reaching the first tee and are really only important if you are playing for more than pride. Sometimes a guest will ask to have a wager. If it’s a small amount, nobody will feel disgruntled at the end if they have to fork out. If it is for larger amounts, I suggest politely declining since often neither party knows what the other is capable of. Some handicaps need to be taken with a pinch of salt.

Who drives the cart? Their choice.

Golf Etiquette

Minding your golf ‘p’s and ‘q’s is a critical area and you should be very familiar with course etiquette. Showing your ignorance can be a detail that loses the deal or leaves you open to question.

Here is some useful information from the United States Golf Association:

http://www.usga.org/playing/etiquette/etiquette.html

If your guests are less acquainted with form on the course than you, a polite request should be enough to make them aware what they are doing.

Business Talk

One of the great things about playing golf is that you really get to know a person after spending 3 or 4 hours with them. You see how they cope with success and failure. You find out how considerate they are, how gracious they are. You share some personal information, a joke, an experience. One of the things you don’t talk about is business. That is the last thing on the agenda. The business conversation takes place off the course over a cold drink. You all know that it is coming and that it is part of the day. The ritual of playing golf takes priority until the final putt is holed.




Golf is a management skill. It is one of the most powerful ways to build lifelong relationships. Done well, it enhances your reputation and that of your company.

How you are on the course is a reflection of your culture, your values and your integrity. If we look more deeply into the concept of golf as a management skill it is possible to apply success factors in playing golf well, to business and vice versa.

Better Business Better Golf improves personal performance in the board room and on the course by taking principles of best practice in managing and leading others and showing how the same principles apply in becoming a better golfer. It is a unique program because it is practical and you can use it to create results right away. To find out more contact:

service@betterbusinessbettergolf.com

Insight; Inspiration; Improvement. That’s Better Business Better Golf