Golf 6

[McCormick93]

I have no interest in golf, and every place I've worked, my co-workers and managers have felt the same way.

Lately I've encountered vendors, professional organizations, and potential employers who invite me to golf tournaments.

I always feel sub-par (over par?) when I have to decline the invitation or find some way to sneak out of it. Usually these events are on weekday afternoons, when the rest of us are working. It would be nice to learn how to play, but I believe this would take too much time and money away from my family. Thus another conflict of values.

Am I missing good opportunities to "Improve Myself to Get Ahead in My Work" by shunning the game? Anyone else have a thought on this?

 

[Maui]

Golf in the context in which you mention it is used primarily as an opportunity to network, and to conduct business, rather than establish the quality of your skill level in the game. If you are trying to establish contacts that could lead to improved business opportunities, or if you are trying to establish your network for obtaining a better job, then take a few golf lessons, practice a little, and play in a few tournaments. If you find that it does not help you to accomplish your goals, or if you just don't enjoy the experience, then abandon the pursuit. It's your choice. I am not a fan of the game myself, but I still try to play a few times a year just to have the chance to do something together with co-workers, friends and family. If you are concerned about your performance, have faith that there will be someone in the tounament who is even worse than you at swinging a club.

Maui

 

[keano]

Yes you are.

Got my first bank loan arrange on one of these outings.

 

[CRG]

Opportunities are where you find them: on a golf course, riding bicycles, dirt bikes, snow-machining, fishing, skiing, etc. I don’t think that golf is the only way to make business friends. If you don’t like the game of golf, don’t engage in it.

 

[waskillywabbit]

When the world was taking shape, man walked the earth and beat the ground with sticks...now we call it golf. A very expensive, addictive hobby...unless it is profitable for you in/with your job, I wouldn't bother...

I used to play 4-5 times a week and had a 3 handicap...and with all that money I could have bought a new car...or two maybe. Now my clubs just collect dust...I dont' miss it a bit.

Brian

 

[DonPE]

You say that you have no interest in golf, but then go on to say that you would like to learn how to play. You will definitely like the game more once you get the basics down. I've taken lessons at the town courses during periods of unemployment (needed to get out of the house), and it's not too hard to learn if you can follow basic physics, but trying to learn it on your own is a bad idea. If anyone else in your family is interested in learning, then it wouldn't be such a conflict of values. You may even find that all of you like the idea of getting out together on the course once in a while. Just a thought.

 

[EngJW]

Not me. I'm learning to play drums. It takes my mind off of work and I get to meet some very different people. And I WANT to do it.

 

[HgTX]

I've been the photographer on a couple of golf tournaments. Spares me from actually playing golf, and I get to see everyone, not just one team. Granted, it's not exactly quality time, but still. I ain't learnin' no golf.

Hg

Eng-Tips guidelines: faq731-376

 

[BobPE]

learning something new is always fun. A lot of engineering work is done on the course, and always will be.

I invite people to play all the time that have no or little skill at the game. I always partner with them and give them pointers, have them drop their ball where I hit when they hit bad shots, joke around, etc...anything to make them get into the game.

Don't let the fact that you are in a tournament scare you, these are some of the best places to learn. Often tournemants are captain and crew where everyone hits from the best ball out of the 4 of your. Great way to learn, and your input to the team doesn't mean anything, unless you hit a good shot.

Golf can be as cheap or expensive a game as you want to make it. It does take up 4 to 6 hours a round, thus the attracting for business to have that much undivided time with clients. Give it a try, rent clubs, let the people who you are going with know your skill level, they will take you in, and have fun!!!

Bob

 

[hydrae]

At the golf turneys I've been at the game was 'best shot', the foursome each hit a ball off the tee, and three worst shots are moved to the location of the best shot, with 4 fair players you get par most of the time. Great fun even when my handicap is very high...
Hydrae

 

[jonesy29847]

Only participate in shotgun tourniments, where drinking is allowed, and free (get a vendor) it won't matter how poor you golf is.

 

[jonesy29847]

Sorry ment to include closest to the pin, that way you get the best players lay.

 

[ScottyUK]

Golf: a method of spoiling an otherwise perfectly enjoyable walk!



----------------------------------

If we learn from our mistakes,
I'm getting a great education!

 

[SolderingGunslinger]

Way back in High School, a favorite teacher was the Golf coach. Ond day after class, he came over and asked me "How tall are you?" I told him and then he asked "Would you like to join the Golf team?" I said that I didn't play and he said that it didn't matter. They were one short to be able to field a team and that he would teach me. The man had great patience. I played all of my junior year, and while I didn't hate it, I didn't grow to love it andnever excelled.

The next year, I returned the coach's clubs (they were left handed) and apologised saying that I needed to spend golf time on academics. He said it was okay, there was a Sophamore who moved to town and was a scratch golfer.

I have only needed to borrow clubs twice in the intervening 35 years, both times, I was working as a corporate Chief Engineer and was expected to play. Both times the beer was free at each tee and each green and it was served by the Hooters girls (for those outside of the USA, a restaurant (Bar) chain called Hooters has rather buxom waitresses who wear short-shorts and tight T-shirts with the Hooters logo), so it wasn’t a bad experience…as memory serves me, my playing got better exponentially with each beer consumed…then again, my memory got exponentially poorer with each beer consumed :-D

I remain,

The Old Soldering Gunslinger

 

[HVAC68]

Lot of business deals in the South East Asia are finalised at tea shops. How about that ?

I've heard of many business deals getting finalised due to Golf networking. It may not be a bad idea to learn Golf.


HVAC68

 

[livingston]

If finances are an issue, don't start playing golf. It is an expensive and addictive pasttime.

 

[ornerynorsk]

Politics, pure and simple. If you like to use politics and schmoozing to advance your position, golf is for you. If you like to rely solely on your skills and abilities, golf may not be your thing. Sorry all you golfers out there, just telling it like it is, the truth hurts, eh?!? In my opinion, it's just a cultural/social ladder climbing event in which you pretend to like people that you would not ordinarily spend time with. Enough said? Alright.

 

[BobPE]

ornerynorsk:

it's a game.....nothing else...it allows you (and your mind) to get outdoors, in a social situation, practicing ediquette, strategy, communication skills, and humility. All important skills for an engineer that many do not possess and should practice often. Not a bad return from a game I would think....

Bob

 

[SolderingGunslinger]

BobPE makes a good point. Too often, Engineers seem a bit weird to many people (who lack training in logic) outside of the profession.

Perhaps spending $100.00 for a round of golf is a good idea (that's what it costs in Tucson when the temperature is under 90-degrees F) from the standpoint of improving our social skills and throwing logic to the wind (Putting a little white ball into a little hole using a stick with an enlarged end...)

Now if the business world would only switch to a few Beers at the pool-hall, I have a couple of beautiful McDermott cues and find the geometry of eight-ball, Nine-ball, Roatation quite relaxing.

Different strokes for different folks.

The number of shots taken by an opponent who is out of sight is equal to the square root of the sum of the number of curses heard plus the number of swishes. ~Michael Green, The Art of Coarse Golf, 1975


"Golf is a game in which you yell "fore," shoot six, and write down five." ~Paul Harvey

Golf is a good walk spoiled. ~Mark Twain


I remain,

The Old Soldering Gunslinger

 

[haggis]

ScottyUK,

Just curious, you mean I am not the only Scot that doesn't play golf?

Haggis