A Girl's On-Course Survival Guide to Golf

What every woman needs to know about golf and business

By Rick Sessinghaus, Psy.D, PGA

In the past five years, golf has become a popular tool to increase business for women professionals. Unfortunately, many women are still not using golf as a vehicle to grow their business. I have been hired to train business professionals on the do’s and don’ts of business golf and believe me, business golf is more a mental skill than a physical skill.

Here are some successful ways to use
golf with your business

» Start with charity events.
We have all been approached to play in these types of tournaments. This provides you with a great opportunity to network with up to 140 other golfers. I have had success donating a gift basket with my book and services. These tournaments are ideal because they are set up with teams of four playing in a scramble format (play the best ball of team). This format is less intimidating and the camaraderie of playing with the team makes it fun and relaxing.

» A business convention with a half day of golf has been a growing market. Many businesses will have a getaway once a year that revolves around training and team building. Many women have felt left out at these events because they did not play golf, so they end up going to the spa. This is an opportunity to learn more about your coworkers and be exposed to upper management, who you may only see once a year. When it comes time for promotions you want to be remembered as someone who connects with fellow coworkers. Play in these events and you will see a different side of your associates.

» Growing client relationships is the most popular way of taking care of your best clients. Treat them to a day of great golf. This is about doing something for them and thanking them for being a loyal customer.

» Turning prospects into clients is the least understood way of using golf to grow your business. Many make the mistake of inviting a prospect out to play golf, only to use the time as a sales call to convince them to do business with you. A round of golf should be used as an opportunity to get to know a prospect. Business can be achieved after the round or through setting up a separate meeting.

10 Important Guidelines

1 Call your prospects in advance and see what they want in a golf day?
» 9 holes or 18 holes?
» Time for lunch afterward?
» How far will they drive?
2 What is their level of play?
3 Do not schedule golf at a difficult course
4 Take care of payment
5 Advise prospect of certain rules of golf club, like dress code, use of locker room
6 Play by the rules- your prospect doesn’t have to, but showing you play by the rules sends a message about your integrity
7 Remember this is about developing a relationship, not making a sale
8 Business golf is not a competition, no
betting with your prospects
9 Turn off your cell phone during the day to show respect to your client, some courses don’t allow cell phones.
10 Have fun!

Host	Title	Listen
	Golf's Mental Edge Podcast #1 Mental Game Skills Runtime: Approx: 7 minutes	Listen Now

	Golf's Mental Edge Podcast #2 Practice Runtime: Approx: 7 minutes	Listen Now

	Golf's Mental Edge Podcast #3 Tournaments Runtime: Approx: 7 minutes	Listen Now

	Author and Host of Whine Time, January Jones talks with Christina Ricci about how to Reach Your Goals with your golf game. Runtime: Approx: 45 minutes	» Download MP3 or » Listen via Browser

	Author, Christina Ricci wants to HELP YOU play better golf through valuable lessons learned and shared. She shares 10 lessons she wish she knew on her first day of golf, so you can improve faster and have more fun! Runtime: Approx: 33 minutes	» Download MP3 Check out: Welcome to Golf, a 36 page Guide with companion CD. LEARN MORE»

« Return to Main Page

Featured in TEE to GREEN
Who is RICK SESSINGHAUS? Rick Sessinghaus, Psy.D, PGA Rick is known as “Golf’s Mental Coach”. Rick is the expert on the mind set principles that make or break performance on and off the course. His coaching has helped top junior, collegiate, and professional golfers reach new levels of performance. Rick’s book Golf: The Ultimate Mind Game has been featured in national golf magazines and used by leading golf instructors across the country as the “best resource to improve your mental game.”
Rick is a regular contributor
Who is JANUARY JONES? Thou Shalt Not Whine Stop Whining – Start Winning It’s just not you. Anyone who goes shopping, watches TV or has children, knows there is a world-wide epidemic of whining that is out of control. January Jones surveyed a wide cross-section of people to find out the complaints, causes and cures. Armed with this information, Ms. Jones wrote Thou Shalt Not Whine, a humorous look at whining and how to cure it. She reveals the top ten whines from all age groups. This book is guaranteed to make you laugh at yourself and others.

Check out: Welcome to Golf, a 36 page Guide with companion CD. A HANDS-ON GUIDE TO HELP YOU play better golf through valuable lessons learned and shared. Great for listening in the car. $9.95 LEARN MORE»