Site Search

Get Luxury News by Email

Live the Good Life

Categories more

Sections

Other

How Did Golf Become the Choice Sport for Businessmen?

Be the first to review this item!

#golf #golfer #golfcourse #golfclub
Published
10/15/2019

Golf has long strived to be associated with luxury and exclusivity — just think of how most golf courses are for members only. Or even the membership fees of joining various global clubs, which can have initiation fees that reach hundreds of thousands of dollars. But the sport wasn’t always associated with the elite. In fact, when it was first invented in 15th-century Scotland, it was played by both the upper and lower classes.

But by the 19th century, golf became the choice sport of wealthy businessmen who wanted an activity to play with their peers at their private clubs. But why this particular sport?

Rewards by Skill Level

One theory is that businessmen love the sport because of the practice of handicapping. This practice, which started in the late 19th century in England, made it so that a player’s score was adjusted according to his skill level. This allowed players of different abilities to be able to compete with one another. For example, with handicapping, a less-skilled golfer could beat a superior golfer and win the game.

So even if a businessman is playing with a client who rarely golfs, the client still has a fighting chance against the businessman. This can be seen as leveling the playing field. Even if they’re not equals in reality, on the field, they essentially are equals. This could make it easier to network and negotiate on the course.

A Learning Opportunity

A business meeting on the course can be a great way for a businessman to size up another, and he has the potential to learn more about his opponent there than he would in a conference room or restaurant. It’s just like doing your research before placing a bet so you can take an informed risk, not a reckless one. Consider it from this perspective: When you are placing a wager, websites offer everything from lower-level events to the majors. That’s a lot to choose from. But you have to make a decision, and that decision should be an educated one. On the course, a businessman is using this opportunity to do his research on you so he can decide whether or not he wants to take a risk on you. He, too, likely has a lot of different “bets” to choose from. But are you the best bet he can make?

Networking and Negotiating

Before golf was popular with businessmen, cricket and hunting were often the sport of choice. But golf eventually surpassed them both as the businessman’s sport because the slower-paced gameplay style of golf makes networking and negotiating much easier. That way, businessmen are able to actually communicate with one another and focus on the conversation at hand. Holding a meeting would be impossible if they were playing tennis, for example, which requires a lot more from the players.

In golf there are fewer distractions than other sports, and the sport is generally less demanding. There’s also a lot of walking or golf-cart riding involved, so that offers further opportunities for conversation. And if you don’t finish the negotiation up on the course, head to the club after to finalize the deal over dinner.

Famous Businessmen Popularized Golf

Last but not least, the sport became associated with business because famous businessmen have openly shared their love of the sport over the years. For example, John D. Rockefeller loved to play golf, and he was very open about this to reporters. Magazine and newspaper articles were written, and thus, businessmen all over the country — and the world — were able to read about their business idol’s most beloved interest. And wouldn’t they want to emulate him? So, perhaps all types of businessmen started to take up the sport, wanting to see what the fuss was about.

This is still true today. And if you want to get on the good side of your business superiors, then you’ll want to be able to play a game of golf. Doing so could lead to promotions or successful deals, so it’s not something to be overlooked.

Comments