How many million-dollar deals get made on the golf course?
Depending on who you ask, the answers to this question about golf-inspired business deals range from ‘lots’ to ‘all of them.’
Even if your business isn’t the type where traditional contracts or so-called deals are made, the relationships made during several uninterrupted hours of comradery are pure gold. Said another way, a golf swing takes five seconds, and the average golf game takes a few hours to finish. What on earth is going on for the rest of the experience, except valuable quality time in a relaxing surrounding?
In 2020, your Chamber evaluated every program that we regularly offer, including the Annual Young Americans Golf Classic. “Does it help our members? Is it mission-critical? Can we do it safely?” While some other fundraising tournaments seemed to be in decline (after all, our tournament supports the Chamber’s Young Americans Program), we learned that not only were the answers to our questions resoundingly “yes”, but also that there’s a growing need for Chambers to inspire networking like the kind that happens on the course as the nature of belonging and gathering changes.
Golf is on the rebound. In 2020, play increased nationwide by 5% year over year. In 2021, play increased 19% (National Golf Foundation). More and more people are seeing its value as a new generation fill in the gaps left by early retirements and the great resignation, and the “employability skills” showcased on the course are too valuable to ignore. There’s no better place to observe etiquette, honesty, and to make relationships a priority. The game is accessible, it’s for all ages, it’s healthy, and it’s an exercise in character-building.
If you’re intimidated by the idea of an 18-hole tournament, or you’ve figured out that your biggest priority ought to be developing new relationships, we invite you to come along to something different that we call ‘Chip & Chat’. Over five holes of golf and some food to follow, Chip & Chat is a friendly opportunity for serious and amateur golfers alike. Thanks to Fulton Bank, our Premier Sponsor, and our host Knoebels Three Ponds, it's an experience where the amateur may gain some rudimentary skill while taking a minimal risk, and the serious golfer can train up an ideal “fourth” for the critical foursome that they can't fill.
Whether you’re learning the subtleties of the game, hanging out with a work colleague for the first time, or giving back by mentoring a Young Professional, please consider joining us as we whack a ball around and chip, chat, and chew with brew on May 25th. Who knows? Maybe it'll be the key to your future deal-making, or maybe you'll end up enjoying the origin of the game.
After all, it's hard to take the game too seriously after watching Robin Williams poke fun at it (see below)!
Just a Word: How many million-dollar deals get made on the golf course?
