WHY GOLF?: 9 POWERFUL REASONS FOR WOMEN TO TEE UP by Dee M. Robinson

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Here are nine great reasons why women need to spend more time on the golf course:

1. A golf course is a special place. It’s a safe space. A golf course is that rarity in our world: a no-judgment zone, a place where you can be yourself, and perhaps even discover yourself, by focusing on the game. It is a meditative place, a place that centers you. The latest estimate is that there are something like 33 million active golfers in the United States. Odds are you know one of them. Ask that person whether this is a special place. My guess is that they will tell you that it is the perfect place to reset. If you are worried about how poorly you might play, or how you will look, let me just say the following: Play anyway. Build up your courage muscle. Learning to put things like fear of embarrassment aside is an important part of your personal growth. I am here to tell you that I have played with some major, major golf pros, and sometimes I was initially concerned about how I would look to them as I played. You know what? It was no big deal. I just played my game. They played theirs. We connected. The ease with which you will find yourself moving beyond irrational fears like “How will I look?” is part of the experience that makes a golf course such a special place. Nothing in life is as intimidating as we first imagine. And I can tell you from personal experience that a golf course is a great place to learn that lesson—and strengthen your courage muscle. 

2. A golf course sets you up for success. That’s because a golf course is a great place to build and strengthen relationships. I am talking here about all kinds of relationships: family, business, and everything in between. There is a popular stereotype about the golf course being a place where executives close deals. That has not been my experience, and I’ve played a lot of golf with a lot of different executives over the years. What I have experienced is that it is easier for people who play golf with one another to connect with each other, be real with each other, and show vulnerability. So from that standpoint, yes, the golf course is the best possible place to take business contacts. You will definitely reap higher benefits on the golf course than you would from the same number of hours spent taking someone out to dinner. You will connect with people on a golf course in a way you cannot in any other setting. And strong, enduring connections are what set you up for success. (Side note: The golf course is also a great place to learn whom you don’t want to do business with!) 

3. A golf course sets your kids up for success. No joke! In addition to helping them learn how to create the deep, enduring connections described above, a love of golf sets your kids up for success in countless other ways. For example: by making it easier for them to get a scholarship to a great college or university. Think about it. Which do you think is easier to get: a football scholarship or a golf scholarship? Kris E. Wilson, CEO of The Littlest Golfer, may have put it best: “The first thing golf teaches is humility, the second; empathy, and the third patience.” Aren’t those the values you want your kids to live on a daily basis? 

4. A golf course makes parenting far easier. This one surprises people, but it is absolutely accurate. I’m talking about younger children now: those aged between about eight and fifteen. If you’re a parent with kids in this age range and you are looking for a long-overdue day off, let me point you toward an overlooked, top-quality babysitter your kids will love that also puts your kids on the fast track for success in later life: your local golf course. Google “First Tee” and “PGA Junior League” for more information on the relevant programs—or contact PGA REACH and we will point you in the right direction.  

5. A golf course is fun. That is reason enough to be there! Sure it can be frustrating sometimes. But every hole is an opportunity to reset. The reason golf is fun is simple: working to improve your game makes working on yourself more enjoyable. Golf can be a team sport, yes, but ultimately it is about you: your mindset, your ability to focus, your willingness to adopt a mindset that supports yourself and others. You may be thinking that mastering those things takes work. What if mastering them was really all about play? 

6. Getting better on the golf course helps you get better elsewhere in your life. No, you’re probably not going to be Lee Elder coming out of the gate. The fundamentals matter in golf as in life. So you’re going to have a learning path. You’re going to work with a pro who can coach you on those fundamentals. With the help of that coach, you’re going to set clear goals, and you’re going to do what you need to do to achieve those goals. You’re going to practice. You’re going to learn. And you’re going to improve. Then you’re going to set new goals. Guess what? This is a pattern you can implement elsewhere in life—in leadership, in sales, in innovation, in any area that matters to you.  

7. Lessons you learn on the golf course connect directly to lessons you learn about yourself. In addition to learning about the strengths and weaknesses of others while you are out on the links, you will inevitably learn important lessons about your own strengths and weaknesses on the golf course. I have learned countless lessons about how to manage myself on the golf course. You will, too.  

8. A golf course is great for your family. Golf gives you an opportunity for quality family time you can’t get anywhere else. Move beyond the mini golf! Take your family to the next level! I promise you, you won’t want to go back. 

9. A golf course empowers you to reclaim your agency—your ability to truly OWN the choices that determine the direction and quality of your life. Early on, I claimed my agency in the world of business by refusing to be an outsider—and by getting in the game. One of the most important ways I got in the game was by learning to play golf! When I first started playing, I did not have the love of golf as a sport that I do now. I thought I “had to” play golf to advance my career and to feel more included, because I saw that important connections were happening on the golf course. I played—poorly at first—as means to an end: the aim of making myself more visible. I soon fell in love with the game for its own sake. I also learned that saying, “Hey, I would love to play with you sometime” was a great way to say, “I would love to get to know you better—you’re someone I want to spend time with.” That powerful invitation allowed me to create and expand relationships that mattered and get a clearer sense of what was important to other people– and it also gave me a clearer sense of what I could learn from them. Long story short: golf helped me strengthen my courage muscle, get myself in the game, and put myself in the driver’s seat of my own life. Golf can do the same for you. 

Today, in my role as a trustee of PGA REACH and co-chair of PGA WORKS, my goal is to promote more inclusion in the game and diversify the golf industry’s workforce. I love this role. The more I engage with golf and golfers, the more opportunity for meaningful personal and organizational change I witness. With every drive and every putt, we strengthen the courage muscle, and we shift the paradigm. 

Let me also point out that a golf course really can change the trajectory of a young person’s life. This is the whole point of the PGA WORKS Fellowship program. It provides the opportunity for a one-year, paid immersion in an entry-level employment experience that offers a taste of what a career in the golf industry can provide. To learn more about the Fellowship program, or to find out about sponsoring a PGA WORKS Fellow, drop me a line! 

If you are a woman or a member of a minority group and you are not yet golfing, my message to you is simple: get in the game! If you are a woman who is ready, willing, and eager to do that, I hope you will connect with us via the PGA REACH website (pgareach.org), or connect with me on LinkedIn. I would love to get you in the game. 

Dee M. Robinson is an entrepreneurial leader who leverages strategic thinking to find innovative solutions that scale businesses. In 1995, she founded Robinson Hill, a concessions management firm specializing in retail and restaurants at airports and other nontraditional venues. In everything she does personally and professionally, she strives to help others and shorten the runway to success, empower people and organizations to overcome fear and limitations, and elevate their thinking about what is possible. Her new book, Courage By Design: Ten Commandments +1 for Moving Past Fear to Joy, Fulfillment, and Purpose

4 Strategies to Turn Networking into Results by Meridith Elliott Powell

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I am a firm believer that if you build your network, it will change your life. In my opinion, networking is one of the most important skills you can have to grow your business, build your team, and expand your client base. The impact of and the lasting effects of networking are immeasurable.  

But usually, when I say the word networking, it is as if I can feel the energy sucked right out of the room. And I get it; people don’t like the idea of networking. They don’t like the idea of walking into a room full of people they don’t know and start making a conversation.  

Again, I get it; it is awkward. But while networking may be uncomfortable, it has an incredible return on investment. Building relationships and investing in others can help you with your career, advance your skills, open doors, land new clients and create countless opportunities you could never have created on your own.  

If you build your network, it will change your life. 

So, I would say that is a pretty strong return on investment for spending just a little time feeling awkward and pushing out of your comfort zone. If networking has such a strong return on investment, then why don’t we like to network? 

Well, we already said it is awkward and uncomfortable, but beyond that, networking can take time. It is not an instant gratification investment. Like anything else, to get the most out of networking, you need to invest the time and understand how to network—the skill and strategies and what it takes to master the art.  

Four Strategies to Turn Networking into Results  

1. Shift Your Paradigm – In other words, change how you think about networking. Instead of seeing a room full of strangers, start to see a room full of people with the connections and the information that can help you achieve any goal, get closer to any opportunity, and make significant progress in achieving your dreams. 

Now that is a good perspective, right? When you are attending a networking event or meeting people for the first time, shift your paradigm to think about growth, enhancement, and an opportunity to learn.  

2. Not About You – One of the biggest things people say to me about why they hate networking is they do not know what to say. Well, guess what? The good news is you do not have to say much. Networking is NOT about you.  

In fact, if you are talking about yourself, you are missing the point. The point of networking is to learn about other people, who they are, their interests, talents, and most importantly, their needs. 

Invest in other people first.  

3. 80/20 Rule – No, this is not the typical 80/20 rule; it is more about the 80/20 talking rule. You will get the most value from networking when you talk just 20 percent of the time and listen 80 percent of the time.  

You need to be prepared to listen. How do you do that? You come ready with great questions, hang on every word, and focus on what your networking partner is saying. Use their comments to go deeper, dig deeper, and find the common ground that can help you build a strong relationship. 

4. Invest to Expand – And last but not least, you need to realize that one interaction does not a relationship or value make. You need to keep investing in the relationship. Networking is a lifestyle, not a task.  

Networking is a lifestyle, not a task. 

It is not something you do only when you head to a networking event; you do it every day like you brush your teeth and exercise. If you don’t do those things every day, well, we need to talk! 

Yes, I believe that if you build your network, you will change your life. It is one of the most important things you need to do to build your life and your business and enhance your career. 

Voted one of the Top 15 Business Growth Experts to Watch by Currency Fair, highly engaging corporate motivational keynote speaker Meridith Elliott Powell delivers a cutting-edge message, rooted in real-life examples and real-world knowledge. Meridith’s presentations are full of powerful content, highly interactive, and fun. She helps her clients learn the leadership development, sales, and business growth strategies to turn uncertainty to competitive advantage. Get your copy of her book THRIVE: Strategies to Turn Uncertainty to Strategic Advantage from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and anywhere else books are sold.