So I have to admit, I am kind of jealous that my husband got to take a course called Business Golf in his MBA program.  He’s out golfing for graduate credit and enjoying the beautiful summer weather.  So if it’s included in his MBA program, it must be important for business, right?

I have always heard this and wondered why golf is so important for networking. So I asked my brother-in-law who is a CEO of an engineering company in San Diego.  He told me that by watching someone play golf, he can tell how they will do business with him.

He looks to see if they will lie and cheat or do they play fair? Do they keep a cool head? Do they get frustrated easily? Do they have good etiquette?  These are key things that my brother-in-law wants to know about someone before he finalizes a business deal.

I guess Plato was right when he said, “You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.”

Here are some interesting statistics about golfing:

1. In the United States, 26.7 million people play golf, of which 21.7 million are men.

2. According to the National Golf Foundation, 67% of business executives plays golf.

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3. In a Robert Half survey, executives said that their most successful business meetings outside the office were conducted over a meal.  The second most popular place was at a golf course.

4. Since 1990, the participation of working women in the game has grown by 26%, which is twice the rate of non-working woman.

5. Of the working women who play golf, 40% hold managerial, professional or administrative positions.

6. Studies show that there is a correlation to women who golf and their incomes.  The better the golfer, the higher the income.  After reading this one, I think all of us ladies will be headed to the driving range:)

Do you golf? What do you notice about others while playing golf?