Golf in the Corporate World, Old Rules and Hitting for the Cycle

There’s a scenario I like to think about when the week begins. Two people stand at the edge of a field. One charges ahead, convinced strength alone will bring victory. The other waits. He studies the ground, notices where the grass is thinner, where the soil is firm, where a shadow might give cover. When the time is right, he steps forward with better timing.

The story teaches advantage comes not from rushing, but from watching. Most people miss it because they’re too eager to move first. But if you slow down, stay patient, and see what others ignore, the field begins to tilt in your favor.

This week, don’t confuse speed with progress. Look for the small openings. Act when they appear. That’s how the quiet win is earned.

I won’t say that my college golf career landed me my first job out of college, but it certainly didn’t hurt my chances. I remember chatting with the CEO in the final stage of the process and bonding over both having played collegiate athletics. Many high powered execs are athletes - theres a lesson in that.

Anyway, you can leverage golf in two ways:

Let’s start with number 1. You’re a true stick. Guess what? You’re an asset to the firm, especially if you’re in the finance world. People like playing with great players, and it also gives you a place (and 4 hours) where you can be higher Status, even if you are a junior guy playing with senior execs. Congrats, if you play the politics game the right way, you’ll get sent across the country with your clubs as the Stick in Residence. You’ll also become an indispensable asset to the firm. It pays to show competence on the golf course.

Shoot a few under par? Most guys will assume you are competent in all aspects of life (you probably are). It can be a huge tool to win deals and drive revenue (which is what you should be doing, or aspiring to do if in corporate world).

Ok, on to number 2. Which clubs do you belong to currently? Business is done on the golf course, and where you belong matters. To illustrate, I will tell you a short but true story.

A friend of mine runs a successful business. He constantly gets badgered to do deals, but ignores most of it, choosing to focus on the core market and competency of the enterprise. Smart man.

Anyway, one day he gets a call from a southern gentleman who is a 4th or 5th generation owner of a family-run southern department store that you would all recognize. This exec invites my friend to play Augusta National. The deal closed before my friend got on the plane.

This is an extreme example of leveraging a club membership as an asset in a business negotiation, and why a lot of top sales guys use country clubs to close deals. If you’re a member of a top-tier one? Wield its power wisely.

A little longer video (15 mins) but a good explanation of swing planes here from Jim McClean. It’s something I plan on working on this winter, as I constantly fight with getting the club “across the line” at the top.

Heres some content to get you ready:

I’ll be there Saturday. Can’t wait. Meet up at the H&B section in the merch tent?

Shoutout to friend of the program Park Ulrich for hitting for the proverbial cycle on the front 9 (!!) of Stanwich at the Farrell this past Friday. To write the numbers 2,3,4,5,6,7 consecutively in 9 holes of golf is an accomplishment. I don’t care what you shoot. That’s showing some serious range.

Park’s bag is famously featured in this tweet, which helped to get this publication off the ground. Thank you Park.

As an aside - I spoke briefly with Park and he mentioned that Stanwich doesn’t allow spikes of any kind? I was not aware of this rule. I’m all for protecting the grass and making the Super’s life easier, but that rule seems like overkill at the expense of the player.

Christian Cavaliere shot the course record 63 on Friday, and as I write this (Sunday morning) he’s in the semi final match against Matt Lowe. Coming off of a semi-final loss in the Mid-Am, he looks to continue his good form at Stanwich.

(Update as of Sunday night: Cavaliere and Davenport fell in their semi-final matches. Congrats to Johnny Spellerberg on the win!)

Some interesting bylaws from the early 20th Century at Onwentsia Club:

My intention with BowtiedGolf is to grow it as the elite clubs do — through referrals.

If you’ve improved your look, laughed a little bit, or learned something because of this newsletter… why keep it to yourself?