Learning how to play golf can be the best thing you ever did for your career.  Whether you are a junior analyst or executive (or anywhere in between), if you can play golf, you have an advantage over non-golfers.  Golf is often the only common thing a junior analyst and an executive have in common, but if you have that in common, it can help your career immensely.

So how do you break into the corporate world with golf?  First you have to make it known to other people in the office that you play golf.  If you have a picture on your desk of the foursome in the golf outing last year or you have a golf ball or two on your desk, people will notice.  It can start up a casual conversation which can lead to a round of golf.  Also, figure out who in your company plays golf.  This can be an easy way to start a conversation with them, and they are more likely to remember you.

If you are invited to play a round of golf, always say “yes” no matter what.  Even if you are scared to play golf with anyone besides your buddies back home (especially someone who outranks you at the company), always say “yes” if you’re invited to play golf.  Even one “no” could prompt them to never ask you again.

So, what if you’re invited, and the tee time is set for Saturday afternoon.  How do you act?  What do you say?   Do you let the other golfers win?  Do you throw a match?  All of what you do on the golf course can be critical to your career.  Here’s the “secret sauce” to all of those questions:  Just make sure they have fun!  Whether you beat them, or vice versa, just make sure they have fun.  If a work topic comes up, don’t avoid it, but just make sure it’s not all about work.  Maybe that’s why they invited you out on the golf course in the first place.  If they had a good time with you, they will invite you back to play again.  It’s as simple as that!

Other advice:  Don’t be a “hot head” on the golf course.  No one has fun when someone is huffing and puffing over the shot they just left in the bunker.  It is just a killer to having fun, and you can be sure you won’t get invited back.  Also, if they want to have a drink after the round, always say “yes”.

Once back at the office on Monday morning, people will talk.  If they say you are a ton of fun to play with, then the word will get around, and you’re more likely to get invited again.  Embrace the chatter, and be open to playing more golf with anyone!  Word gets around.

It helps to be decent at golf, but it’s not a requirement.  Remember the “secret sauce” of always having fun on the golf course?  That is paramount.  But, it is even better if you’re fun to play golf with, and you are a good golfer.  Good golfers get invited to tournaments and play golf with the big wigs.  This is even more true for female golfers.  I have a 26 year old female friend who is very good at golf and was personally invited to play in a golf tournament by the CEO, and to play with other big wigs.  This all happened in less than a year at the company.  Would that have happened if she didn’t make it known that she was a golfer, a good golfer, and was fun to play with?