I still love golf after all these years. It’s been a hole-in-one opportunity to build my envelope-manufacturing business. Whether you’re opening doors or closing deals, golf can enhance almost any business opportunity.
Last month I was privileged to play golf with another links hero of mine, Jack Nicklaus, regarded as the greatest golfer of all time. He won 73 PGA tournaments, including a record 18 major championships. We played his home course – The Bear’s Club in Florida.
I asked Nicklaus about his tremendous success, especially in making crucial, tournament-winning putts. He thought about it for a bit and said, “I never missed a putt in my mind.”
Nicklaus is not considered to be the best at hitting his woods, long or short irons, or even chipping and putting. But almost everyone considers him the greatest thinking golfer of all time. He had no equal at the mental part of the game, which makes up 50 percent of competitive golf.
Golf is a networking game par excellence.
As an example, golf great Ben Hogan stood over a crucial putt. Suddenly, a loud train whistle blared in the distance. After he had sunk the putt, someone asked Hogan if the train whistle had bothered him.
“What whistle?” Hogan replied.
Nicklaus said: “Concentration is a fine antidote to anxiety. I have always felt that the sheer intensity Ben Hogan applied to the shot-making specifics was one of his greatest assets. It left no room in his mind for negative thoughts. The busier you can keep yourself with the particulars of shot assessment and execution, the less chance your mind has to dwell on the emotional ‘if’ and ‘but’ factors that breed anxiety.”
Nicklaus put great effort into preparation. He would often arrive at a tournament a week early to study the course, prepare mentally and relax.
We discussed how much you can learn about a person when you play golf with them. The game tends to expose your real character. One study found 47 percent of those surveyed believed that behavior on the golf course usually paralleled behavior in business. It tests your fortitude, your confidence and your humility.
Golf is a networking game par excellence. In what other environment can you see your customer for four to five hours straight, without interruption from phones, meetings or competitors, for that matter?
If you’re making a key hire or closing a business deal, the golf course is an ideal test because you see how people act in all kinds of circumstances. You can take note of their appearance, how they carry themselves and how well they follow the etiquette and rules of the game – even if they know how to have fun. And remember, they can see how you handle yourself too.
Nicklaus joked that most people work their entire lives so they can play golf in retirement, whereas he played golf most of his life so he could retire to work. His Nicklaus Design company has opened more than 400 courses in 42 countries around the world.
Nicklaus is also a big believer in philanthropy and volunteerism. He and his terrific wife, Barbara, who entertained our group for dinner at their home, have raised tens of millions of dollars for the hugely impactful Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation, which provides families access to world-class pediatric health care.
Those activities illustrate his priorities in life: family, golf and business. He skipped a lot of tournaments because of family activities. He also would leave in the middle of a tournament and fly somewhere to watch his kids and be back the next day to tee off.
When Nicklaus was giving me a putting lesson, he told me that Barbara devoted 40 years to his life in golf. Now it is his turn to devote the next 40 years to her life. Family really is No. 1 with Jack Nicklaus.
Mackay’s Moral: Golf is so much more than just a game; it’s a slice of life.
Harvey Mackay is the author of the New York Times best-seller “Swim With the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive.” He can be reached through his website, www.harveymackay.com.
