How Well Do You Know the People you are Playing With?
Playing a round of golf reveals many different sides of people. This is part of what makes it such a great game to play. And, this is part of why it is such a good tool for business – you will learn more about a person on the golf course than you will over a two-hour lunch.
You will at some point be playing with a group of golfers who have difficult personalities, so recognizing this and knowing they exist will help you deal with them appropriately. More importantly, if you recognize yourself as one of these personalities, then start finding ways to change it now!
If you are a beginner golfer you are naturally going to be slightly anxious so recognizing this element of the game and preparing yourself for what personality may emerge on the course is as important as warming up on the range.
Your goal, no matter your skill level, is to be a great person to play with! Do that, and you will be asked to join colleagues, clients and your peers when they are signing up for their next tournament.
Golf Personalities Revealed
While the names are tongue in cheek, be aware of the traits of undesirable playing partners I list below and take the steps to ensure you avoid becoming any of these personas!
The Apologetic Golfer – Beginners Beware!
The trademark of this golfer is apologizing before every shot and telling everyone how bad he or she is before they even swing. Would you ever stand in front of your board members or peers to make a presentation and apologize at the outset that your presentation will be bad? How many times in your career have you “faked it”? You do it because you want to show confidence. Your group will know you are new to the game before you play so there is no need to keep apologizing! Even it you don’t feel confident, don’t show it!
Angry Golfer
The angry golfer has been immortalized in many golf comedies and quite often resembles a child throwing a tantrum! They will smash their club on the ground after hitting a bad shot, yelling expletives, kicking the cart tire, breaking clubs or even throwing clubs in the woods or water! This can make the round very uncomfortable for everyone around them.
Silent Sucky Pouty Golfer
You will feel this golfer’s energy before they even say a word because the worse this golfer plays, the quieter they become. They internally obsess over their bad shots and can’t let it go to move on and hit the next shot. In many ways this can feel more oppressive than the angry golfer’s outbursts and it will make everyone around them very uncomfortable.
The Cheater
Nobody likes a cheater. Nobody respects a cheater. Nobody forgets a cheater. There are a million reasons for why someone might choose to cheat on the course with embarrassment about losing the top one. Cheating comes in many forms. Not counting strokes properly is the most obvious. Saying you shot a five when you really took eight strokes to put the ball in the hole. Cheating is also dropping a ball when you lost your first one and saying you magically found it, or pretending to check and see if the ball is yours and miraculously giving yourself a better lie in the process.
How To Manage Yourself and Others
These personalities may be revealed right off the first tee box, or immediately following their first “bad shot”. If you are playing with someone that is losing their cool, use your best judgment to try to diffuse their mood with a gentle reminder that you are having a fun day; it’s great to be out of the office and supporting a great cause.
The best way to handle yourself is to lead by example. Keep your emotions in check, stay positive and learn a few basics rules and etiquette. It will make you more confident and more enjoyable to play with.
Want to know more about finding business success through Golf? Follow me on Twitter @hititwithfar or check out my private and group lesson offerings.