Socialization. Friendly competition. Boosting your athletic prowess. It’s easy to see why golf and pickleball are popular pastimes, but the benefits of picking up a paddle or club extend far beyond enjoyable evenings and weekends. Here’s why it can pay career dividends to devote some on-the-clock hours to perfecting your shot or swing.
Avoiding the out of sight, out of mind curse
Janice Newman, owner/principal of Newman HR LLC and a DePaul University adjunct professor, encourages remote employees to take advantage of every opportunity possible to get into work for relationship building, greater visibility and career development. “Yes, we can get close with Zoom and Google Meet, but that’s not the same as having an in-person relationship,” Newman says. And it’s a relationship that can be deepened by participating in a golf or pickleball tournament.
“People say deals are made on the golf course, but in reality, relationships are made on the golf course that accelerate deals off the course,” Marvy Moore says. Moore serves on the board of directors for the Women in Golf Foundation, an organization that develops women’s leadership and life skills as they learn to play golf competitively. Jackie Lang, who works in investment management, has seen this firsthand. Lang’s mother encouraged her to take up golf following college, and she now plays with both business partners and colleagues. “You really do get to build relationships and get to know people on a deeper level than you would otherwise in the office or other type of venues,” she says.
Lang also attends a yearly conference where her hours on the golf course afford her face time with C-suite leaders in and outside her organization. “It’s nice to be able to get invited to these types of outings and different events and be able to hold my own and not feel uncomfortable in that realm.”
Lack of confidence can be a barrier to entry
Financial planner Jeff Burgess serves as sales team lead for the Associate Board of Ambassadors, Chicago’s young professional American Cancer Society group. During the pandemic Burgess and fellow board members discussed hosting a golf tournament as a potential fundraiser. A female board member mentioned her boss had invited her to play golf with clients, yet she was hesitant to accept. “Here was this woman who I saw as successful and confident and thriving in her industry,” Burgess says. “And she was contemplating whether she should even go or not because she was going to be the only female. And that to me was a travesty because I’ve never felt that way as a man.” So when Burgess founded Chip Away at Cancer in 2021, he created a rule that every foursome must include a female player.
Moore’s organization, which also supports youth golf, has a program specifically designed for executive women. In addition to introducing golf fundamentals, the program helps women conquer their anxiety by arming them with knowledge, such as where to drop off your bag, when to visit the pro shop, etc. “Women especially have to be comfortable and confident in order to participate in something,” she says. “And there’s so many things that we don’t know about just starting it off. So the first step is getting the acclimation. The second step is getting the skill set to where you’re comfortable.”
Moore recently played in a tournament and shot 90. She says that’s 90 times she was able to build her confidence, telling herself with each swing that she could do it. “Those are skills that transfer because [my] body and muscle don’t know whether I’m on the golf course or I’m in a board meeting.”
So, if playing golf or pickleball now piques your interest as a component of your career development strategy, here are some tips to level up quickly.
Learn the lingo
“One of the things that I try to stress, especially in your career, is that being able to talk about golf is more important in many cases than actually playing with someone,” Moore says. She recommends you first do the work on your own, which might include going to the driving range and taking lessons. As you increase your knowledge, you will feel more adept at discussing the sport with your co-workers—what courses do they play, what kind of clubs do they hit with, etc.
Planning to discuss pickleball with your colleagues? Here’s a helpful primer for some common terms. If you’ve played tennis or racquetball a few might sound familiar… so check out this deeper dive into a feature more particular to pickleball: the “kitchen”.
Join a local organization
Many organizations are trying to make golf more approachable for women. Last summer on a golf getaway to Wisconsin, Lang joined Fore the Ladies, a nonprofit with the mission of introducing more women to the game. “There are options out there to kind of dip your toes in the water and just go to the simulator with one of those groups,” Lang says. “You can have a drink or get something to eat, meet up with them and ease yourself into it.”
To more quickly acclimate to America’s fastest-growing sport, you could sign up for a private pickleball lesson or register for a league, which offers organized group matches. If you’re a solo player, the league can often pair you with an established team.
You could also consider attending an open-play session, a set time where people of all skill levels show up to a court. This allows you to learn from more experienced players and practice your skills in a less competitive environment. Check social media, area gyms, community centers and adult sports organizations and your park district to find available opportunities.
Elevate the rest of your cardio to improve your pickleball game
If your first few times on the pickleball court leave you feeling winded, building your endurance could boost your performance. The New York Times recommends 30-60 minutes of hiking, running and swimming and provides additional recommendations for picking up speed when you’re hustling to hit a shot.
Think brand name not brand-new clubs
Moore recommends buying a well-known brand of golf clubs, even if they are secondhand. In addition to potentially being less cost prohibitive, she thinks some senior executives might be judgmental of unknown brands or discount clubs.
Check out a charity tournament
Moore considers a charity tournament one of the easiest entry points to a new-to-you sport. With golf, keep an eye out for a scramble option. “It is hard to argue that a scramble isn’t the best entryway [into golf] because I tell people, get one or two people in your group that know how to golf decently,” Burgess says. “And it doesn’t matter if the other two have never played or don’t even know how to swing a club because not every one of your shots counts.”
Consider volunteering at the tournament
“People are going to see that, and they’re going to remember that [person] was here and she was showing she was very engaged and had a positive smile,” Newman says.
Given the advice and support available to them, Lang hopes that more people, particularly women, will feel empowered to take up a new sport. “I think we have to get back into more face-to-face meetups and real connecting, versus just being on your phone or your computer constantly.”
Photo by Drazen Zigic/Shutterstock.
