Golf Provides Quality Time With Other

In our busy, hectic, rush here, rush there, whirwind, merry-go-round lives we frequently bemoan the fact that we spend little, if any, uninterrupted quality time with others.  Quality time allows us the leisure to enjoy one another's company, to engage in conversation, to gain a sense of another's abilities, goals and desires.  We have the opportunity to relax, laugh, be ourselves, and yes, even lose track of time.

Of the myriad of recreational opportunities available to us, golf is one of the few activities that afford the participants quality time together.  Golf is a leisure sport in both senses of the word.  We play golf in our leisure time, and we we play golf at our leisure, meaning that it is not a frantically paced sport.

Playing an 18-hole round of golf allows us the pleasure of spending four hours with our playing partners.  When was the last time you spent that much uninterrupted time with someone of significance to you?

It has been surmised that more business deals have been sealed on the links than in the boardroom.  How often do business executives pencil in on their calendars that much time with a client?  Will busy shop owners allow that length of time with a vendor?  However, put these same people together for a game of golf and time becomes unimportant.  They will spend quality time together in which a respected friendship and a business relationship can be forged.

A lot can be deciphered about an individual's character by the way he plays golf.  Is he fair, honest, does he play by the rules?  Does integrity matter?  Does he continue to try even when the chips are down.?  Is he gracious in both defeat and triumph?  All these qualities are important in the business world.  A brief encounter across a conference table probably won't disclose these facets of a personality, but four hours of quality time on the course just might.

When was the last time you spent a significant amount of time with your spouse or your children -- other than mindlessley watching hours of TV together?  Because golf is a rather intimate activity, that is we play it in rather close proximity to one another either by riding in a golf cart or walking side-by-side down the fairway, we have the wonderful ablility to kibitz with our playing partners.

Because of the laid-back, informality of the sport, it is easy to chit-chat with your fellow golfers (as long as your utterances don't occur in their backswing or while putting).  How many parents would love to have four hours of uninterrupted time with their kids?  Think of the things you could discover about one another!

Of course, for time on the course to be truly one of quality, I need to stress the importance of letting go of our high-tech gadgetry.  Making and receiving calls on our cell phones or hurriedly getting off a text message in between shots is not conducive to an enjoyable , focused, relaxed day on the links.

Golf is an ancient and honored pastime, one of tradition and refinement.  To play golf is to enjoy the serenity of a manicured course and the companionship of like-minded competitors.  Quality time on the golf course is beyond compare and is to be savored and sought after.

Yours for the game of golf,
Johnny Miles