Golf Mythology (Part 3 – Daybreak): Creating Inclusion for Women

After having explored golf’s virtues as they reflect European American values and its shadow side history of exclusion, we’ll wrap up this series by looking at the slowly changing face of golf as more women and people of color become part of the sport.

First, a portrait of how this plays out for some women.

Sandy Miller, a friend and an account executive at Hewitt, has a passion for the sport.  She also has incorporated golf into her effectiveness as a sales professional, forging and nurturing business relationships through the game. She has gotten herself into the game in more ways than one.

Sandy has also witnessed firsthand how difficult it is for women to break into the world of golf. And Sandy being Sandy, she decided to do her part in creating greater inclusion for women in golf.  Here’s her story in her own words. – Andrés

by Sandy Miller –

Golf is an intimidating game. It’s full of tradition, rules, and fashion! In many ways taking up golf mid-career is like starting mid-term at a new junior high school where you need to navigate cliques of pre-teens who have standards of acceptable attire, rules about who hangs with who, and knowledge of who is “in” and who is “out” developed over years of growing up together. But in golf like in junior high, successfully navigating these terrifying experiences can gain you new friends, access to important contacts, and opportunities to hone discipline, focus, patience, and tenacity.

I started playing golf over 25 years ago as a new college graduate in my first real job in a small town in Western Pennsylvania. I now look back and see how lucky I was to have been surrounded by co-workers whose passion was golf, and who dashed out of the office on Tuesdays and Thursdays promptly at 5 from April to November to be on time for their golf league. They insisted that I join them. I had never played golf, but they taught me the game. Not just the golf swing or the putting stroke, but the unspoken traditions, rules, and etiquette that everybody but me just seemed to know.

Those 3 years in Pennsylvania ignited a passion for golf, and it’s been foundational in my life ever since. I’ve played hundreds of rounds with customers and clients, with my husband (who would not have married me if I didn’t play!), my family, and the many friends I’ve made over the years playing the game. I’ve participated in corporate golf events and golfed with Annika Sorenstam Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino, and Helen Alfredsson. I even had a 9-hole walking golf lesson with Tom Watson. Heady stuff in the game of golf. Though it’s a rare occurrence when my score falls below 100, I enjoy the game every time I play, except for those occasional annoying bad days where nothing goes right.  That’s when I skip right over to the “19th” hole where drinks await — the best part of my game!

Bringing Other Women Along

About 10 years ago I started thinking about how many of my women colleagues at work didn’t play. I heard things like “it takes too much time,” “I’ve never played before,” “I’m not very good at it,” “it’s too scary,” “I don’t really know the rules.”  I would encourage them to play in the occasional golf outing where a scramble format would protect them from the agony and indignity of 18 holes of miserable results. It was a safe place to learn. I would also encourage women to go to their local park district or community college continuing education programs (where I took my first lessons) and learn the basics.  Get comfortable with the golf clubs, understand what club to use when, get familiar with the rules, I told them. But it was still scary to lots of women.

What I started to figure out is that learning the culture of golf is much like moving to a new country and having to learn its traditions, rules, and norms. But while there are hundreds of books, golf schools, videos, and workshops available to refine tee shots or improve one’s fairway game, there was nothing I could find that provided the context of the culture.

For example, “why are there three or four different places on each hole that you start from?” (black, blue, white or red tees) “Do I put my golf shoes on in the parking lot or in the locker room in the club house?” ” What should I wear?”  ”How do you keep score?” “What does it mean to ‘keep pace’? This is the intimidating part of golf. Everyone seems to know what to do, and, when you don’t, everyone notices.

As a result I created a workshop called, “Get in the Game: What you need to know before you ever step foot on the golf course.”  The workshop is targeted at women — young women in college sororities, women in business who want to learn to play,  and experienced women golfers who want to share their love for the game. It’s about teaching the culture of golf and giving women the confidence to get in the game. Over the last 3 years I’ve given this workshop about 15 times. Each time it’s enough to get at least one person to get over their fears and venture out for lessons or find a league to join. All of those women who have taken the leap have reported back how much it’s made a difference to them, both at work and at home.

Impact

Here’s what some of the women have said about the experience:

“I took your class last year and went and took lessons through my local park district.  This year I was able to take one of my clients to play golf. We had a great time. It was such a great way to get to know him better and we now talk golf all the time. It has really improved our relationship and I know I’ve gotten more business from him as a result.”

“I feel so much more comfortable now when I go to the golf course. I am able to concentrate on the conversation with my golf partner and having a great time instead of worrying if I am doing something wrong.”

“I called my dad after taking the workshop. He had taken me golfing years ago when I was a kid but I never really took to the game. He was thrilled I was now interested in having him help me to learn. We’ve played 3 or 4 times now.It has been a wonderful re-bonding opportunity and I am getting better at the game.”

This is about fun, feeling good about yourself, and becoming a savvier business professional. Come out and play!

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Getting Started

For women who are interested in discovering the joy of the game, there are a number of organizations who recognize that encouraging women to learn and play the game will have an impact on their business success. One of those organizations is the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA).  The LPGA started full day golf clinics for women almost 20 years ago. The LPGA understands that golf is a business tool. They realize that women are excluded from important corporate events by not playing golf. There are lots of similarities between golf and business–goal setting, creating a strategic plan, and adapting on the spot while handling adversity. The LPGA Golf Clinics for Women open the door for women to learn and improve the game, and get more confident so they can be more comfortable with their male peers.

The Executive Women’s Golf Association (EWGA) exists to provide opportunities for women to learn, play and enjoy the game of golf for business and for life. They are dedicated to diversity and inclusion, serving as an advocate for positive change on issues of importance to women golfers. Over 100,ooo EWGA members in 120 chapters across teh U.S. enjoy access to organized, convenient golf, the ability to simply show up and play every week during the season, and participation in a fun environment.

Oh, by the way, June is American Express Women’s Golf Month. Golf facilities across the country will be hosting fun and affordable activities all designed to create a more women-friendly environment. Don’t you think it’s time to “get in the game”? — SM

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