I am a golfer, and I like to play golf. It is an enjoyable, but sometimes frustrating, sport, and it is nice to play with friends. However, the benefits of golf go far beyond personal life and have long fingers into business development.
The benefits of golf in business were illustrated at some length in the Washington Post today in an article titled, “Leader of the Tee World.” This was not about some guy who owns a T-shirt shop. It was, however, about some guy—specifically a young lawyer/lobbyist in DC named Tony Russo—who has perfected his golf game to the point where presidents and vice presidents—of the United States, that is—like to shoot a round with him.
The recent buzz about Tony Russo is because the US Open Golf Tournament is being played at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland this week. That is right in my backyard, so I take particular notice. Well, it is not exactly “right in my backyard” technically because I live on the Virginia side of the Potomac River, but it is close enough. “Right in my backyard—or front yard, as it is” would more accurately refer to the residents of homes surrounding the golf course who are renting out parking spaces in their front yards for early-bird tourney watchers. But, not all for profit, you understand. In fact, one goundskeeper told the press that his boss, the doctor/homeowner, was only charging money for parking on his lawn so that he could donate the money to charity. Sure! And we wonder what is wrong with health care in this country. But….I digress……
Back to Tony and his perfect backswing that makes heads of state want to golf with him. Tony not only has a perfect backswing, but it seems that he has a perfect lobbying practice as the head lobbyist for T-Mobile. Tony apparently has found a comfortable way to gain access to people with power and to make them seek out his companionship and expertise—both on the golf course and in the board room. A rather fine recipe for success in business, if you ask me.
So, when you read in my book that golf can open up some doors for women in the law—just as it has opens up doors for men—listen up and remember Tony. Or for a female to show you the way, check out Hilary Fordwich, who I discuss in Chapter 4 of my book. She is the CEO of business consulting firm Strelmark, LLC in Washington, DC, and, as an excellent golfer and contributing editor on ABC affiliate News Channel 8’s Capital Golf Week and the Washington Post’s Metro Talk, she has helped build her business around golf expertise.
But I understand that golf is not for everyone, and I have received some push back from female colleagues who do not think that women should have to pursue traditionally male methods of business promotion. I respect that view, but I do not see how embracing golf can hurt, especially when combined with the other kinds of business promotion that may be more comfortable for women. I say use what you can. There is no reason to have to choose. Just get out there and promote work and network with people at every opportunity. We all know what gets the attention in law firms—-clients and a book of business. If you have that, you have real independence. It is hard to put a real value on that.
Oops, gotta go. I need to get up early in the morning to snag one of those charity parking spaces on the doc’s lawn. Can’t get up too early for a fantasy like that!
