Attracting More Women to the Tee
Are non-golfing women in your organization fed up with the annual golf tournament? While golfers in your organization are looking forward to a day of fun with clients and colleagues, some women may dread the annual affair. They might not play golf and feel left out, or they possibly resent having to take on the workload of those co-workers who are out of the office playing, rather than doing their job.
What if those complaining are women whose careers could benefit if they did play golf? For example, sales executives or account managers could increase their productivity and success if they played golf with their clients, prospects and referral sources. Or, do they wish they could play golf, but are intimidated by the game and playing in a tournament? In either case, you may have some women in your organization who are not all to happy when talk of your upcoming tournament starts.
Here are some tips on how to get the ladies interested in playing in your tournament and possibly smooth some ruffled feathers. The tips include before-the-tournament activities, as well as how you might structure the tournament to get beginners interested in playing.
Pre-Tournament Activity
A. Business Golf Clinic
Some of my clients have asked me what they can provide to women who don’t play golf, so they can get interested in playing golf and even entering the next golf tournament. I recommend that they hold a “business golf clinic” during the tournament or even a couple of months before the tournament, so attendees have time to prepare for playing in the tournament. During the “business golf clinic,” I present factors as to what makes golf the premier client development activity. As I outline in my book, On Course for Business—Women & Golf (Wiley, 2002), those include the amount of uninterrupted time together, a chance to share one’s family and background information, an ability to examine a person’s character and integrity, and so forth. They’ll learn how playing a round of golf beats doing lunch for building relationships and rapport with clients.
To ease their anxiety about playing in a tournament, I emphasize what occurs during the tournament, so women will be prepared and can look forward to having fun. If the tournament is a scramble, I emphasize that they don’t need to worry about their individual scores and their playing ability, since scoring is based on a team effort. I allay their fears about playing with more experienced golfers by explaining how if they play with proper golf etiquette and are fun to be around, they’ll be welcome in most foursomes. I also give strategies on how they can be the star player of their team, such as putting first so they can give a good read of the break to their teammates, and suggesting that they let the others know when they have had a drive that is the best they can do.
As a result of the clinic, beginners look forward to playing in the upcoming tournament and experiencing the camaraderie and fun with clients and colleagues.
Tournament Format
The format of the tournament can also help encourage female players to join in on the fun and festivities of the day. Here is a list of things that you can do to make women feel welcome playing in the tournament.
A. Invitations
On the announcements or invitations for the tournament, state specifically, “Beginners & Women are welcome to join in on the fun and play!” I suggested this language to a tournament planner and he was concerned it might make beginners and women think they’re second class citizens or inferior in some way. I understand his concern and appreciate that he’s sensitive to how they might perceive that language. I explained, however, though that for some women and beginners it can be very intimidating to play in their organization’s tournament. Seeing an explicit invitation to play may help them overcome their fear of playing in the tournament.
It would also be helpful to announce if the tournament format is a scramble and explain how it’s a team format and individual player scores are not kept. If a woman is a beginner, this may also help encourage her to enter into the tournament, since she doesn’t have to worry about how far she hits the ball or what she shoots.
If players don’t need a handicap to play in the tournament, then the invitations and announcements should also state that is the case. Beginners and women new to the game are likely not going to have a handicap, and if they know not having one doesn’t disqualify them from playing in the tournament, you’ve eliminated yet another obstacle to playing in the tournament.
B. Women-Only Perks
To encourage women to play in your tournament—whether employees, organization members, or clients—offer some perks for women players. You can have contests, such as longest drive, closest to the hole, and most accurate drives, for women only. Perhaps, you can have women count the putts that they sank and whoever has the highest number can win a prize. Offer tee prizes with a golf theme specifically for women—jewelry, purses, fashion accessories (pins or scarves), books, and the like.
C. Twosomes Only
Many tournaments require players to sign-up as a foursome. Some women may not know three other players to invite or prefer to instead focus on being a gracious host to only one guest. Women may be less intimidated to enter if they only need to find another player. With this format, players will have a chance to meet different people and network with one another.
D. Golf Course Selection
Select a golf course of moderate difficulty, so beginners are not too intimidated by a challenging golf course. And to lighten up the tournament, have some fun and silly games on the putting green, such as needing to putt with a miniature putter or a rubber mallet. You want people to have fun and look forward to next year’s tournament, rather than becoming competitive and serious about the day.
If you’re going to give a gift certificate to the pro shop of a course, make sure there is a relatively nice selection of apparel and items for women to purchase. To keep women coming back to your client’s tournament, they’ll be more likely to return if they know that they have an opportunity to select prizes that they can use for themselves, rather than for their husbands or sons.
E. Clinic During the Tournament
To show non-golfers what they’re missing out by not playing in the tournament, include a business golf seminar and a short game-putting clinic so they can learn and prepare for next year’s tournament. Have the clinic end about the same time the golfers are getting off of the course, so they’ll be able to enjoy the awards ceremony and the after-golf festivities, such as dinner, a raffle or a silent auction.
I hope these tips will get more women playing in your upcoming tournament. If they don’t play this year, then they will have time to get ready for next year’s fun on the course!
Suzanne Woo, Esq. is a business golf speaker and author. She founded BizGolf Dynamics in 1996 to help business professionals, especially women, leverage the game of golf for their professional and personal success. She is the author of On Course for Business – Women and Golf (Wiley) and 72 Secrets for Successful Business Golf. Suzanne has been featured in USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Golf for Women, and a host of other national publications. Clients include corporations like Merrill Lynch, Bank of America, National Car Rental, Harris Nesbitt, and a host of trade associations.
To learn more about how BizGolf Dynamics can help you Drive Your Business Success with Golf,TM call Suzanne at 800.722.8909 or visit www.bizgolf.biz and sign up for BizGolf E-Tips, which is sent bi-monthly on Tuesdays.
