By now, you may have begun to realize that golf is an important tool for building successful and well-rounded social and business relationships. So, in keeping with Notable.ca’s mandate of helping you get the most out of your professional and social lives, we’ve partnered with our choice club, ClubLink, to offer insight into exactly why golf is an essential YP skill. There are multiple social and professional benefits to a golf membership. Here are just a few…
Gains of the Game
Being on a golf course means you have the electronically disconnected attention of your guest for at least four hours – in a setting that starkly contrasts a hurried lunch in a noisy downtown restaurant with cell phone in reach, and stimulus everywhere. A relaxed game of golf offers unprecedented access to building a strong business relationship, providing more opportunity to establish a connection than a small talk or quick chat can net you. If you’re a club member, bringing a potential business associate or client to the course gets you a captive audience in an atmosphere of calm activity and offers a much appreciated outing for your guest. Furthermore, with company outings becoming increasingly common, do you really want to risk being “that person” who holds up the round at your company golf tournament? Your colleagues won’t forget. Get your game to a high level with a membership. Think about it: you have clients, bosses, and colleagues to impress.
Clubhouse Connections
Having drinks or dinner in the clubhouse after a round offers schmoozing opportunities for those strategic networkers as the vibe is more relaxed (after all, some golfers take their game very seriously), and spirits are high. Rather than capturing the attention of a coveted business figure at a popular happy hour bar on a Thursday evening, top CEOs, like-minded, business-oriented young professionals and well-connected tastemakers are likely to be found in the clubhouse. When was the last time you met the president of a company you were interested in working for out on the town? Well, there’s a good chance he has a membership and spends an hour or two in the club’s lounge after packing up his irons. An added bonus? When bringing a client to the club, he or she gets to see you in your element where you know everyone and everyone knows you.
The Perks
Joining a club – as opposed to searching out public tee-times when you feel the urge to play – also gets you some notable perks. Being a club member is like having the keys to a whole new world of relationships, wining and dining, and travel. Professional golf instructors can help raise your game so you leave the rookies behind and play with the best of them. You get preferred tee time at your home club, so your game revolves around your schedule, not the other way round. You get discounts for corporate functions, banquets, meeting rooms, weddings and the list goes on. Membership often comes with organized trips and special offers at partner resorts and travel companies. Furthermore, you get the status associated with belonging to a club. Because it’s “technically” not mandatory for your life to have a membership, having one helps display affluence, which in turn shows a level of success, not to mention commitment.
The Future
Golf is something that can take you well into retirement and is a skill you can develop for life. It provides a bonding activity with your future in-laws, spouse, other couples, or on future family vacations when your future kids (yikes) are old enough. Furthermore, the relationships that you develop with fellow club members may last a lifetime. An investment in a golf membership is an investment in your future.
A golf membership may be more attainable than you think. ClubLink’s Enhanced Intermediate Plus program offers golfers between the ages of 25 and 36 graduated annual dues and food-and-beverage minimums meaning you pay less now and more when you can afford to. Plus, you can pay your membership fee over 15 annual installments at zero interest. ClubLink is famous for its innovative “one membership, more golf” model and offers the opportunity to play any of the more than 50 championship courses the company has in Ontario, Quebec and Florida—and not start paying an entrance fee until 2014. A ClubLink membership is transferable, membership fees are interest-free. Who knew becoming a golf club regular was so easy?
ClubLink is one of the world’s front-runners when it comes to the league of top golf clubs. It has a network of 42 clubs to choose from in Eastern and Southern Ontario, Quebec and Central Florida. Even more notable than this is ClubLink’s relationship with ClubCorp, which nets Signature Gold Golf or Unlimited members the chance to golf at over 230 different ClubCorp clubs across the world. The ClubLink system’s network aside, a membership at any of the luxurious ClubLink clubs comes with member benefits, some of the best greens in Canada (and the world via their partner clubs), and one of the greatest spots to build inspiring lifelong relationships.