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The golf course is a great place to foster friendly and working relationships. You can learn a lot about someone by the way they react during a round of golf. An average round of golf takes about 4 hours, and there are few disruptions. Out on the course, it’s fairly private and chances are good conversations won’t be overheard. It’s no wonder so many people in business enjoy playing golf and conducting business around the game of golf.

As a professional, I have frequently entertained businesspeople on the golf course. My role is to hit good shots, help people if I can and generally make it fun for all. With the exception of being expected to play great golf, a host of a business golf outing plays a similar role. Here are some suggestions to make the business of golf memorable for everyone during your next outing.

Client Comfort
The host’s job in a business outing is to make sure people are comfortable. Customers come in many packages. Some are very familiar with the host and will joke around a lot, have a few drinks and take good advantage of the day. Some customers haven’t been to many golf outings and can be very shy. They need to be coddled a little to bring them out of their shells. No customer should be left on their own unless they are very comfortable with the surroundings. There’s nothing worse than to have a customer walking around a club not sure where the group is. Have someone around the bag drop directing people when they arrive, and escort them around the club.

I think when you are entertaining clients on the golf course your main focus should be to help the client have fun. Take care of their needs like balls, drinks and food. Be a little more focused on their games than your own. Have a good sense of humor, laugh at yourself, know when to say when on a hole. If you are about to take a ten, give it up, keep play moving. Learn proper etiquette. Or, if you are a great golfer and your client is not, use handicaps, play in a scramble format or just play for fun. Consider betting on who can make the longest putt, or get the next shot the closest. Keep it fun, and don’t get impatient with the poorer golfer.

If your client hits a poor shot, be supportive. If you can’t tell how seriously the client takes the game, say something positive, like, “Good try,” or “The next one will be better.” If you know the client’s personality and teasing is acceptable, do what comes naturally. You want to keep it light and fun. You can demonstrate this, too, by taking your own game lightly.

Talk First, Golf After
Get the business meeting over before golf. You might work out a few things during the round, but after golf, people tend to be tired and are more interested in food and drink. Some of this depends on what kind of outing you are having. If you have more than one client at a time, the day is probably not a business meeting day. It is more of a customer appreciation day. Treat it as such; don’t get bogged down in the details of an agreement while your trying make a putt. Don’t interrupt your client’s pre-shot routine with a question about his next shipment of product. Meet before the tee time to discuss such subjects, enjoy your round of golf, then wind down with food and beverage afterward.

Employee Training
Your employees can be great ambassadors for your company during a business golf outing. You can help them gain confidence on the course by holding an occasional golf clinic at work. Invite your employees to learn from a professional you bring in for an hour or so to help them with their games. Subjects could range from full swing to short game to simple rules and etiquette. You could also offer to pay for private instruction for your employees, depending on how instrumental the game of golf is in interacting with your clients. When entertaining clients, one of the best way to show you are a quality company is to have employees that are golf smart, if not great golfers.

Another possibility is you have a client who loves to golf, but you’re not very good. What can you do to improve your game to a respectable level? It may just be a matter of putting a little more time into it. Work on your game more. Take some lessons with a qualified professional who can give you specific drills to work on. Go to the driving range once or twice a week. Ask some of your better golfing friends about course etiquette and how to handle specific situations in the game you may not be familiar with. Your client probably doesn’t care if you get better, but you will feel better about and have more confidence in your play on the course. That means you will look forward to meeting that client for a round rather than dreading four hours of hacking away.

Keeping Score
Unless everyone in the group is at least an intermediate golfer, I don’t think score is important. The host of a business outing should not worry about his or her score at all. No one should expect to have his career low while trying to entertain others. Clients may care about their scores, but as the host or as an employee in the hosting company, your goal should be to show a good effort and be supportive of other players.

When it comes to wagering, each situation is different. I don’t think there is one right answer. Some clients will want to place bets on the game, and others might be uncomfortable with the idea. I’d say play that by ear, but bottom line - I wouldn’t let the bets get too expensive. And, as the host of a company event, you should not collect any individual prizes. For example, longest drive or closest to the pin. Door prizes or 50/50 are other good examples. In team events, it’s all right for the host or hosting company to accept a prize, because it was a team effort. But, a great way to show your clients that you are a gracious host and good sport is to spread the wealth and let others win prizes.

Summary
Playing golf with clients and co-workers is a good opportunity to get to know them better. Keep in mind that they are also using that opportunity to get to know you. The best impression you can make is to show that you know how to get around a club, you can be social and you want to make others feel comfortable. Always dress nicely, wear clean shoes, and be polite. In business golf, how you actually play the game is secondary to how you handle yourself while playing it. So go out and enjoy the round!

Elaine Crosby is a 16-year veteran of the LPGA Tournament Division and Founder & CEO of FINDaLESSON.com, a web site directory of 1,600 PGA/LPGA teaching professionals in 50 states.