I don’t do golf.
It’s about as hierarchical as it comes.
In the corporate world, golf is still a major part of fiefdoms. It’s a problem. Think about it. Four individuals get to spend somewhere between four and five hours walking around a golf course whacking a ball without interacting with anyone else. Golf tournaments, requests to golf, schmoozing through golf, and golf as a form of recognition are prevalent in business. It’s not that I’m against networking – you must know me by now – but golf creates a form of elitism that exacerbates the ‘us versus them’ of an organization.
“Where’s Ted?”
“He’s golfing with the boss.”
“Where’s the C-Suite today?”
“They’re out golfing at a tournament.”
It reminds me of a horrific quote attributed to President Lyndon B. Johnson:
“When things haven’t gone well for you, call in a secretary or a staff man and chew him out. You will sleep better, and they will appreciate the attention.”
What, you don’t think the two are related? C’mon.
I’m 
not against golf as a sport, but please — as many vendors/partners have found out over the years — don’t ever invite me to golf on business time.
It smacks of old school trickery, hierarchy and Lyndon B. Johnson.
Invite me to a peloton where we share the load … any day.
