Golf is a fairly simple game. You hit a little white (or colored in my case) ball from a tee to a cup in the grass. It's meant to be done in 3, 4, or 5 touches of the ball. Many people think it's a competitive sport, but in reality, I have found that it's you and your skill set versus the golf course.

You get up to 14 clubs in your bag. Some are for the tees, most are for the fairways, and the rest are for around the green. Irons differ by shaft length and launch angle. A 4-iron is normally around 24 degrees, while chippers and pitchers range in the 40-50s. How far and accurately you hit each ball is up to the golfer.

Golf courses have a standard set of holes in a different order. There are generally two par 5's, two par 3s, and five par 4s per 9 holes. That means that most golf courses are par 72 or 36 shots per 9 holes (9×4=36 & 18×4=72). Most people never break 100. One over par is 45 for 9 holes or 90 for 18 holes. A good score is 1-2 over par for most.

A good golfer shoots in the 80s while a great or pro golfer shoots in the 70s or even the 60s. Shooting in the 80s means you probably are paring most holes with a few bogies (1 over par) or double bogies (2 over par). Shooting in the 70s or 60s means that you par most holes and have a few birdies (1 under par) or bogies.

There are four phases of the game per hole. First – you hit the ball off a tee. Second – you hit the ball from the fairway to the green. Since most people miss the green with their 2nd shot… Third – chip or pitch the ball onto the green and as close to the cup as possible. Fourth – putting the ball in the cup.

Hole-In-One

Here are some fun facts about what is called an “Ace”:

• The odds are 3,000 to 1 that a tour player will make a hole-in-one,
• The odds of an average player making a hole-in-one are 12,000 to 1.
• One player making two hole-in-ones in the same round is a 67 million to 1 chance.
• A hole-in-one is scored once in every 3,500 rounds, making them particularly hard to come by.
• However, 128,000 holes-in-ones are scored each year.

Common Mistakes

Good and GREAT golfers understand that most of the game is mental, and the other part is practice. Chipping and putting make up at least 1/2 of your score, but most people spend hours on the driving range and minutes on the practice green. Also, each round is different (even if you play the same course over and over).

There are conditions like temperature, wind, moisture, maintenance, and more. The chance of a ball landing in the same spot twice is about the same as a hole-in-one. You have to practice all kinds of shots and your club selections will be different every time.

Finally, no matter how good (or bad) you are, every round (or even every 9 holes) is different. There will be good days and bad days. Even professional golfers who play and practice almost every day can shoot in the 60s one day, and 80s or more the next. That's why golf tournaments are the best of 3 or 4 rounds added together to pick the winner.

The 5 Types of Golfers

Having played around 10 to 30 rounds each year over 50 years. That means I have probably played around 1000-1500 rounds of golf in my lifetime. I do have one hole-in-one. I have also golfed with all kinds, types, and skilled golfers (from complete duffers to damn near pro level). Here's how I can categorize them into 5 basic types:

1. Good & Fast
   These players don't take a lot of practice swings, they are efficient at reading greens and are generally conscious about other golfers playing around them.
2. Good & Slow
   They are very intense, spend lots of time thinking through shots, and putts, and generally are in a world of their own.
3. Bad & Fast
   They are just having fun hitting balls on a course instead of the driving range. They know they are bad and don't want to slow the game for others.
4. Bad & Slow
   These are people who should spend more time on the range and putting green. They hit multiple balls and generally lower their score in their heads to make them feel competitive.
5. Playing From The Wrong Tees
   These players could be any of the above, but don't understand why the right tees make a difference.

Playing From The Wrong Tees

People often mistake the tees and tee boxes as Men's (Pro-Black, Great-Blue, Good-White, Poor-Gold) and Women's (Red Tees). That could not be farther from the truth.  It should be based on your ability to hit the ball a certain distance.

This blog post gives a formula base on your driving distance. Take your average Driver distance, multiplied by 28, to determine a potential tee-distance range that could work with your playing style. An example is that I drive the ball around 215 yards. That means that I should play from the tees that make the golf course closest to 6000 yards (215×28). Based on that, I should play whatever tee makes the course I am playing that long. Normally, that will be the White tees.

The Types of Business People

So you are probably asking yourself, “Hey… This is a Marketing and Sales blog, what does golf have to do with my business?” Well, I have been in business for over 40 years (50 if you count when I made Christmas wreaths and sold them in my neighborhood as a kid). I have almost 10,000-15,000 hours (or 4 times my golf rounds) of experience in business. I have also done business with all kinds, types, and skilled people (from complete duffers to near-pro level). Now, I can categorize them into 5 basic types:

1. Good & Fast
   These people move to and from a business model quickly. They also know when to abandon the old way and make way for the new. This can be crazy, but they know how to get their business into the black pretty fast. (Playing from the Black tees)
2. Good & Slow
   These people are good at business but make changes slowly, They tend to be analytical, but when they move, they go all in. They are also slower to make change happen and prefer a steady business model. (Playing from the Blue tees)
3. Bad & Fast
   These people tend to look for get-rich-quick ideas. They have no problem selling supplements for one month and jumping to another franchise or business idea until it proves to be a dud. (Playing from the White tees)
4. Bad & Slow
   These are people who loyally stay with a business that is just not producing, but they keep dreaming and hoping for success. “Maybe this next conference will give me the winning ideas I need.” (Playing from the Gold tees)
5. Playing From The Wrong Tees
   These people could be any of the above, but don't understand why the right business model for them makes a difference.

Final Thoughts – Playing From The Wrong Tees

Most of us will never be the Tiger Woods of Business (like Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk). Even Tiger Woods is not the player he was before. We all must take inventory of our game (profits = putting the ball in the cup, tools = clubs in your bag, skills = how far you hit the ball, and conditions = the climate and environment),

This is a good time of the year to slow down and take inventory of who we are, where we have been, what we want, and where we are headed if nothing changes. Maybe you are a great putter and need to add someone to drive the ball and chip it on the green. Maybe you need some new tools (clubs) that better fit where you are in business now. Or, maybe you need to practice or get some training to hone your skills.

You can't change the environment, but you can change how you approach the course to counteract conditions. With all that said. I hope you hit them straight, hit them long, and get that elusive hole-in-one!

“You don’t know what pressure is until you play for five bucks with only two bucks in your pocket.”
– Lee Trevino

Comment below and share your thoughts, ideas, or questions about your golf or business game. Are you playing from the right tee? What can you do to improve your golf or business game in the next year?

To learn more about this and other topics on B2b Sales & Marketing, visit our podcast website at The Bacon Podcast