I’ve spent countless hours on golf courses throughout my life, starting as a young professional seeking networking opportunities, but eventually discovering something far more valuable: a direct connection to business success. What began as simple business development evolved into a profitable approach to leadership that has consistently driven bottom-line results in ways no management book could have taught me.
There’s a reason so many CEOs of Fortune 500 companies golf. It’s like a sneaky business hack, and not just to build stronger relationships—golf can make you a better leader in the workplace, increase your profits, and strengthen your company. Here’s how.
The Leadership Tee: Strategic Vision Drives Profit
Standing at the tee box on a crisp morning last fall, I realized how similar this moment is to launching a profitable business initiative. Just as I visualize the perfect drive sailing down the fairway before taking my swing, profitable leadership begins with a strategic vision that sees beyond immediate gains.
The first time I truly understood this connection was during a particularly challenging round at Pebble Beach. Facing strong winds and difficult pin positions, I watched my playing partner—a CEO whose company had just reported 43% year-over-year growth—methodically plan each shot with remarkable precision. He wasn’t just playing the hole in front of him; he was mapping his entire strategy across all 18 holes.
“I never hit a shot without knowing exactly how it fits into my overall game plan,” he told me afterward. “Leading a profitable company works the same way. Every decision must align with your long-term vision while delivering incremental value.”
While I’m still a long way off from being that kind of golfer, since that day, I’ve approached business decisions with the same mindful strategy. Having a clear picture of the desired financial outcome before taking action has transformed both my leadership effectiveness and my company’s profit margins.
Reading the Market Greens: Profitable Situational Intelligence
Perhaps the most underrated skill driving both golf and business profit is the ability to “read the greens”—understanding the subtle nuances that affect your final outcomes.
Last summer, I joined a charity tournament with several executives. One teammate, the CFO of a rapidly growing startup, despite being an average golfer technically, consistently outperformed players with better swings simply because she excelled at reading greens. She would carefully study every angle, consider the moisture in the grass, and even factor in how the sun’s position might affect her shot.
The most profitable leaders I’ve worked with possess remarkable market intelligence. They read their business “greens”—understanding consumer trends, economic indicators, and competitive subtleties that might impact their profit margins.
I’ve learned that just as I walk around a putt to view it from multiple angles, profitable leadership requires gathering diverse data points before making investment decisions. The ability to see what others miss—whether on the green or in financial statements—often makes the difference between extraordinary profit and mediocre returns.
Navigating Market Downturns: Profitable Resilience
No matter how well you plan, both golf and business inevitably lead you into rough patches. How you respond to these difficult situations doesn’t just reveal character—it determines your financial outcomes.
Tiger Woods exemplifies this profitable resilience perfectly. Throughout his career, he’s faced devastating setbacks, from physical injuries to personal challenges, yet has repeatedly demonstrated the mental fortitude and ambition to rebuild his game and reclaim championship form.
His ability to stay focused and execute under immense pressure has made him not just a golf champion but a billion-dollar business success. Woods’ resilience translated directly into one of the most valuable personal brands in sports history.
I experienced my own market “rough” when our industry faced a huge downturn for one year. Standing in that metaphorical rough, I recalled a lesson from golf: you play the ball as it lies, and the right shot can still reach the green.
Rather than cutting costs indiscriminately like our competitors, I gathered my leadership team, acknowledged our position honestly, and focused entirely on the next shot—a pivot that would position us for recovery. While competitors lost market share, our strategic resilience resulted in a profit increase by the year’s end.
The Profitable Swing: Authentic Leadership ROI
Just as every successful golfer develops a unique swing that maximizes their specific strengths, I’ve discovered that profitable leadership emerges from an authentic approach that leverages your natural business instincts rather than imitating others.
Early in my career, I tried to adopt the leadership styles of executives I admired, much like I once tried to mimic the swings of professional golfers. The financial results were predictably disappointing in both cases. It wasn’t until I embraced my natural leadership tendencies, just as I eventually found my authentic golf swing, that I began to generate exceptional returns.
A breakthrough came during a leadership retreat where my mentor, who had built three profitable companies, observed, “You’re trying to lead like someone else, just as you’re trying to swing like the pros. Find your authentic swing in both arenas. That’s where real success lies.”
This advice transformed my business approach. I stopped trying to be the charismatic, extroverted leader I thought the market wanted and instead leveraged my analytical strengths and quiet determination. The result? Happier employees and more profit.
The Nineteenth Hole: Relationship Capital and Business Development
Some of the most profitable business deals I’ve closed emerged not during formal meetings but in those authentic conversations at the “nineteenth hole”—the clubhouse where golfers connect after a round.
Most of the executives I know have closed as many business deals through golf connections as they have in the boardroom. Over my years as a businessman, many of our most profitable client relationships began with casual conversations over drinks after a charity tournament.
These moments of connection and honest reflection are where relationship capital deepens and business opportunities emerge. I’ve made it a practice to create similar spaces for my leadership team—opportunities to reflect on market strategies, celebrate financial wins, acknowledge setbacks, and strengthen business networks away from the pressure of quarterly reports. The ROI on these relationship-building moments has consistently outperformed our traditional marketing investments.
Conclusion: The Endless Game
What drives my continued passion for both golf and business leadership is that neither offers a finish line—only continuous opportunities for growth and increased returns. Each round, like each fiscal quarter, offers new lessons that translate directly to bottom-line results if we remain strategic students of both games.
As I review my company’s growth trajectory alongside my declining golf handicap, I’m struck by how these parallel journeys have enriched each other financially and strategically. The golf course has become not just my sanctuary but my business school, teaching risk management, strategic thinking, resilience, ethics, and authentic leadership that have generated millions in revenue and shareholder value.
A recent study found that most executive leaders who play golf regularly believe that the sport has had a beneficial effect on their leadership skills. This includes developing skills, a certain attitude, and the ability to adapt to changing situations on the go, and they also believe that the sport shows promise for team building and relationship building in business.
Next time you stand at the tee, consider how the game might be shaping your business acumen and profit potential. The answers, I’ve found, are often hiding in plain sight—somewhere between the calculated risk of a challenging drive and the careful analysis of a breaking putt.
And if you haven’t yet made it onto the golf course, now might be the time to start learning how to play the game—you might be surprised at how much of a difference it can make to your business skills.
About the Author
Jordan Fuller is a retired golfer and businessman. When he’s not on the course working on his own game or mentoring young golfers, he writes in-depth articles for his website, Golf Influence.
