4 Reasons to Golf with Fellow Employees

Image by Hebi B. from Pixabay

COVID-19 has turned the world upside down. And it’s not going away any time soon. Among other things, this pandemic has completely changed the way people work. Specifically, working from home is not just more common, it’s all but expected. As it turns out, this shift in working from home probably came several years later than it should have. We’ve had the technology to support working from home in mass for many years.

Working from home certainly has its benefits, even if it’s a result of COVID-19. Near the top of the list for many would be no more commute time. For many of us, going to work simply means going into another room in the house. One of my favorite benefits is the ability to multi-task during meetings. In-person meetings last far longer than they should and go off-topic far too often. Now, I can turn off my camera and do just about anything I want to when the meeting has tone astray and I’m no longer contributing to or getting anything out of the meeting.

There are obviously some drawbacks from working from home as well. Right near the top of this list would be the elimination of personal interactions with coworkers throughout the day. The conversations you have with your coworkers that naturally and effectively build relationships and comradery are mostly gone now. And this is no minor drawback. This building of relationships and comradery play a huge role in how effectively a team works as a whole, as well as how individuals work on that team.

The good news is with some concerted effort, you can still make sure you have these personal interactions that are so crucial to productivity and work enjoyment. Our favorite way to promote social interactions is by playing golf. Golf is the perfect way to get together as a team, spend some real-time together interacting and connecting away from work and enjoy a morning or afternoon together. Here are 3 reasons you should go on golf outings with fellow employees.

Social Distancing is already a part of golfing

The pandemic has made social distancing a phrase that had likely never been used by most of us into something that is used on a daily basis in most households. Many activities and day-to-day routines have become awkward or eliminated entirely because of it. But social distancing while golfing not only happens naturally, it’s practically baked into golfer’s etiquette. If ever there was an activity designed for social distancing, golf is it.

Social Interaction Happens Naturally in Golf

Playing 9-holes can take a couple of hours, and a lot of that time is spent on the tee box and on the greens with those you are golfing with. Conversations and friendly banter are very common at these times. And don’t think these conversations are all about golf either. There is a reason many executives golf regularly: to talk business. But the conversations range from the weather, to the latest show you’re watching, to family struggles or victories.

Golf Gets You Out in the Sun

Obviously, golf requires you to spend a good amount of time in the outdoors. The sun is probably the best source our body has of getting vitamin D, something that provides our bodies with amazing health benefits, including boosting our immune system. Even before we were forced to quarantine at home, people, in general, were vitamin D deficient. Working from home and distance learning have only exacerbated this deficiency. But a golfer gets to enjoy all of the benefits of vitamin D without any extra effort. Being in the sun provides you with all of the vitamin D you need without doing anything but being in the sun.

Conclusion

If you are somebody who has missed, or even craves, the social interaction that happens naturally by working in the same physical location as others, suggest to your team or coworkers that you go golfing together. If you are new to a company or your company or team gets a new employee, suggest a golf outing. Golf is a fantastic way to build relationships. It also causes you to get outside, which is good for your mental, emotional, and physical health. And there’s plenty of room on a golf course to spread out, so social distancing isn’t a problem either.