What do Golf and Strategy have in common?

Golf is a unique sport in the sense it requires great skill and mindfulness. Even if you haven't played golf as a professional, you quickly learn there is more to it than hacking at grass. As an on and off amateur patron of the game I've learned to see some parallels between a good game of golf and strategy.

The Lay of the Land

In golf you have a set of clubs, usually 10 - 14 clubs with various capabilities and uses. Before you choose your club you will look out to evaluate the current field and its challenges.

The same concept is applicable in designing your strategy you need to examine the lay of land before you tee off. Understanding the challenges you are facing before you decide what you want to do about them. We often assume we know what needs to be done and plan accordingly. These preconceptions are often flawed as we look at past information instead of attempting to understand the current challenges. Your performance in the past may not always be relevant for the future. It is only an indication of how well you have performed.

Whats your "Drive"?

You've figured out the challenge, its time to choose your club. A Driver, Iron or Hybrid? That all depends on the distance to the flag and hole. It also depends on the uncontrollable conditions such as the weather. You can have the best equipment and feel confident you can choose the right club for the first swing. If you fail to take into account the uncontrollable factors, you are likely going to miss your target.

Strategy is very similar to a golf drive. You have evaluated the situation, identified the challenges, and set the course. Despite your best efforts and meticulous planning, you cannot solely depend on your capabilities alone to achieve your objectives. You must take into account the external factors that will very likely play a role in your drive towards those goals.

Well kept Fairways, Rough edges, and Bunkers

Your drive to the flag is never a straight forward process in golf. Your path is designed with well kept fairways, rough edges and bunkers. The first is where you want your ball to land every time. The rough edges and bunkers is what you want to avoid. It is not always easy to avoid those as a bad swing or a gust of wind can carry the ball to the wrong places. Getting out of those requires special clubs, a sand wedge or a pitcher perhaps and good skills.

Strategy execution is not so different. You plan to execute and achieve a particular objective but your dashboard tells you are are still in the red. Your recovery tools need to be in place to ensure you can correct the problem and realign your path towards your overall objective.

Eagle, Birdie or Par?

The number of strokes or swings at the ball you make will determine the outcome of your golf game. The best scenario is to have the minimum number of strokes compared to the golf course requirements. You will quickly realize that it takes a lot of practice and skill to reach that level. Therefore, you need to manage your expectations.

Now that you have reached the 'green' and you can see the flag pole and the hole, objective achieved? Not yet, you need to sink the ball. This is when you take the putter club out since it is designed for that specific purpose, putting the ball into the hole. Without the flag pole to guide you anymore, you need to be able to understand the behavior of the special green grass and the direction the ball will roll. It suffices to say it takes a lot of experience and skill, and then some luck.

Strategy works in the same way. You can't simply depend on the same tools all the time. You need to have a set of tools for each situation. As you approach your strategic goals, you will realize that you need to bring out the finer tools to manage the process. Often more than none we feel elated once we see the flag at the end of the path. We must remind ourselves that we need to finish the job and complete the objective. That needs experience, skill, and perhaps some luck.

Fancy a game of Golf?