Cold Open
As you step off the boat, memories from your childhood come rushing back. The smell of the salty air, the soft ocean breeze, and the golden glow of the sunlight. It’s familiar. It’s tradition.
As you drive up the cracked asphalt and onto the gravel, you notice the American flags littering the yard. A patriotic and proud feeling seeps down your neck and into your heart. It feels like you have returned to childhood, if only for a transitory moment.
Tuxedo Talks
As I alluded to in The Essence of Tradition, I connected with Neil Lockie to sit down and record our thoughts. A podcast, if you will. Below is the full 45 minute conversation.
We welcome all thoughts, comments and suggestions. Give it a listen and let me know - [email protected]
TUXEDO TALKS
Episode 1: Neil Lockie
How Golf Becomes a Career Asset
Golf for work.
Or maybe, golf as work?
For the 99.99% of the world who will never be professional golfers, there is another way where playing golf can earn you money. Become a competitive (or even just respectable) amateur player, with access to exclusive clubs, and the moxie to land yourself a high impact role at a big firm. It’s easier said than done.
The Wall Street Journal recently penned an article which mirrors the ideas I espoused in Why You Should Become a Stick. Corporations are evaluating a candidates handicap (and home club) when making high-level strategic hires.
If you don’t believe me, just read the below quote about US Mid-Am champ Matt Parziale:
Matt Parziale golfed (sic) professionally on minor-league tours for several years, but when his dream of making the big time ended, he had to get a regular job. He became a firefighter, like his dad.
A few years later he won one of the biggest amateur tournaments in the country, earning spots in the 2018 Masters and U.S. Open, where he tied for first among non-pros.
The brush with celebrity brought introductions to business types that Parziale, 35 years old, says he wouldn’t have met otherwise. One connection led to a job with a large insurance broker. In 2022 he jumped to Deland, Gibson Insurance Associates in Wellesley, Mass., which recognized his golf game as a tool to help win large accounts.
If you’ve played the game for a long time, and have been lucky enough to play at higher end clubs, this is no surprise to you. But, if you’re newer to the game, this may come as a shock. Becoming a really good player in the right industry (coupled with a baseline business acumen) is a recipe to have your calendar blocked off to “entertain clients” starting at 10am each day.
The Walk
The most interesting part of the entire article came during the last few sentences:
The first hole at Brae Burn is a 318-yard par 4 that slopes down, enabling big hitters like Onstott to reach the putting green in a single stroke. But to stay close to his playing partners and keep the conversation flowing, he sometimes hits a shorter shot.
Many golfers understand the social dynamics of a round, but the truly elite players are able to manufacture shots and control their ball to maximize the surface area for conversation during the round.
The fairways are where conversations die, unless, of course, you’re good enough to lay back and hit the ball in the general vicinity of your playing partners.
The Atmosphere
Many clubs where you’ll encounter this type of “business” golf are built to entertain. Whether it be from sheer exclusivity or a touch of modern amenity, some golf clubs simply attract this type of play. And while each club has its own charm, there is an underlying feeling of camaraderie that befalls upon everyone in the group when they step on the grounds.
Some clubs offer the “Lunch to Lunch” model, (think Tree Farm, Ohoopee, etc), which are purely built to entertain and engulf the guests in the experience. Other “neighborhood” clubs, without onsite lodging, offer a different set of experiences and expectations.
All in - the guys closing business on the golf course aren’t doing it at the local muni. They’re at clubs which elicit an emotional reaction from the player as soon as they step on the property.
Why Golf Is Worth Learning
Even if you aren’t a top amateur player with access to historic private clubs, it’s important to read between the lines of the article.
Golf is an ongoing life skill which takes time to build. If you’ve never touched a golf club and work a white-collar job, picking up a club and getting to the point where you can at least get around in four hours will open doors.
In all likelihood, you won’t become Matt Parziale, but you also won’t miss out on the impromptu outing on a Wednesday afternoon.
3 Things I Know I Know
Phil Mickelson has experienced a precipitous fall from grace. From being viewed widely as a consummate family man, the layers of infidelity have started to peel away. Nothing about what he did is forgivable, but it seems as though the media has certainly hammered him more than Tiger over the past few years. If he hadn’t gone to LIV, does he still get the same treatment?
In my view, a first-year member should sit out for a year before playing in the Member-Guest, especially if it’s a lottery system.
If you’ve been invited to an invitational, and are thinking about a gift for your host (a good idea), I’d suggest a custom scorecard holder from Sunfish.
Gear Shelf - Summer Events
A mid-summer look at some items on my radar. From the 18th green to the 6pm cocktail party.
I don’t see many gentlemen wearing “Dirty” Suede Bucks anymore. Here is a pair from J. Press that I like.
The classic Jones bag remains a personal favorite for the late-evening six-hole loop.
If you’re in the market for a Navy Blazer, look no further than Paul Stuart, especially the limited edition America 250 jacket.
Happy 250
Below is one of my favorite X accounts I’ve seen this year. A re-telling of the history of 1776, as it occurred.
I always enjoy learning more about how the Founding Fathers wrote under pen names to argue some of the most compelling Enlightenment ideas. It was part of my inspiration to keep this publication anonymous (for now). Moreover, the Federalist Papers were an inspiration for The BTG Papers, No. 1.
Ideas alone must carry water to be impactful, separately and independently from the owner of the ideas.
I’m proud to be an American. We live in the greatest country in the history of humanity. 🇺🇸 🇺🇸 🇺🇸
Whether it be with your family on the golf course, or at a cookout, I encourage you to think about tradition this weekend. If nothing else, Americans are tied together by 250 years of it.
With tradition comes reflection, and with reflection comes clarity.
Happy Fourth to all who celebrate. Until next week.
-BTG
Resources
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Coming Soon: In Good Standing