If you mean business, you should know golf. And you likely do. Men, women, just starting in your career, or seasoned, most executive leaders spend a fair amount of time either on the fairways, watching the PGA Tour pros from a lofty VIP perch, or living along a verdant strip.
If you already play, you’re most of the way there. Executive leaders love to either play or talk about the game, and it’s a healthy, ideal way to get ahead. If you don’t play, schedule lessons with your neighborhood pro right away, start watching events on television to understand the vernacular, or volunteer to host clients at the closest PGA Tour event. There are dozens of events every year from coast to coast and you’ll look like a hero networking and making your best clients feel valued and listened to.
You don’t even have to talk business. You’re sharing the golf experience with executive leaders either at your company or a client company and banking some goodwill points, which in the grand scheme of your career, may be as valuable as your MBA of volunteer board position.
Forbes.jobs thought we might take a Texas Two-Step for this installment of great golf experiences for executive leaders, and highlight public or semi-private courses that anyone can play, and/or are a site of an upcoming PGA Tour event. Public or semi-private means you can take your client out for a round and play, where private courses are for members only. If you’re apprehensive about your state of play, you can always invite your client to join you for a professional event. Good times and goodwill for all.
TPC Craig Ranch, McKinney
About 30 minutes north of Dallas, the Club at Craig Ranch is one of the more exclusive on Tour and is a good option to entertain a clients during the AT&T Byron Nelson Classic each May. The stately Tom Weiskopf-designed masterpiece, immersed in mature woods and Texas limestone, crosses meandering Rowlett Creek 14 times. To visit or play after the Byron Nelson Classic, your best bet is to seek a TPC Network membership and use the facilities as a guest, or even take up residence in the charming town of McKinney and live out your golf-inspired executive leader reality. From the $800s.
Memorial Park Golf Club, Houston
A true American treasure since 1936, Memorial Park is operated by Houston Parks and Recreation and anyone is welcome to play for as little at $21 for residents and $90 for non-residents. Golf greats like Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer have walked its fairways as competitors at the Houston Open. In 2019, the grand dame underwent a major makeover by esteemed architect Tom Doak, where he removed 30 bunkers, changed the length of several holes and added new irrigation and cart paths. The result is nothing short of spectacular. Houston is home to more Fortune 500 cities than any other in the nation. We think it’s because of Memorial Park and all the great golf in this southeast Texas megalop.
TPC San Antonio, San Antonio
The Oak Course welcomed the Tour pros in March as part of the Valero Texas Open, but the rest of us are welcome to play the rest of the year. The JW Marriott serves as a luxurious backdrop to truly spectacular Greg Norman-design natural golf that stretches out over 7,400 emerald yards surrounded by a canopy of native oaks. Stay and play packages start at $450 per person and include overnight accommodations and a round on the Oak Course. Golf club rentals also are available.
Colonial Country Club, Fort Worth
Another iconic American golf course that has served members of all abilities since the 1930s. The lovely layout is home to the longest-running event on the PGA Tour, the Charles Schwab Challenge, which has been played here every year since 1946. Since the course is private, you’ll need to contact membership director Alexis Groesch for pricing details and put your name on the member wait list, or take your client to the Challenge in late May. Spring for the all-inclusive Villages or Patio Club all-inclusive VIP tickets that include up-close viewing and decidedly upgraded food and beverage options starting at $325 per person.
If you’re serious about joining the ranks of fellow executive leaders, learn about golf, play it, and perhaps do the Texas two-step.
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