6 ways returning to work could be good for your golf

Getting back in the workplace can help your golf in several ways, as McDonald's employees Fred and Ken have found; here are six of them

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We all know golf is about the smallest of margins. Trying to get a tiny white golf ball into a hole that is 350 yards away and has the diameter of just over 4 inches? That’s tough. Just about everything has an effect too, whether it be an inch this way or that, a groove high or low, the gentlest of breezes.

All of this is why golf is a hard game to play, and as players we look for anything that can help us play better and enjoy the game more. Going back to work can help you with this, in surprising ways.

Just ask Fred, a Customer Experience Leader who’s been with McDonald’s for 14 years. He’d previously retired, but realised he’d done so too early. A return to working life prompted him to get back out on the golf course, and although his handicap isn’t what it was (“it’s gone from 18 to 24, because I can’t hit the ball as far,” he says) he’s loving playing a round every Friday. “Work keeps you alert and focused, and really does help with the golf,” he says.

Also ask Ken, who works one day a week doing maintenance for McDonald’s and plays golf two or three times a week. “It keeps the brain active,” he says.

Here are six more reasons why a return to work could be good for your golf…

It’ll Keep You Mentally and Physically Active

A round of golf takes a few hours, this is a fact. So it’s is all too easy to lose focus during your round, which in turn means you lose concentration and hit shots that ruin the good score you had going.

Getting back into the workplace can aid you here too, because it helps keep you mentally and physically active throughout the day. “Being at work makes me think logically,” says Ken. “And that helps when playing golf.”

Staying mentally and physically active also heightens your endurance which, over the course of a round, could be the difference between 32 and 38 points.

It'll Help You From New Friendships

Working with new people and bonding with them is a sure fire way to make new friends, and you never know, you may find new people to play golf with, or that want to give it a go. “I’ve played golf with a few of the team from McDonald’s,” says Fred.

It’ll Improve Your Problem Solving

Golf is essentially one big problem.

How can I get this white ball into the hole in the fewest strokes possible? Well you inevitably face countless problems at work, and the skills you learn there can be introduced into your golf game.

It’ll Help Your Time Management

Managing your time at work is incredibly important. Deciding what needs more attention over something else can greatly enhance efficiency and productivity. This technique can help your golf too. Driving, iron play, short-game, mental focus, putting, swing changes, pressure practice; these are just some of the things golfers have to work on to improve and working out which aspects need more attention over the others can help massively.

And once you’ve done that, you can relax a little.

It’ll Enhance Your Communication

Between shots, talking and having good conversations with people enhances the enjoyment of golf. This is important for Fred, who says it “doesn’t matter who you are playing, the company is always good.”

There is a social aspect to golf that can be hard to find in other sports. And learning to be confident at work can help you get to know people at your club, or in your group.

It’ll Help You Earn More

Top of the range golf gear has become more and more expensive, yet that doesn’t stop us from wanting and yearning that new driver or new set of irons. There are also membership fees to pay. “McDonald’s gives me the extra money to be a member at my local golf club,” says Ken. “If I wasn’t working I may not be able to afford it.”