Golf: The Greatest Game Ever Played

I’m really looking forward to the upcoming movie “The greatest game ever played”, and I have to agree with the title. I love golf, and while I only play a few times a week, I’ve come to realize that passable golf skills are an absolute requirement for any American business executive.

The Last Resort

I always recommend that my people take-off and enjoy themselves, and this week is our turn. We are staying at a “Resort”, but it’s just a condo-like place with nice pool and lots and lots of laid back people.



It’s great to kick-back, paint watercolors on the beach and just relax. The course looks nice and I cannot wait to play. Janet’s crushed hands (from her auto accident) prevent her from playing, but I’m hoping to get matched-up with some fellow “hackers” who play as badly as I do.



The beaches here are gorgeous too, and I the pictures don’t do it justice:



We have a nice room, like a hotel room and the landscaping is very lush:



When I became a manager I discovered that one of the common perks for corporate Vice Presidents is a country club membership and it was always a treat to be invited for an afternoon business meeting on the links.

Whether you are in Finance, accounting, marketing or Information Technology, it’s absolutely imperative that every business school graduate be able to complete 18 holes without holding-up the foursome. Your career advancement can depend on it!

A bad golfer can add 90 minutes to a round of golf, and this poor fellow excused himself to the clubhouse, forfeiting his $90 green fee for fear of running the afternoon for the client.

Many course require proof of proficiency before allowing you on the course, and the famous St. Andrews requires minimum golfing proficiency to play. I've been to St. Andrews, but I was too intimidated to play such a wonderful and legandary course. A great golf getaway, you can’t beat St. Andrews, anywhere on the planet:

When playing with clients, the goal is to have a good time. As Mark Twain commented “Golf is like a walk in the park. Ruined.”, so the goal is to play well-enough to keep-up and bad enough to lose. Now, I rarely break 100, but there have been times when I was challenged have fun especially with clients who are consistently shooting double-par. I often say "Let's not ruin this by keeping score".

I’ll never have the dedication to play daily and I’ll never become a bogie golfer, but I’m no fool either. Take Heed. The business of America is business, and business happens on the golf course.

Michael Bruce: A lesson in personal integrity

Growing up, I was taught that personal reputation and integrity was the most valuable asset you can have, and here is one story.

The Legend of Michael Bruce

It’s sad that ordinary honesty becomes extraordinary in light of our decaying social mores. An acquaintance of mine from New York, Michael Bruce, is renowned for his personal integrity and honestly. There was a story that Michael found a rare Newcomb pot under a lady’s sink, and he could have bought it for a song.

Instead, Mr. Bruce told the woman that this single pot was worth thousands of dollars and helped her get a fair price for it. The story circulated, and Mr. Bruce’s reputation made him the “go to” person for anyone wanting to sell their goods at auction.

As a licensed auctioneer myself, I’m strictly regulated and all North Carolina auctioneers are required to pass a criminal background check with a focus on acts of moral turpitude (not honoring credit contracts, paying bills late, &c). I’m all for the regulation, but it’s sad that these regulations are required in the first place, in a society that places such low value on personal integrity.

Real Profiles in Courage

As Teddy Roosevelt said (I read this on the wall at the entrance to the Museum of Natural History in New York City last week, and felt compelled to write it down):

“A man's usefulness depends upon his living up to his ideals in so far as he can.”




The sad state of unregulated professionals

I’m constantly amazed at the lack of integrity that I see in business today. I’ve had business competitors lie, harass and interfere with me, and it’s really sad that there are no licensing requirements for computer consultants. The industry is rife with unprofessional people, and the problem has gotten so bad that I have to keep a list. Here are the standards from my job page:

“In lieu of an active US security clearance, candidates must pass a background check and be free of any criminal convictions (except minor traffic violations). Further, any acts of moral turpitude (history of drug use, dishonesty, lying, cheating, theft) are grounds for immediate rejection, and all applicants must sign a waiver to disclose personal information and agree to submit to a polygraph exam.”

I’m all in-favor of some sort of government regulations, the same sort as other professions such as engineers and certified accountants.