The Biggest Mistakes Executives Make in Business Golf

By Dave Levesque | Business Golf Strategist

Golf is often described as the ultimate business tool, but just because you play doesn’t mean you’re using it effectively. Many executives step onto the course thinking they’re doing everything right—yet they’re unknowingly missing opportunities, making the wrong impressions, or failing to build meaningful connections.

The problem? They don’t realize their mistakes.

If you’re not seeing the same results others get from business golf—deals closed, relationships built, partnerships formed—you could be falling into some of these common traps.

Mistake #1: Thinking It’s About Performance, Not Presence

Many executives believe that playing well is the key to business golf success. While a strong game can command respect, it doesn’t automatically earn trust—or business.

In fact, focusing too much on your own performance can work against you. When you’re obsessing over your swing, your mistakes, or what others think of your game, you’re not fully present in the moment. You’re not engaging in meaningful conversations, reading the dynamics of the group, or positioning yourself as someone they’d want to do business with.

What to Think About Instead:

Are you more focused on your score or the people you’re playing with? Business happens in the small interactions between shots, not in how far you hit the ball.

Mistake #2: Failing to Understand the Unspoken Rules of Business Golf

Golf is unique because it has its own etiquette and social dynamics, and if you don’t understand them, you could be hurting your chances without even realizing it.

Maybe you’re talking too much when someone is over the ball. Maybe you’re unknowingly rushing the group or taking too long on the greens. Or maybe your energy is bringing the group down—being overly competitive, sulking after a bad shot, or not showing enough enthusiasm for others’ success.

Business golf is a test of self-awareness. If you don’t understand how to manage your presence, attitude, and timing, you might be damaging relationships instead of building them.

What to Think About Instead:

Are you making the game more enjoyable for your playing partners—or unknowingly making it frustrating? Are you aware of how your energy and behavior affect the dynamic of the group?

Mistake #3: Not Knowing How to Lead a Productive Golf Conversation

One of the biggest advantages of business golf is the natural, unforced conversations that happen over four hours together. But too many professionals waste this opportunity.

Some avoid business talk altogether, thinking it’s inappropriate—only to realize later they never steered the conversation toward what actually matters. Others do the opposite and bring up business too aggressively, making it feel forced or transactional.

The best business golfers know how to blend natural conversation with strategic opportunities—creating an environment where deals develop organically.

What to Think About Instead:

Do you know when and how to bring up business in a way that feels natural? Are you using the round to build rapport and set the stage for future business, or are you treating it like a casual game with no clear objective?

How to Avoid These Mistakes and Start Winning on the Course

If any of these mistakes sound familiar, don’t worry—you’re not alone. Most executives were never taught how to use golf as a business tool. They assume playing the game is enough. But business golf is a skill in itself, and those who master it gain a significant advantage.

This is exactly what I teach in Fairway to Boardroom—helping professionals understand how to leverage golf for real business success.

If you’re serious about getting more out of your time on the course, let’s talk. I offer a free 15-minute consultation to help professionals like you pinpoint what’s holding them back and develop a strategy to make golf their most powerful business asset.

📅 Click here to book your free consultation and start turning every round into a business opportunity.

Final Thoughts

Business golf isn’t about how well you play—it’s about how well you navigate the game, the people, and the opportunities in front of you. If you’re not seeing results, it’s not because golf doesn’t work for business—it’s because you haven’t yet learned how to use it strategically.

The good news? Once you do, it changes everything.

Let’s talk. Book your free consultation today.