Business deals are not just struck in the boardroom, they are often sealed on the golf course. At the University of North Georgia, a new program is making sure women have a spot on the green during business outings.
A Science Direct study found that more than 70% of Fortune 1,000 CEOs have secured deals on the course, where hours of uninterrupted conversation create valuable connections. UNG Women’s Golf Head Coach, Sierra Campbell, also adds that the game’s traditions of etiquette and high values can teach a lot about a person’s character, which might tell you if the people you’re playing with are someone you want to do business with.
Despite its influence, women are often left out of golf business outings, said Kim Vickers, development director for UNG’s Mike Cottrell College of Business. In addition, a Fox School of Business study found that 46% of women feel excluded from informal workplace networks, with golf a prime example. To help close that gap at UNG, Vickers piloted an initiative called SWING (Supporting Women in Networking & Golf) last fall. “We’re not just teaching golf,” Vickers says. “We are getting them into the SWING of business.”
Now in its second year, SWING launched Sept. 11 with a kickoff dinner and classroom session led by the UNG women’s golf team. This semester, participants will take part in two range days at Achasta Golf Club with instruction from Campbell and UNG women’s golf team members, followed by additional sessions next semester. A small spring tournament is also in the works, and the program is free of charge.
Campbell believes initiatives like SWING are key to giving women confidence and access. “It was designed by women, for women, to make them more comfortable around the game and the course,” she said.
Campbell acknowledged that many women hesitate to take up golf because of the perception that it isn’t a women’s sport or because they fear embarrassment when starting something new. “I urge anyone to start the game,” she said. “Even outside of the business world, it’s a great and fun game you can play with friends for a lifetime.”
The program is already helping to break down those barriers. Freshman marketing major Presley Bartkow, who attended the kickoff dinner, said she is eager to participate. “I think this program will benefit me by making golf a little less intimidating in the future,” Bartkow said.
Freshmen golf team member, Emma Veil, who will be a part of the teaching team for SWING this year, says she is also excited about the program’s goal. “I firmly believe that playing golf gives you an advantage and sets you apart as a woman in the workforce.” Veil was given the opportunity to co-host the 2024 and 2025 American Junior Golf Association Georgia Junior Cups, which she says gave her many connections in the golf and business worlds, and is an example of how golf has served as a business tool in her life.
