The worlds of golf and business have never displayed such close ties.
It was the 2011 men’s Australian Open at The Lakes and Tiger Woods was playing. The crowds were huge, with swarms of fans hoping to get a glimpse of the world’s greatest golfer.
With a business degree majoring in sports management, I had often thought of working in the sports management industry. I thought, Who better to know than Tiger’s manager, Mark Steinberg? So I had to find a moment, in front of all the crowds and chaos, to try to meet Mark and “network”. There was finally a gap for me to squeeze by dozens of fully grown men to approach Steinberg as he stood next to Tiger as he signed autographs.
In a very public moment, it took all my courage to get the words out: “Hi Mark, I’m Annabel and I’m looking to work in sports management. Do you think I would be able to connect with you over e-mail?” To my utter relief, his answer was “yes”, and someone took me aside and gave me his details on a piece of paper.
I didn’t end up working in sports management, however I did manage to have a meeting with someone at Excel Sports and even sought advice from their team when I was on-air talent for Golf Channel. The point is, this is what networking looked like in 2011 – if you were brave enough!
Thankfully things have changed considerably and now it is easier than ever to make business connections and speak with leaders of industry. The concept of business golf networking on a highly organised level, such as with Emajin Golf, is a relatively new phenomenon. Only since the rise of digital marketing has networking been more accessible through online sites such as LinkedIn for recruiting and Business Network International (BNI) for traditional business networking. Specifically, ‘golf’ networking is what Emajin Golf specialises in and it is gaining rapid momentum.
Business development relies heavily on networking, and golf is a great place to connect people and facilitate real and open conversations. It is likely that at some stage most of us have faced the awkwardness of a forced coffee after a cold call in an attempt to network. The concept of meeting strangers for work purposes is uncomfortable for most people. I shouldn’t generalise too much, as there are certain types of people who are far more confident in this area and in fact thrive on personal networking. Whether you love it or loathe it, the simple fact is, networking with strangers in the traditional sense is largely based on serendipity, which causes its effectiveness to vary greatly. Emajin Golf is positioned to reinvent the networking space using golf as the linchpin.
Raj Narayan is the founder and chief executive of Emajin Golf. Narayan has held several senior corporate roles in finance and banking. She also has extensive experience in golf governance, as a member of the Board Advisory Committee at Golf NSW and as a past women’s captain and board member at a top-rated golf club in Sydney.
“In a highly digital world with an increasingly remote workforce, networking bridges the gap by bringing people together in a business environment,” she says. “Building professional networks are linked to more job opportunities, broader and deeper knowledge, increased capacity for innovation, faster advancement and greater authority in your field of expertise.”
It has been extensively reported that achieving high-quality work and a sense of fulfillment are also enhanced by building and nurturing professional relationships. Narayan asserts that formalised networks, such as Emajin Golf, are “designed to facilitate strong business connections made in an unforced and relaxed environment. This fosters collaborative interactions, provides network infrastructure and brings people together to build golf/business communities.” As a result, they are “obviating burdensome and outdated matrix structures, facilitating the creation and sharing of information and knowledge, and clearing the way for building better and more personal relationships among members”.
Another financial benefit is that by connecting people who share interests, knowledge and personal social networks, the search and co-ordination costs associated with collaboration within and outside companies are decreased. It has been said that to build a viable network, you must engage in activities that connect you with diverse others.
Enter golf!
“Networking that is based on shared interests will feel more genuine and meaningful and is also likely to result in relationships that are more authentic,” Narayan says.
Lucky for us as golfers, our sport provides a rather unique platform for networking. Golf is unlike almost every other sport in that it brings people together in an organic way and provides an opportunistic environment that is perfectly fitted to business networking. It has long been known that golf has been the catalyst of many a business deal or introduction for businesspeople, but it is only recently – with the introduction of Emajin Golf and its formal structure – that networking has become a smooth and seamless operation… for anyone in business who can swing a club.
How does Emajin Business Club work?
The Emajin Business Club and its networking events provide opportunities for business professionals and entrepreneurs to interact with each other in a relaxed and friendly environment. As well as providing learning and growth opportunities for its members, their events feature senior and high-calibre keynote speakers.
The Emajin Business Club is home to a group of like-minded entrepreneurs, executives and business professionals who are eager to establish business relationships on the greens. With their networking activities, you get all the benefits of having a regular club, along with the chance to play at some of the best courses across the country and enter competitions.
A Golf Australia handicap can also be obtained through Emajin Golf without committing to a single club location. Members of Emajin can play courses that are usually inaccessible to non-members, including The Lakes, New South Wales, Kingston Heath, Royal Adelaide and Brookwater. Another huge benefit is that Emajin has PGA professionals on hand to play holes with groups and to provide instruction at all their events. Networking options include golf clinics plus nine or 18-hole options to ensure players of all skill levels can participate.
