Golf Workshop Teaches Alumnae Tools for Business Success

On Sept. 11, 46 alumnae and six faculty and staff members from the College of the Holy Cross braved the heavy downpours to take part in the College’s first alumnae golf workshop, Teaching Women to Use Golf for Business Success, at Stow Acres Golf Course in Stow, Mass.

A little bad weather didn’t scare anyone away, Ellen Keohane ’83, director of ITS at Holy Cross says. “It showed the kind of determined alums Holy Cross produces. We weren't going to let the weather stop us from participating fully in the event!”

Workshop participants were separated into two groups.  Group one included those who had played on an 18-hole course, knew golf course etiquette and could keep up with the pace of play.  This group bypassed the workshop and played an 18-hole scramble. Group two, which included the majority of the participants, was for those who had never played or had limited experience. They learned the nuts and bolts of the sport, including how to use golf for business, golf lingo and etiquette, even how to get invited to a corporate outing. They also received two hours of range instruction and “on course” instruction on the “must knows” before you go out to playing business golf.

“Adding golf to their repertoire will help women leverage and take advantage of this powerful business tool,” explains David Chu, director of Ciocca Office of Entrepreneurial Studies and the organizer of the event.  “According to a survey of a thousand business women (data provided by Golf Women Inc.), 73 percent agree that playing golf has helped them develop relationships and network for business.”

The workshop attracted women of all ages, with graduates from classes ranging from 1977 to 2006. Lisa Courtney, a member of the class of 2002 and a real estate professional in Boston, really benefited from the workshop. “I didn't know a thing about golf before the workshop and now I am confident in attending a business golf event,” she said.

The event, sponsored by the Ciocca Office of Entrepreneurial Studies, is just one of many organized as part of the Women in Business program throughout the year. On Oct. 3, there will be a wine and appetizer get-together in New York City for alumnae. These gatherings provide a chance to network and meet other Holy Cross alumnae living in the area.

The Women in Business program works to promote business literacy for women in a liberal arts school; to heighten awareness and knowledge for Holy Cross women interested in business through internships and career opportunities; to establish a mentoring network by creating an environment for students to interact with alumni, and for alumni to interact with other alumni; and to understand the additional complexities involved with being a woman in today’s business world.