When senior Andrew Hong first started playing golf, he didn’t expect to gain lifelong skills that would benefit his medical career.
According to the Professional Golfers’ Association of America (PGA), since golf started, it has been considered as a bonding activity. As more organizations have adopted the sport for their business events, the PGA emphasizes golf as a top networking tool.
As a child, Hong began learning golf when tagging along to his parent’s games. Now, he regularly goes out with friends.
“I enjoy golfing because it’s a slower paced sport that requires a lot of time and effort. While you’re playing it, you can have an opportunity to connect with people,” said Hong.
Because of golf’s slow pace, Hong has been able to network and build social skills he thinks he will use in the future.
“Through your conversations, you can talk about opportunities you want to pursue or career related stuff as you’re walking on the course,” said Hong. “I can definitely see this being beneficial to my future. There’s kind of a stereotype of golf being a sport that people in the medical field play a lot.”
A study conducted by the Harvard Medical School found that at least four percent of doctors registered on Doximity, the database of medical doctors in the U.S., were also registered on the Golf Handicap and Information Network, which amateur golfers use to record their playing scores. They predict the actual percentage to be much higher.
Senior Cody Dickinson was also introduced to golf by family members and his friends. He enjoys golf because it is a different pace from his regular life and allows him to connect with those around him.
“I’d say talking to my friends about parts of our life while playing is an aspect of golf that makes it fun. In the future, I could see myself playing with my coworkers or my friends as a chance to connect with them,” said Dickinson.
Junior Alissa Kim agrees. She competes on the golf team and enjoys connecting with the greater community.
“You meet a lot of great people from being on the team. When we go to RedTail [a golf course in Beaverton] we get to interact with other people. You just get to know different people that you wouldn’t otherwise meet,” she said.
All three say they will continue to golf in the future, and while the connections are valuable, they all emphasized how the most important thing in golf is having fun.
“I feel like not too many people go into golf solely because they want an opportunity to network,” said Hong. “It’s just an additional benefit to a sport that they like to play.”
