The ultimate personality test, GOLF!
It has often been said that if you want to really learn about someones true personality, play a round of golf with them. You may be a good judge of character, you may think you have someone figured out and then you play a round of golf with them. Some people say alcohol is like truth serum but spend a few hours on the golf course with someone and really see who they are. Golf has a tendency to magnify what ever qualities or defects we have in our character.
Before you do any serious business with someone you should play a round of golf with them. 
Many times you will learn how compassionate, competitive, encouraging and kind a person can be. Unfortunately, you may learn that a person has a hard time with the truth, goes off the handle when things don’t go their way, is not kind and has no compassion. You won’t normally find all these traits at one time but you may find a few.
Do you really want to do business with or be represented by someone who will cheat to try to win a meaningless $.50 bet. Do you think someone that can’t keep score accurately may also have a tough time with honesty outside the golf course? Do you want someone in your organization that is abusive to people and a potential lawsuit?
There was an article a few years back about President Clinton. The article was about the former president’s biggest regrets or frustrations while in office. It surprised the interviewer that the number one irritant the president had been that a reporter called him a cheater in golf. The story went on to describe how the reporter was contacted and invited to play golf with the president to clear his name. Apparently that didn’t go so well. By the 4th hole the president had his total at about 16 with the reporter counting something closer to 20 as the story goes. I was told that for many years after the rematch that the former President still claims innocents. Dole Claims Clinton is a cheater Clinton Cheats because he can
I worked for a gentleman, not to be, named that always complained about his golfing friend cheating. He would mock him on and off the course about how he kept score. I suggested to him that they play for money, not a lot of money but some money so it would give him the right to help him keep score. I tried the same thing with the boss and he didn’t like the idea. He also had a hard time keeping an accurate score card. One way to help people to keep a better score is to play for money, this gives you the right to question the players score. If you are playing in a tournament it is your obligation to question a players score.
I once played with a dentists that was a friend and very mild mannered, I thought. On about the 13th hole one day he started swearing like a junk yard dog. He then starting to apologize profusely. I told him no big deal until he told me that he was a Mormon bishop. I then agreed he shouldn’t be using the F word.
The point of these two stories sometimes you can learn more about someone in a round of golf than you can in years of friendship. Next time you play golf pay attention to how you and your playing partners act during the round.
• Do they pout for a long time over bad shots?
• Do they know how to keep score?
• Are they supportive of other players, encouraging?
• Do they seem to enjoy another players misfortunes?
• Do they throw temper tantrums?How many time do they tell you “this is the worst round, I normally play much better?”
• Do they have an excuse for every bad shot?
• Do they take responsibility for their actions with class?
• Do they act in a kink professional manner that is endearing?
• Is this personality on the golf course match up with off the golf course?
A couple of notes of caution, if you are playing golf with your boss and he has some of these flaws you may not want to point them out. Look at it as a way to gain a better insight into their inner personality.
So the next time you are on the golf course be more aware of your playing partners and also of your own behavior. You may not think your being evaluated but, you are being evaluated. Letting golf become a tool to help you understand a persons personality can be a very valuable tool.
Jim Hartnett, PGA
www.myhome4golf.com
