The golf course is the perfect place to spark a relationship and feed the flame. Quality time in gorgeous locations with fresh air and exercise makes grabbing your partner and your clubs an ideal way to find and nurture love. Whether you’re just starting a relationship or are looking at the long-term, hitting the links together builds strong relationships from the first tee to the eighteenth green (through all the sandtraps and water hazards in between).
Vice President of Client Relations at Selective Search, the nation’s leading luxury matchmaking firm, Lisa Hutcherson is an expert in dating, relationships, love – and she’s no stranger to the golf course. Lisa and her husband teed up their relationship at golf courses around the country (favorites include Victory Ranch in Park City, Utah and Paiute Golf Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada). And, as a professional matchmaker, Lisa is a caddy, coach, and cheerleader all in one. Here, she shares her best advice on using the course to build lasting love.
Keep Your Eye on the Ball
Golf is a great way to spend time together. We want to be with people who share our interests and lifestyle. Beyond this, playing a round of golf with your partner means you get each others’ undivided attention. That type of quality time, spent doing an activity together (bonus, in a beautiful place) is crucial to getting and keeping your relationship on the fairway. Finding time to connect with your partner can be a challenge, but when you’ve buried your phone in your golf bag, you can unplug and really focus on the person you’re with.
Take Advantage of Cart Path Only
Undivided attention is one thing, but sitting at a restaurant staring across a table from each other for three hours puts a lot of pressure on both parties. Enter the golf cart. When you’re side by side in a cart for 9, 18 or 36 holes, both looking out over the course, there’s more freedom for openness and honesty. It’s easier to talk about the big stuff – and the little stuff – without constant intense eye contact. It’s intimate without being overwhelming.
Read the Greens
You learn a lot about a person on a golf course: their patience, their sense of humor, their confidence, how seriously they take themselves, their competitiveness, their honesty, and their temperament. What happens with a mis-hit drive or a rain delay? Sometimes there are more red flags than the ones on the green. The way someone approaches the golf course is a super concentrated indication of how they’ll approach the rest of their life. Done right, golf requires patience, perseverance, and a positive attitude, all of which are important qualities in any successful long-term relationship. Partnering on the course will help you create a sense of accomplishment and pride that will stay with you long after the round is over.
Close Out in the Clubhouse
Winding down after a day on the course provides an opportunity to relax, chat, and debrief about your game, while enjoying a cold drink or two. It lets you continue bonding with your partner, and to extend the fun and camaraderie of the game. Plus, there’s nothing better than a summer night at the golf course, sharing a cocktail at twilight with your partner, having dinner with friends, and planning the next round.
Consider Turning to a Pro
When you want to add power to your drive or finesse to an approach shot or get through the yips, you turn to a golf pro for coaching. Same goes for love. You don’t want to waste your time practicing a wonky backswing or going on bad dates. A matchmaker is your coach, your strategist, and your therapist, introducing you only to people they see you with for a lifetime and guiding you through the course of a relationship. If you’re ready to find a committed partner, on and off the course, consider working with a professional service like Selective Search.
Author Bio: Lisa Hutcherson is Vice President of Client Relations at Selective Search, the nation’s leading elite matchmaking firm, where executive search meets personal matchmaking. A dating and relationship expert with a passion for helping clients find true love, Lisa has an extensive track record in assisting high-caliber, successful, and commitment minded individuals meet their life partner.