Still, Bruggen speaks from personal experience: "I got the job as head of global marketing at KPMG in large part because top management knew me - and they knew me from the golf course."
Executives "who are not golfing are choosing to neglect one of the most powerful business and career-development tools there is," she adds.
And while the golf course has traditionally been dominated by men, consider this: In a 2004 survey of 1,000 women golfers, 73% said that the game had helped them develop important business relationships, and over half said that being able to talk knowledgeably about golf had contributed to their success, according to the poll, by Golf for Women magazine, investment firm Oppenheimer, and insurer MassMutual.
Another study, by nonprofit research group Catalyst, found that, among 705 women managers at Fortune 1,000 companies, 41% said that not participating in informal social networks held them back at work, and the informal networking activity they mentioned most was...well, you can guess.
So why not invest in a few lessons from a pro? Even if you're not athletic, "the most important thing is cementing good relationships on the course, not whether you're Tiger Woods," says Bruggen. "People don't do business with people they dislike or distrust, so your aim should be to build likability."
