高爾夫與職場：球場上的商務智慧
I, too, was guilty of judging the sport as a slow, boring, old boys' club. But what was once TV programming to induce weekend napping is now one of my favorite sports to play, and not just for the health benefits. In fact, the greatest driving force behind why women play is for business reasons. There are more than six millions female golfers just in the United States, and here are five reasons why I think you should be one more — for the sake of your career.
說起來慚愧，我也曾認爲高爾夫是一項緩慢，無聊，老男人的運動。但是曾讓我週末昏昏欲睡的電視節目現在已經成爲我最喜愛的運動，而且不僅只是因爲它有益健康。事實上商務原因是女性進行這項運動的最大推動力。僅在美國就有超過600萬的女性高爾夫球手，下面是五個你也應該加入其中的原因—爲了你的事業。
Great networking opportunities. Golfers have a median household income of more than $80,000, and 93 percent of them own at least one home. Those statistics coupled with the fact that golf is a luxury sport (it's about $40 on average to play one round) makes its players generally affluent and successful. In the four to five hours to finish a round, you never know when you could befriend someone with the right connections.
豐富的社交機會。高爾夫球手的平均家庭收入超過8萬美元，他們中的93%至少擁有一套住房。這些統計加上高爾夫奢侈運動的定位（打一局平均要40美金）使得球手們基本上都是富裕和成功人士。在一局四到五小時的時間裏，你隨時都有可能和志同道合的人成爲朋友。
Makes a great impression. In my experience, men are generally impressed with women who play well. While golfers are predominately male, having a fluid swing, competitive attitude, and patience under pressure will impress the boys in the boardroom and on the greens. Plus, you'll never be left out of the loop if there's a last-minute game scheduled.創造好的印象。根據我的經驗，男士通常對打球好的女士印象深刻。而男高爾夫球手佔絕大多數，擁有優美的揮杆，求勝的慾望和壓力下的冷靜會在會議室和果嶺上給男士留下深刻印象。另外，如果有最後關頭的比賽，你絕對不會被排除在外。
Enforces appropriate office demeanor. Golf is a game of etiquette. No matter how competitive you are, how much you dislike the other player, or how foul a situation is, there are rules that dictate "gentlemanly" behavior. You can apply the same rules to your work environment. No matter how frustrated you get, you should work efficiently and skillfully while being able to communicate your issues calmly and with indoor voices.
訓練職場風度。高爾夫是禮儀的遊戲。不管你有多有好勝心，多麼不喜歡其它球手，或者形勢多麼惡劣，都有決定紳士行爲的準則。你可以把同樣的規則運用到工作環境。無論你多麼沮喪，都應該有效和熟練的工作，能夠冷靜的和同事溝通你的問題。
Enhances analytical thinking. As much as golf is a physical sport, it is also a thinking one, too. A player must gauge possible yardage, wind factors, breaks on the greens, etc. Your success is dependent on your ability to observe the details, much like in an office environment.
提高分析思考能力。高爾夫既是體力運動，也是頭腦運動。球手必須判斷碼數，風的影響，果嶺上的裂縫等。你的成功取決於細節觀察的能力，就像在辦公室環境一樣。
Relieves stress. Not only does golf improve your strength, stamina, and flexibility, but it's good for the soul. When I'm stressed out, there's nothing like taking out all that pent-up energy on some balls. Plus, you can burn up to 1,300 calories during a four-hour round — walking and carrying clubs is a must. No wonder celebs like Jane Seymour and Catherine Zeta-Jones love it so much!
緩解壓力。高爾夫不僅可以改善你的力量，體力和靈活性，對精神也有好處。當我有壓力時，最好的辦法就是把所有壓抑的能量釋放到高爾夫球上。另外你還能在四小時的比賽時間內消耗1300卡路里—走路和拿球杆是必要的活動。怪不得像珍·西摩爾和澤塔瓊斯這樣的名人這麼熱愛它！
