Think of golfing and what comes to mind? Elite, successful and top business executives right? Well, have you ever wondered the correlation between golf and the business world?

Well top businessmen and golfers including the founder of defunct UT Bank Prince Kofi Amoabeng and managing director of CAL Bank, Frank Adu Jr. shared their experience as golfers and business executives at the GEC Open Aspire 2019, a platform for them to discuss the synergies between golf and business.

Not regarding the perception that golf is a sport for the elite, some business executives at the GEC Aspire 2019 maintain that golf is for everyone.

Founder of defunct UT Bank and ardent golfer Captain Rtd Prince Kofi Amoabeng explained that the only expensive thing in playing golf is the time spent which he believes is available to everyone.

“When I hear people talk about golf being expensive I laugh. Yes, you would pay some hundreds of cedis to join the golf club, but I believe nothing good comes easy. I rather see spending four to five hours a day on the course four times a week as a bigger investment” he explained.

Sharing their various experiences, the men acknowledged that golf indeed played a huge role in their business career, as it has helped them in making major decisions in their career.

“Playing golf allows you to see so many traits in person; both the good and bad. It tells you whether one is patient, or determined. When you are playing with a young executive who quits just after the ninth hole, which should tell you that he/she is a quitter and not a fighter. When someone tries to cut corners on the course, it tells you that the person is a cheat and would do the same in business” Mr Frank Ade Jr. described.

Founder of Strategic Security Systems International Limited Ofori Boateng also and devoted golfer explained that for him he started golfing by chance.

With membership in two golf clubs (one in the United Kingdom and the other, the Achimota Golf club), says is one sport he has not regretted starting

In all the talk about the importance of golfing to the business world, it was evident that more effort will be needed to grow the sport more.

Currently, there are some 15 private and public golf clubs, the most popular being the Achimota Golf club in Accra. Others include the Ankobra Golf club at Bogoso, Awaso Golf Club and Damang Golf Club all in the Western region.

Mr Frank Adu Jr speaking to joy business shared his views on the importance of recreational activities and the need for government to invest more in them.

“Parks are necessary which is why for me golf is important. I think in Accra the only place you can go for a walk undisturbed without motorist coming at you in the opposite directions is on the golf course. And we don’t see enough parks in Accra. I don’t know about other cities in the country but in Accra where I live, I don’t know of much parks to allow for this very therapeutic kind of freedom”

“Successive government in this country have been overwhelmed by the need to provide public services infrastructure and the likes beyond which they are able to find a budget for what they probably think will be less important for the people. How are they going to find the money to do that? I don’t know. But for good city planning, it is important” he added.

Other executives present at the engagement were Ben Barth of Axcero Advisor and businessman Kofi Agyei.