Balancing business, family, and personal passions isn’t easy—especially for entrepreneurs. Between work commitments and family responsibilities, finding time for yourself can feel impossible. But what if you could combine all three and create a lifestyle that fuels both success and happiness?
In this post, we’ll explore why golf is the perfect sport for busy entrepreneurs, how to build a business that creates time freedom, and ways to involve your family in the game. By the end, you’ll see how golf, business, and family can work together to create a fulfilling and successful life.
Let’s build a business that works for your lifestyle—not the other way around!
Why Golf Matters for Busy Entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurship is a thrilling journey filled with challenges, growth, and the constant pursuit of success. However, for many entrepreneurs, the biggest struggle isn’t just building a business—it’s balancing it all with personal life, especially family time. The drive to succeed often leads to long hours, high levels of stress, and, unfortunately, less time spent with loved ones. Finding a way to balance it all is key to long-term success and happiness.
One powerful solution? Golf.
Golf isn’t just a sport; it’s an experience that blends relaxation, networking, and personal growth. It offers an opportunity to escape the grind while making meaningful professional connections. And, it can even become a shared activity that brings your family closer together, with many courses now having kid friendly tees, allowing you to teach your kids valuable life lessons in a fun setting.
Let’s explore more about why golf matters for entrepreneurs, how you can integrate family into your golf routine, and how investing in your passions can lead to time freedom and a richer, more fulfilling life.
The Entrepreneurial Benefits of Golf
1. A Natural Stress Reliever
Entrepreneurship can be a rollercoaster. Finding ways to de-stress is crucial for maintaining mental clarity and overall well-being. Golf provides the perfect opportunity to unplug from daily tasks, breathe in fresh air, and reset your mind. There’s just something about being out on the course that makes me feel relaxed.
I think part of the beauty of golf lies in its pace. Unlike high-intensity sports, golf allows you to slow down, focus, and be present. Add in, the combination of green landscapes, strategic thinking, and physical activity, and you create a unique form of relaxation that many entrepreneurs like me find therapeutic.
2. Networking on the Course
Golf is often referred to as “the sport of business”—and for good reason. The golf course is where deals are made, partnerships are formed, and valuable relationships are built. Unlike traditional networking events, golf provides an organic and enjoyable way to connect with like-minded professionals without the pressure of a formal setting.
Golfing with potential business partners, investors, or clients allows you to build rapport naturally. A four-hour round of golf offers plenty of time for conversations, which can lead to new business opportunities, collaborations, and mentorships. You can learn a lot about somebody and their principles during that time if you are paying attention. Little things like someone not raking a bunker after use or not fixing their ball mark on the green show a lack of respect, in my opinion. And, outright cheating on the course is a huge red flag. Remember, how you do one thing is how you do everything.
3. Sharpening Business Acumen
Believe it or not, golf can make you a better entrepreneur. Now, I’m not going to call your wife and tell her you have to go golfing more often to grow your income or anything (although now that I write it out it sounds like a good future service, hahaha!) But, the game does require patience, strategic thinking, and adaptability—traits essential for business success. Golf also teaches you to analyze risks, manage setbacks, and stay composed under pressure, which you can translate directly into running a business.
Additionally, golf is a game of etiquette and integrity. The lessons learned on the course—such as honesty, perseverance, and handling wins and losses gracefully—mirror the qualities of successful people across all of life’s endeavors. You are also interacting with numerous people each time you go to the course providing ample opportunity to work on interpersonal skills.
Strategies for Integrating Family into Your Golf Routine
For many dads, golf is more than just a pastime—it’s a passion. However, balancing that passion with family responsibilities can be tricky. The key? Bringing your family into the golfing experience.
1. Family Golf Outings
Instead of reserving golf as a solo escape, consider making it a family affair. Many golf courses have family-friendly tee boxes providing shorter courses, or even fun learn-to-golf options designed for kids and women. Family golf outings not only give you the chance to enjoy the game but also create lasting memories with your children and spouse. Start small by going to the practice putting green at your local course so they can get a feel for the golf course environment, it’s awesome to see their faces light up when they start making the ball go in the hole. After doing that a few times you can then move to the driving range, and only progress on to an actual course once your family is ready and able to maintain the pace of play.
I have some tips that I use when playing with my kids to help out with this: 1- Use the kid tees if the course has them, they are typically between 100-150 yards out, I allow my kids 2 shots to get on the green or they pick it up and we go putt; 2- They get to putt 2 times per green; 3- If the course doesn’t have kids tees I generally have them tee off from somewhere around that 100-150 yard area next to where my approach shot is being taken, if the course isn’t busy behind us I do let them hit from the normal tees then pick up and keep moving; 4- Never have a group waiting on you, if you start to fall behind, just pick up and go to the next hole which is probably wide open; 5- start with 9 holes or less, some courses offer a 5-hole after 5pm deal or something similar. Remember, you are out there not just to have fun, but also to teach your kids lessons about life so be courteous and respectful of the other golfers. Check with your local golf course to see what options are available.
2. Teaching Your Kids the Game
Introducing your kids to golf at an early age can be incredibly rewarding. Teaching them the fundamentals—how to hold a club, swing, and navigate the course—instills patience, discipline, and confidence. Plus, it’s an excellent way to bond. Whether it’s weekend driving range sessions or nine-hole rounds together, these experiences can strengthen your relationship while fostering their appreciation for the game. The skills they learn through golf will benefit them throughout their lives and also provide them with life long memories of time spent together with you.
3. Golf-Themed Family Vacations
Why not plan a vacation that incorporates golf? Many resorts cater to families, offering golf courses alongside kid-friendly activities. This allows you to enjoy a few rounds while ensuring your family also has a fantastic time. A golf-centered trip can blend relaxation, recreation, and quality time—perfect for the entrepreneurial dad looking to maximize both business and family life. My kids and I always look forward to spending a week in the Palm Springs area during the winter. It’s a great chance for us to get out of the snow for a bit to enjoy some warm weather, golf, relax by the pool, hike, and of course, my daughters love the nearby shopping!
Investing in Your Passion for Time Freedom
1. From Construction Worker to Entrepreneur: Following Your Passion
Making the leap from a traditional job—whether it’s construction, corporate work, or another field—into entrepreneurship can feel overwhelming. However, investing in yourself and following your passions is one of the most powerful moves you can make toward financial independence and time freedom.
If golf is your passion, why not explore ways to monetize it? Many entrepreneurs have built businesses around the golf industry, whether through content creation, coaching, product sales, owning indoor golf facilities, or even golf course ownership. The key is aligning your interests with opportunities that generate income, allowing you to design a life you love. Myself, I have chosen business models that are online based, revolve around my passions for golf and business creation, help others, and leverage technology to create more time for me to enjoy with my family.
2. Creating New Income Streams
The beauty of entrepreneurship is that it allows you to break free from the traditional 9-to-5. Instead of trading time for money, you can build income streams that align with your lifestyle. This could include:
- Launching a golf-related business (equipment sales, coaching, golf apparel, or online content creation)
- Leveraging social media to build a golf community and attract brand sponsorships
- Offering business consulting with a golf theme
- Helping other entrepreneurs use golf for networking
- Creating e-books around golf or other topics you know well
- Affiliate Marketing for golf brands
- Learn to sell high-ticket items remotely (ad)
- Learn to trade stocks (ad)
- Learn about AI and use it to help you with your business
By prioritizing a passion-driven approach you design a business that aligns with who you are as a person providing a strong sense of purpose, allowing you to create better financial opportunities while increasing your flexibility to spend more time with family. If you’re stuck and can’t figure out a good idea or just need help refining your ideas, use an AI tool like ChatGPT to help. Ask it to help you design a business around X, Y, & Z, tell it some skills you have, along with any other information about what you want to accomplish and then wait for the results. Then, ask it to refine the business idea by providing additional parameters, keep refining until you have something you like. This will then serve as your initial roadmap in guiding your business, it doesn’t need to be 100% perfect 80% will do, you will likely be adjusting as you go anyways.
3. Creating Memories While Building a Brighter Future
At the end of the day, entrepreneurship isn’t just about making money—it’s about creating a life of purpose, freedom, and joy. Golf serves as a bridge between business, personal well-being, and family bonding. Whether you’re closing deals on the course, teaching your kids how to putt, or embarking on a golf adventure with loved ones, you’re building a legacy of meaningful experiences.
To me success isn’t just measured in financial gains but in the memories you create with those who matter most. By integrating golf into your entrepreneurial and family life, you’re enriching your relationships and overall happiness.
Conclusion
For busy entrepreneurs, golf is more than just a sport—it’s a strategic tool for personal growth, business development, and family bonding. It offers an avenue for stress relief, networking, and skill-building while providing meaningful opportunities to involve loved ones in the experience or create lasting business relationships.
If you’re an entrepreneur and a dad, don’t view golf as something that takes you away from your family. Instead, see it as a way to bring family closer, create lasting memories, and align your passion with financial freedom. The journey of entrepreneurship should be fulfilling, and by incorporating golf into your lifestyle, you can craft a business and a life that truly brings you joy and freedom.
So, grab your clubs, invite your family, and step onto the fairway—not just for the game, but for the life it helps you build.
