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THE SKYTEL U .S . CORPORATE
G O I, F C H A hI P I O N S H I P
A TRADITION OF GOOD PLAY AND GOOD DEEDS
According to a 19th-century saying, "the
battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields
of Eton ." Since that time-<strong>and</strong> even beforeathletics
have been praised as a
means to prep civilized people for
success in serious endeavors .
Though it's a far ycunger
institution than the British
public-school system, the SkyTel
U .S . Corporate Golf Championship
is a sporting program equally
rooted in the connection between
good play <strong>and</strong> good work . Since
1993, the springtime series of
regional golf qualifiers-capped
by a national final in September,
to be held this year at the Golden
Horseshoe course in historic
Williamsburg, Va .-has visited
some of the country's finest golf
facilities <strong>and</strong> brought together
some of the most influential <strong>and</strong>
successful <strong>business</strong> people in
corporate Atrterica .
Before SkyTel, the leader in global wireless messaging,
By David Gould
"The SkyTel U.S . Corporate
Golf Championship offers
launched its series, there were plenty of corporate golf outings,
retreats <strong>and</strong> charity events . But one could never come away
from them with any sense of which corporation's upper
management could perform the best under a little bit of bacl
senior executises a chance
both to make personal
contact with their peers
; <strong>and</strong> to do great things
nine pressure . There was, in short, no way of identifying the Z,*
best team of corporate golfers in the U .S . O for charity . bV&ile SkyTePs
The first year this championship was held, a foursome FP missron rs to keep people
Q ~ in touch through
from America West Airlines took the title . In year two, Cj
;elerommunications,
the best team of corporate golfers was a quartet from San ti we also appreciate this
Antonio-based Kinetic Concepts Inc . This year's national ~
oppartuniry to
champions will emerge from the 15 teams that have survived C,V rommunicate on a
regional qualifying at five sites nationwide . ~ personal lecel."
For the participants, SkyTel U .S . Corporate Golf Championship IP
regionals nominally constitute a day off from work . But since ' l`" BHrur'
P
PRESID`c>T nNe CEO,
<strong>business</strong> dealings are alwavs bolstered by personal contact <strong>and</strong> ~ SKVTZL
face-to-face familiarity, the long golf day naturally turn=s into
a networking opportunity. Just by moving through the morning
registration process <strong>and</strong> gathering the Full package of
complimentary gear <strong>and</strong> items, contestants learn about a wide
range of <strong>business</strong> services that can help their own companies
operate more efficiently. Sprinkled in with these
presentations are a few luxury consumer
products to view, any of which cou]d be carried
home that day at no chargethanks
to great playing or a run
of good luck .
It isn i easy to spear one of
the top three spots at a regional
qualifier, but teams that keep their
optimism <strong>and</strong> make a few putts
always st<strong>and</strong> a chance . Out on the
SkyTel links, just as in the office, the
executive's duty is to make decisions
that lead to success, which is why
solid information comm<strong>and</strong>s such
a high value . Faced with an uneven
lie for a long approach shot over
water, the SkyTel golfer lacks a
scoreboard telling him whether his
team should play conservatively or
shoot for a miracle . Some crucial
information about general scores
or the play of a team's other twosome
is delivered instantly through
the SkyTel text-messaging pagers
worn by each participant . Still, any
decision about whether to gamble
for birdie or lay up is left to instinct .
Over three years of competition,
1,000-plus corporate officers have
competed in regional qualifiers .
The vast majority comes out for
the camaraderie . not for blood .
The most serious <strong>business</strong> of
the SkyTel series involves its
philanthropy. In three years of
play, nearly 50 different charitable
causes have benefited from the
more than $250,000 in gifts made
directly from the toumament coffers
or via matching funds graciously
put up by the teams themselves . This year's regionals, building
on momentum, were more exuberantly played than in the two
previous years . Not everyone could reach the finals, but all .
who played came away proud to have taken part .
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