It’s 6:30 a.m. and I’m getting ready to go golfing. This is my first time out this year and only the 3rd time in the last year.

I used to be a good golfer, OK decent. My lowest handicap was a 12. Now, who knows. Besides having 3 kids under the age of 4, the reason I don’t golf as much anymore is it’s not part of my sales stack.

Golfing used to be a big part of the sales process 10-15 years ago. There was a time when I’d have two or three client golf outings a month. It’s how business got done and even more important, it’s how relationships were managed.

Today’s selling and business worlds have changed. I haven’t had a customer golf outing in 5 years. People are just too busy. They don’t have the time or inclination to spend a day on the golf course in order to get things done. Jill Konrath‘s new book Snap Selling talks about this very issue.

Now that golf has lost it’s grip as a customary sales tool, my game has gone to crap. I’m looking forward to playing this a.m. It’s going to be fun. I’m playing with a friend and former employee. He’s still a good golfer, I don’t know how he does it.

Business no longer subsidizes my golf. I’m going to have to find a new way to get out on the course more often. I do enjoy golf. It would be great to make the goal I set a long time ago — to have a single digit handicap.

I took my daughters to the driving range twice last week. Maybe that’s my ticket. We’ll see.

Is golf still part of your sales stack?