(Jean Logan took a dim view of corporate golf outings in the June 12 Business Record. Here’s a contrasting opinion. – Editor.)

Golf is a game I love to hate. Golf is not a game of perfection; it’s a game of progress or a journey. We live in an age of instant gratification, but improvement in golf happens over a period of time.

My parents and siblings did not play golf when I was growing up. I took up golf in my early 20s. Pretty much self-taught. No professional lessons. I watched others and picked up traits. Read some. Put what I had learned into practice.

I look for the successes during the journey. I feel I have had a good game of golf when I can get to the end of the game with the original golf ball and tee.

This month I went to the Iowa Organization for Nursing Leaders spring conference. As I was listening to the speaker, Jean Logan’s article came to mind. I felt compelled to write a rebuttal.

She contended that companies are profiting from corporate golf functions. Are the companies enhancing the game? Are they expanding the influence of gambling on society with their offers of several thousand dollars for a hole in one? I am not sure.

She linked corporate leaders to the game; in recent years I have been to several healthcare-related golf outings and very few have been attended by board members and administrators.

What I have noticed at every function is a mix of male and female players. According to the National Golf Foundation, the number of women golfers increased in 2004 compared with 2003, and women now represent 25 percent of all golfers.

Today there are girls’ teams in soccer, baseball, lacrosse and tennis, just to name a few. Contrast that with the dumpy gym uniforms women wore to gym classes in the 1960s, when the most vigorous sport might have been volleyball. Could this stigma be a reason girls are not risk-takers?

If board members and administrators are out on the golf course making decisions, I would applaud them. The spring conference spoke about renewing and reawakening. Being out on the course provides a different atmosphere from the boardroom. Your senses are alive with sights, sounds and smells. You are energized and focused. The change in scenery allows you to feel freer to brainstorm, roll up your sleeves and speak freely. Golf is not about which club to choose; it’s about sharing time with others and experiencing their victories.

Her assumption about “privilege” and golf brought some emotion to me. There are several opportunities for girls or boys to play golf without a huge expense: Boys and Girls Clubs, church groups and pickup games, to name a few. One does not need professional training. Golf facilities offer used clubs for sale at a discounted, affordable price. Some places will rent clubs to beginners.

There are close to 1,200 members in the LPGA, which was founded in 1959. Its national member programs include teaching, coaching, business management and leadership skills training programs and conferences; tournaments; employment services; online education; and junior golf programs.

But golf is not the real issue. We need to use different means to broaden our horizons. Sitting at a meeting inside four walls, feeling like a stuffed shirt, is confining. I believe the challenge is to change our perspective on how we network and do business. Take a risk. Go play golf.

William Yager is the clinics process manager at Broadlawns Medical Center.