Playing the Old Course at St. Andrews Links

Business professional Brad Liebe has a diverse range of professional interests, serving as a consultant and motivational speaker as well as owning KK and B Financial Services for Seniors in Fort Myers, Florida. In addition to his professional career, Brad Liebe is an avid golfer, with an interest in golfing Scotland’s Old Course.

If you have any interest in golf at all, you likely have heard of Scotland’s Old Course, located at the Links at St. Andrews. This the place where the game of golf was first played, nearly 600 years ago.

In spite of its history and importance to the game of golf, the Old Course is a public course that can be played by just about any golfer who wants to go. You will need a handicap in order to play the course (a maximum of 24 for men and 36 for women). Be sure to bring your handicap certificate with you, as you’ll need to present it to the starter on the day you plan to play.

All tee times at the St. Andrews Links come as part of a package or a golf tour that includes accommodations, transportation, and, of course, golf. Most golf tours are booked for a minimum of 4 nights. When your tee time is booked in advance, you receive a two-course package, which means you can also play another course at St. Andrews Links, either the Castle Course, Jubilee Course, New Course, or Eden Course. Though you don’t have to play this other course, it is included in the fee you pay. Tee times often book out in advance, so you will want to plan ahead for your golf vacation.

Management Practices that Boost Employee Performance

Business leader Brad Liebe is the owner of KK and B Financial Services for Seniors. A speaker and corporate consultant on strategic planning and management training, Brad Liebe works with company executives in various industries, helping them reach their full potential.

A company’s most important resource is its people. To achieve peak potential, it must optimize employee performance. Here are three management practices that do just that:

1. Support for employees’ growth. This can take various forms. For example, management can delegate important roles to employees helping them acquire additional skills, then once employees are done with the work, managers provide constructive feedback. Management can also extend leadership training beyond the executive-level to middle management and supervisors, ensuring those at the grassroots, who need the most training and development assistance, get it.

2. Open communication with employees. Open communication should be respectful and professional. When executives go out of their way to check on their employees, making sure they feel supported, employees are far less likely to burn out. This benefits the company in other ways. For example, executives who are more engaged with their employees can better address internal concerns and predict future turnover.

3. Effective reward mechanisms. This can take the form of monetary rewards tied to company-wide earnings targets or recognition in front of peers. Some studies have shown that recognition is a way more effective motivator than money.