Women Golfers Get Down to Business On The Links

Starwood Hotels Study Says Female Execs Do More Deals During Golf Than Men

Press Release: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.
July 2, 2002
WHITE PLAINS, NY -- While all executives find golf to be a vital part of business, a new study by Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide Inc. (NYSE:HOT) finds that female executives believe golf is an especially important business activity.

Women do more deals on the links than men, see a greater correlation between the way someone behaves on the golf course and their behavior in business, and are less likely than men to throw a golf game to get more business. But the fairer sex isn't always so fair on the fairway. Women are also more likely than men to say they cheat at golf.

"From The Boardroom to the Back Nine: The Importance of Golf in Business"(a), a study by Starwood commissioned to support the hotel company's new Starwood Golf Vacations program, found that men and women executives behave differently on the golf course. Specifically:

• Many more women than men (63% vs. 43%) claim their "biggest business or sales deal has been made while playing golf". Women are also less likely than men (13% compared to 21%), to let a client beat them "even if they thought it would help to get business".
• Women more than men, (75% vs. 58%), believe "the way a person plays golf is very similar to how he / she conducts their business affairs".
• Women tend to bet less often than men (69% to 87%) but are more likely to drink on the links (50% vs. 42%) than their male counterparts.
• Women are less likely than men to throw (13% to 27%) or break a club (6% to 13%).
• However, women admit to cheating slightly more than men at golf (88% to 82%) and more women than men would "rather get a hole-in-one than see their child hit a home run" (19% vs. 10%).
• Women are also more likely than men to say "golf is more important than sex" (13% compared to 11%).
• Significantly more women than men believe if "women played more golf they would succeed more at business" (69% compared to men at 43%). More women than men "feel playing golf is a good way to relieve business stress" (100% compared to men at 91%).
• 88% of women vs. 68% of men "usually schedule playing golf around other family activities".
• Women tend to charge less golf-related expenses to their company in a typical year compared to men; average for men is $1485, women is $953. Their golf handicaps (17 on average) compare favorably to men (14 on average). Men average 46 rounds of 18 holes of golf per year, compared to 30 rounds for women.

Starwood Launches "Starwood Golf Vacations"

Conducted by Guideline Research & Consulting Inc., "From The Boardroom To The Back Nine" surveyed 401 business executives and CEOs with an average household income of $187,000. Starwood commissioned the survey as part of its research and development for Starwood Golf Vacations. Launching today, Starwood Golf Vacations provides golfers with a one-stop-shop golf vacation hotline to more than 80 of Starwood's premier golf resorts around the world as well as access to USA PGA TOUR Tournament Player Club championship courses. Starwood's Golf Vacations' Concierge will take care of accommodations, airfare, car rental, guaranteed advance tee times and more, offering a passport to 4,536 holes of golf worldwide. Simply call 1 866 4 GOLF SW or book online at www.starwood.com/golf.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with more than 740 properties in more than 80 countries and 110,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. With internationally renowned brands, Starwood is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchiser of hotels and resorts including: St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, Sheraton, Westin, Four Points by Sheraton, W brands, as well as Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., one of the premier developers and operators of high quality vacation interval ownership resorts. For more information, please visit www.starwood.com

(a) This study conducted by Guideline Research and Consulting Inc. of New York City is a nationwide survey of business and organization executives who play golf. The executives were randomly selected from over 10,000 names, and organizations operating in the continental United States, compiled by a nationally known sampling company. In order for a respondent to qualify for the study, they had to hold a senior position (e.g. Vice President or higher) in their organization, or have a household income over $100,000 annually in a senior sales, supervisory, or managerial position. Each respondent had to have played six or more rounds of eighteen holes of golf per year. A total of 401 total interviews were completed. There were no quotas put on gender for this study. Many more men were randomly interviewed than women. Therefore the data should be used for directional purposes only. The survey took over 22 minutes to administer and complete, and has a margin of error on the totals of plus or minus four to six percentage points. The margin of error for subgroups is higher. Interviewing was conducted from April 1 to April 26th, 2002.

Consumers interested in obtaining a copy of the study 
may call 1 866 4 GOLF SW. 

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Contact: 

     Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.
     K.C. Kavanagh, 914/640-8339