By Tom Sukay, CEO Sukay & Associates
Golf is an interesting activity because you see people that play at all ages and skill levels. There are the individuals who play daily, weekly or whenever they can play a scramble at a charity event. The handicap system allows these players to be able to compete against any player at any level. In the past week, I’ve thought about someone on two separate occasions who I haven’t seen in 16 years. I was a client of his in the 90s and we lost touch after I changed careers.
That is the beauty of golf for me. It establishes relationships and memories that stay with you for many years. The individual’s name is Jimmy Dunne. He is the Senior Manager Principal of the investment banking firm of Sandler, O’Neill & Partners. We met while I served as the Chief Accounting Officer and then Chief Financial Officer of Commerce Bancorp, Inc. in Cherry Hills NJ. At the time we met, I was not a very good golfer. My golfing goal was to achieve “consistent mediocrity.” My first memory of playing with Jimmy Dunne was at Laurel Valley Country Club in Ligonier Pennsylvania. If you are an avid golfer, Laurel Valley was the site of a Ryder Cup and the PGA Championship. It is located only 15 miles from my hometown of Greensburg Pa. I consider Laurel Valley one of the most beautiful golf courses in the country. Growing up poor in Greensburg, I could never imagine playing golf at Laurel Valley.
I was not having a particularly good golf round, but I was clearly enjoying myself and the environment. That round was 20 years ago but I remember it vividly. During the round, Jimmy told me that “Nobody will remember how I played, but they will remember how I acted.” To this day, I believe I act the same way if I shoot 71 (career low) or 95. The beauty of that quote is that it applies to much more than golf. We have been privileged to represent many insurance agency owners in the sale of their company. Our best clients are not measured by the EBITDA multiple that they achieve on the sale. Our two most recent clients, Gerry Levy and Charlie Torsiello achieved financial success from the transaction. However, twenty years from now, I won’t remember the deal value, but I will remember how both of them conducted themselves with professionalism and class.
I thought again of Jimmy Dunne when he appeared on my TV as I watched the Pebble Beach Pro-Am at Pebble Beach. Jimmy missed a putt but walked off the green with a big smile. Ten minutes later I was sitting at my desk doing some weekend planning for the upcoming workweek. I have a picture on my desk of my best golf memory. I was playing golf with Jimmy, Mark Rosen who was one of my best friends ever before he died on September 11, 2001 and Tony DiGisi. Tony was the head pro at Spring-Ford Country Club and the person responsible for making me a mediocre golfer. Mark was at terrible golfer. He had never broken 100 at any round of golf including in his own words, putt-putt. Jimmy played great that day. We all played well. The highlight was when Mark birdied the last two holes at a championship golf course to shoot 99 and beat Jimmy Dunne (with the aid of many, many strokes.) The picture on my desk is of Mark bowing to Jimmy and me with a huge smile on his face.
My lesson from all of this is to be very conscious of how you act. Conducting yourself with dignity and treating others with respect will have an immediate impact on your life and theirs.
