he rules of golf have been around for centuries, but the rules of business golf - particularly for the ever increasing number of women who play the game - have changed almost overnight. Suzanne Woo demonstrates her thorough knowledge of both in "On Course for Business: Women and Golf."

Woo began her career practicing real estate law in San Francisco but found after several years that "billable hours" were taking a toll, all right - a toll on her. She awoke one day feeling exhausted and was told by a doctor to seriously examine her life and her priorities.

Woo eventually found her passion in golf, but only after realizing that, like many women, she was intimidated by its difficulty and idiosyncracies. As she played more and learned more, she realized that she was not alone.

"While golf publications said more women were playing the game," she wrote, "the statistics also showed women were dropping the game just as quickly. I understood why women were quitting the game. Although I was strongly motivated to learn for business reasons, I remember how awkward I felt when I first arrived at the golf course for my lessons. I was in unfamiliar surroundings. ... I also remembered how uncomfortable I felt when I eventually made my way to a golf course with my brother and father. I didn't know how far I could hit the ball. I didn't know where to stand when they were taking their swings. And I'll never forget seeing a scorecard and the sea of numbers, thinking to myself, 'I'm not an accountant. I'm an attorney because I don't want to deal with numbers.' "

Woo quickly figured it all out and, in 1996, founded BizGolf Dynamics, a business golf consulting and public speaking company. And now Woo has written a book that draws on her considerable golf experience to give both the beginner and the advanced player, both the host and the guest, and both men and women a clearer understanding of what to do and what not to do - on the course, in the clubhouse and even when buying equipment and preparing to become a golfer.

Of particular usefulness is a primer Woo calls "Golf 101." In it, she walks you through typical scenarios that you would encounter as you take up the game, from lessons to equipment to being on the course. Men can learn from this book, too. Woo points to scores of etiquette violations that men commit when they have a woman in their group or tournament.

The concept of "business golf" has evolved over the years, and there's a lot more to it than just playing the game. The premise of Woo's book is to help people learn how to better conduct business and derive pleasure from being on the golf course with others. Her passion for the sport comes across so clearly in chapter after chapter, we can only imagine how well she argues her case in court!

On Course for Business: Women and Golf

By Suzanne Woo

John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2002

ISBN: 0-471-44297-6

224 pages

Price: $18.95

Web site: www.bizgolf.biz