The art of reading the terrain:
Golf, fly fishing, and right-of-way acquisition may seem to occupy entirely different worlds. Look closely, though, and the same truths govern all three. You can’t beat the golf course, and you can’t overpower a river. There’s a pulse and rhythm to the layout of a golf course. There’s a cadence that governs the law of the river. Success comes from recognizing those forces rather than trying to impose your will upon them.
Right-of-way acquisition is no different. It doesn’t matter how eager someone is to make a birdie, hook a trout, or reach an agreement with a property owner. It’s not about you. It’s about understanding the elements and adjusting your rhythm to move effectively within them.
Retreat Tactics
Hammer a drive into the woods and the smartest shot may be sideways. Cut your losses, pitch back onto the fairway and live to fight another hole. Walk a long stretch of river looking for access to an eddy and sometimes the terrain simply says no. The current is wrong. The bank is unsafe. The entry isn’t there. Turn around. Step back. Reevaluate. The same principle applies at the negotiating table. Have a retreat tactic or two. Dialogue is king. Hold your ground where it matters, but don’t confuse holding your ground with refusing to move. Sometimes taking a step backward creates the path forward.
Routine. Clarity. Preparedness.
An accomplished golfer may learn to work the ball right to left, left to right, high and low. But with more options comes another danger: unnecessary complication. Too many swing thoughts, too many shot shapes and too much indecision can make even a skilled player lose true north. The same happens on the water. Pattern the hatch, change flies, adjust the leader, modify the rig—and sometimes all that sophistication still doesn’t produce a fish.
Simplicity has value.
The same is true with property owners. Keep the conversation clear and relational, while being prepared to address technical questions when they arise. ROW professionals code-switch constantly between engineering, construction, environmental, legal and other departments. That knowledge matters. But the supreme understanding comes from somewhere else: The relationship built with the customer.What are their needs? What matters to them? What is preventing them from saying yes? And where is there room to move?
When the Deal Shouldn’t Work
Sometimes everybody has said no in one form or another. Yet the conversation continues. A bridge gets built. Language is reconsidered. Easement areas are adjusted. Alignments are shifted. Concessions are made where concessions can reasonably be made. What appeared to be a dead end becomes another route forward. A difficult acquisition can resemble a brutal golf course or an isolated pocket of river. Charging directly toward the objective isn’t always the answer. Sometimes the only way in is to stalk your way down, read what’s in front of you and stay fluid in the moment. A river doesn’t care about the plan made from the parking lot. Torrential grades, loose earth, changing current or a forty-foot spill can change the equation immediately. The environment dictates the next move. So does a negotiation.
The Universal Truth
Golf teaches humility. The river demands respect. Right-of-way acquisition requires both. Know when to advance and when to retreat. Understand the environment before trying to change it. Keep things simple, but possess enough knowledge to go deep when necessary. And never lose sight of the person on the other side of the conversation.
Whether the objective is a birdie, a trout, or a signed agreement, forcing the outcome rarely produces the best result. Find the rhythm. Read what’s in front of you. Adjust accordingly. That’s where progress begins.
-David Brown