Addressing a few points here:
To the OP, no I don't think you have caused irreparable harm to your career, but it's still pretty shady. When you make a commitment, you should always honour it barring any unforeseen last-minute emergencies. Your mistake was signing up for an event you really didn't want to attend.
That said, I really wish companies would stop hosting golf tournaments for employees. Not everyone enjoys golfing, and not everyone wants to give up 4+ hours of their personal time. Moreover, playing golf (even at an informal corporate event) requires a certain amount of training and skill that not everyone possesses. I don't think the people who organize these tournaments have any idea how intimidating and un-fun it is to be worried about embarrassing oneself in front of one's coworkers. I guarantee a significant portion of the employees in attendance feel exactly that way, but they feel compelled to show up anyway because they think it's a career-limiting move not to.
|