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Golfing alone


stikillller

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I play by myself at least once a week, although I never play actual legitimate golf when doing so. I simply do not see much point in it as it is not the same as playing with/against others when it matters, and I think this time is much better spent on practice.

 

My two favorite games to play are either worst ball(two from everywhere taking the worst), or hit 'til Im happy and wont leave any hole until I birdie or better. Usually this is just a matter of getting on the green in any kind of ok position with 0-2 extra shots getting there and then not leaving until I drop the putt, but lots of great practice opportunities on approach shots, or tough driving holes as well.

 

Back to the worst ball game....this is actually also a great game if you have a gambling buddy of similar skill level to play a little skins game with. "Nice shot, let's see it again". Those little 4-5 foot sliding putts are ridiculously hard to make two of. It is a fantastic game for exercising your mind. We play it kind of brutal also as far as lies. You have to replicate the lie you had good or bad on your second shot. So if you are in the shiat somewhere with a stick in the way, and you break or lose the stick hitting the first ball out, your opponent will be more than happy helping you find a new stick to put in your way......

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If I want to play and can't find anyone to join me, I'll play alone. I usually don't anymore, and I play so infrequently I typically just wait till others want to play. From the time I started playing in '04 until late last year, I played anywhere from 3-6 rounds per week, and most of those were by myself. Sometimes I hooked up with ransoms on the course, and most of my weekend rounds were with my regular group, but majority of my weekday rounds were played alone. It's a good time to work things out. These days, is really rather just go home and spend time with my wife than play a round by myself.

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Every Friday (when possible) I play my local 9 hole track. It's an easy par 4 that doesn't require driver unless you really want to risk it. I like playing alone because I can mess around and experiment with different shots, or play 2 balls and see what the outcomes end up being of different choices I make. It's also kind of nice to just get away from people and relax for a quick 9. 18 maybe that's a tad lonely, but I've done it once when I went out at 8am on a less popular course.

 

 

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For years i played as a single, i did love it. I now play with a group on saturday and Wednesday in my league. I still do enjoy my single rounds on sunday.

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I play a lot of solo rounds. I just play, whether it's alone, with buddies, or strangers. I play hockey one night a week so I've played golf with a few guys from there. They are either younger guys right out of college or way older.

 

Being 30+, married, with a kid is weird socially because everyone at my stage in life is consumed with work/kid stuff just like I am. Hobbies like golf kinda get snuck in there when work, wife, and kid have all their needs met lol.

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OP, you might consider a push cart and walking. Your comment about your former partner irresponsibly driving the cart is why I suggest it.

 

Walking a round of golf is much less intimate than sharing an electric cart with someone.

 

I don't mind walking on a golf course with strangers, but that's probably because I walk and know I can engage them as much or as little as I choose.

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I enjoy playing with friends and associates, but group golf is a lot of commitment for me.

First, the day and the time of tee time is fixed and often times traveling to and from the golf courses are coordinated for car pooling. Most of the time the guys want to stop by the 19th or have lunch or dinner before heading home.

 

My schedule is not Monday to Friday 9 to 5, and I enjoy the weekday golf without the crowd induced 5 + hours round of golf during weekend days.

 

Walked on as a single is a majority of my rounds theses days. I love to meet people and throughout the years only a handful of unpleasant experience.

 

Sometimes because of the situation I would play by myself because I don't want to wait for the next walked on to play with. Like yesterday, I was st the golf course around 7:15 , most of the tee times were 4-some. I did not wish to wait for the walked on to team up with so I played with a 4-some in front of me and another 4-some just behind. When there is a chance I would hit 2 balls and it was a lot of fun.

 

You see, golf is not just a social function or retirement activity for me, I am an addict. There, I said it.

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I played alone last week when my wife and I went to Maine on vacation. But it was only because I showed up and no one else was there (it was foggy). I think this might have been the only round I played solo in all of 2017. I'm in year two at my club, and I have a regular group of guys I play with. And if they're not around I know of two other groups that have regular games that I can usually get into. It's one of the benefits of joining a golf club.

 

Also, I really do fear that I'll get a hole in one while playing alone. I want witnesses.

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The reason I started to play golf as a kid was because I could play it alone.

 

Other than a few rounds played with my brother while he was visiting up here, I haven't played more than one hole with another golfer in over five years.

 

If the course is too busy to play alone, I just won't play. The course is too busy this afternoon, but I've already banked 53 rounds this year with October and November to go, so its not really a problem.

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If I am free to play I do.

Only one of my close friends plays, so if I get a chance to play when he can't, I'll walk at least 9 by myself. As others have said, I use it more as a practice/ learning session than playing for score.

 

My favorite is playing in the Saturday noon game at our club. 18 hole random draw teams best 2 balls. I have probably played rounds with 50-60 different guys over the course of the season by participating in it.

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I joined our country club in 1997 when we were in our hay day. We hosted the Friendly's Classic which attracted the top LPGA Players (Dottie Pepper won it one year) and our club had 350 members and a waiting list of close to 100 people. The place was absolutely beautiful, a true golfing heaven. Today, we are down to 200 members and no waiting list to join. We've even dropped the initiation fee! I play almost everyday, and half the time I play alone. Times have changed, dammit!

 

 

 

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The guys I typically play with haven't played much this year (one guy quit golf, others not playing much), so I've been playing as a solo when possible or just getting matched up with random people. Typically I would prefer to play alone, but getting matched up isn't that bad as long as the other players aren't horrible. It can be pretty tough playing with guys that play really poorly or very slowly. But overall it's actually fun and relaxing playing alone. It's more fun playing with friends but it can be great for my game playing solo and working on my game too.

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I do not make my living playing golf, I don't get my self esteem from playing golf. I just enjoy hitting the ball. I am sick of playing with people that take it so seriously. Especially when playing for absolutely nothing, not a trophy, not a wager, not bragging rights, nothing. I shot a low of 68 and a high of 88 this summer and could found something to enjoy in each round. I can't believe how little enjoyment friends and family members have on the course and I am tired of it. Some are getting better but most are getting worse. I have been through too much and thank God that I can toss my clubs on my back, walk 7-10 miles, and still hit a drive 300 yards once in a while at 56. Spent years in bed with illness and injury twice in my life and will enjoy being upright every second I can be.

 

Oh yea to answer your question I enjoy playing by myself, now more then ever.

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I have a similar issue. My schedule is very different than everyone else I know so I play by myself a lot. I actually enjoy it. I can really focus and take my time. I still play fast, usually 2.5hrs or less walking for 18. I get paired with random people somewhat frequently though. More than half the time it's enjoyable. But every now and again I get someone who is miserable to play with.

My other issue is I don't like taking a cart. My golf budget is limited so if I get a cart that's one less round I can play per month. I also really enjoy walking. I have some friends that refuse to walk and only care about how many beers they can drink in a round. Needless to say I don't play with them.

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I play probably a little over half my golf solo. I only have 3 days a week that i can play golf - saturday, sunday, and monday after noon. I am a member at a small club here in my small town. My membership includes unlimited golf with cart and range. Usually saturday and sunday mornings i play with a group that tees of around 8 or 9 depending on the time of year, then will go home, grab lunch, mow lawn or do laundry, etc. then go back to the course around 5 and play the rest of the night by my self. We usually aren't that busy and even if it is slow in places, i will just jump around to find empty holes. On Mondays, after my half day at work i will go play 18 with my father (sometimes 36 if he feels up to it) in a couple hours then he will go to practice (depending on time of year - he is HS girls and boys varsity coach) or head home to do whatever it is retired people do. He is also in the group on the sat. and sun mornings and being a small group we are frequently paired together. On Monday afternoons i will go play another 18-27 or until men's league (that i don't play in) starts and closes the one nine. I am always up to go play other courses, but don't have that many friends who have the time or finances to want to go around to other courses, which sucks. But i am always tinkering with something in my workshop so the solo golf gives me time to experiment.

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If I could go out and play alone on an empty course it would be fine but the few times I've played alone it's a major pain in the arse. Groups get inconvenienced by letting you play through and if you're not playing through the round seems to last forever.

 

the last time I tried to play alone I walked off on 9 because it was such a hassle. I much prefer to play with friends.

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I play most of my golf unscheduled so I either play alone or get paired up. Love playing by myself if it's late and the course is wide open. But if I make it out in the morning then I like to be paired up so I'm not trying to get through groups. I tend to play fast and give half effort when there's a group in front I've been waiting on for more than a hole. Rather than take my time, I rush to finish a hole so I can rile up to the tee before they've teed off on the next hole.

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Like a lot of the Posters,I am of the opinion that there is nothing wrong with solo golf. Lots of practice and you can play when you

have the time and play at your preferred pace. After reading a lot on the subject,I am aware that the group of 4 standard

was a product of course owners looking for the maximum return from each tee time,nothing more..nothing less. Now they have

convinced a lot of people that solo golf makes you an oddball..It is nice to get away from the noise,the constant talking and the

questions.....I Hate the hundred questions..as if the day wont be fun unless they know my life story ! For the first time in my life,I

don't have to be somewhere at some one else's schedule to do something that I may not want to do.And I have found that I kinda

enjoy it ! So ,NO...there is absolutely nothing wrong with playing alone.

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At the beginning of the season I like playing alone so I can hit an extra shot here and there when I'm trying to shake off winter rust. After that I enjoy the banter and camaraderie too much to feel like I want to play alone.

 

Sometimes when prepping for a tournament I will play alone just because I want to putt from various places as well.

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I enjoy playing with friends and family but do enjoy the occasional solo round, which in 2017 have been the majority of rounds based on when I play. Since you cannot enter solo rounds for handicap purposes anymore I only have 6 entries out of about 15 rounds played. The occasional solo round is great for practice since I would take multiple shots from lie that give me trouble if no other golfers were around. I used to play the majority of my solo rules by the USGA rules book but now since they are practice I tend to practice with the rules out the window. I am not certain whether this is a good thing or not since from the few rounds I have posted my handicap is trending a bit higher.

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I play solo most of the time. I limit the amount of time I spend at the course, so I try and play during the slow hours. I usually get 18 done in about 3- 3/12 hrs(less if the course is empty). I do like playing with others, but it's not often I can spend 4+ hrs playing golf.

 

Yesterday was a treat. Weather was glorious, course wide open, and I golfed with my teenage daughter(who has less free time than I do).

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