Golfing alone

[Under2hours]

Miss playing alone listening to podcasts.

 

Second year at club and have met some others and have a standing Saturday & Sunday tee time (first out) where we play in 2:30-3:00......

 

Will go out and close down the course today and be done in 2:00 and try extra putts, another approach or two and many other things while unwinding from the day.

 

Golf season probably done in 4 weeks so got to take advantage.

[psunate08]

Love playing by myself. I also love playing with a few buddies. I really like to play alone at my club so I can keep learning every inch of the course. I’ll play multiple balls and shots to get used to different angles into the greens. That way when club tournaments come, I’ll be ready to go and feel comfortable anywhere.

 

When I go away for vacations, no one else really golfs that our family goes with and if someone does, they aren’t nearly as obsessed as I am so they’ll only go once or so. So I take the time to try out all the new courses I’ve never played. I’m at Virginia Beach this week and I’ve been playing alone every day in the mornings so far and I’m really enjoying it.

 

I’m going to try playing better ball/worst ball when I play alone at my home course next time. Thanks for the suggestions!

[RobNY22]

I prefer playing with friends, but like the OP, life in your mid 30’s makes everyone getting together increasingly difficult. I am the only one of my friends who would ever go out alone.

 

I also don’t mind getting paired up with someone, as long as they’re laid back and we can talk about golf. Plus you meet interesting people. I’ve played with people from all walks of life, but we all had one thing in common which was getting out and teeing it up. Plus I usually get paired with a better player than I, so it’s a learning experience.

[SurfDuffer]

I always preferred to play alone except for playing with my son. Other people are a distraction. I'm often the last person off the course in the evening. Just me the hawks and foxes that come out at dusk.

[mgm250]

I like playing alone and I like playing with other people. There are aspects of each situation that I enjoy. The course I play now is always crowded so I never get the chance to play by myself, and I'm often the only one of my friends or coworkers that has the time (read made the time) to play so I often play with randoms. That usually ends well as long as they don't take themselves too seriously. I've recently convinced my wife that she should learn how to play and she likes it, so the "play alone" or "play with people" will probably sort itself out in the long run. But the day after she beats me is the first day I go back to playing alone...

[Jamie4127]

I have a 9 hole course 10 mins from me I usually play solo. It's rough but it's a place I can get my practice in.

[Matchplay10033]

I love playing alone ! When I get out on the course and hit multiple shots from a variety of lies my game improves dramatically. I am also an introvert and enjoy the complete silence ! When I play with someone else it usually rubs them the wrong way (Esp if they do not know me) I do not talk very much. My fiancé's brother feels the need to talk during every moment of silence and it can be exhausting. I am getting better at being more personable on the course.

[Chad13]

I don't have many friends that golf so I play 9 once every week to every other after work alone. I like it, I have fun,get to work on some stuff, and relax. Mostly just happy to get out.

[ohioglfr]

Frequently play alone. My last golf pal had a motorcycle accident five years ago and it really messed up his shoulder. Never totally recovered, couldn't get his swing back. I am generally too busy to schedule a game with anyone . . . when I find a time window to play, it's short-fused, so I throw the clubs in the trunk and go to the local municipal or military course.

 

The odd thing is, now that we're empty nesters, I have less time for golf than ever.

[Razorback84]

I really enjoy golfing with my buddies vs golfing alone. With that being said, I'm not very good.... I just got back into golfing this year and shooting in the mid 90's at the moment. I've been paired up with some strangers that were a lot of fun to golf with, but if I'm not with the normal guys I play with, I would prefer to be out there alone.

 

I feel like being out there by myself gives me more of an opportunity to actually work on my game to improve.

[pbcolt]

The two times I have played by myself I have been stuck behind slow foursomes. Not exactly fun waiting 15 min for every shot. Envious of some of you guys and being able to fly around a course by yourself.

[dciccoritti]

The two times I have played by myself I have been stuck behind slow foursomes. Not exactly fun waiting 15 min for every shot. Envious of some of you guys and being able to fly around a course by yourself.

 

If I go by myself, I'm either the first teeing off or in the evening. However if I go with others....I do the same thing :-)

[HatsForBats]

The two times I have played by myself I have been stuck behind slow foursomes. Not exactly fun waiting 15 min for every shot. Envious of some of you guys and being able to fly around a course by yourself.

 

I like this on a rare occasion as long as there are no other groups pushing me. Can get in a lot of practice that way. It's great early in the season to get back in the groove or later in the season to work on specific things.

[pbcolt]

The two times I have played by myself I have been stuck behind slow foursomes. Not exactly fun waiting 15 min for every shot. Envious of some of you guys and being able to fly around a course by yourself.

 

I like this on a rare occasion as long as there are no other groups pushing me. Can get in a lot of practice that way. It's great early in the season to get back in the groove or later in the season to work on specific things.

 

This is true - both times I have ended up playing 3 balls.

[dcfas]

I go by myself 90% of the time. It's strange to me also that when I'm paired up it's almost always fine. I can't recall the last time in several years I've had an issue with being paired up with someone. Occasionally I get to play alone and I enjoy that the most. With friends it's more about the social aspect of the game, but when alone I can focus 100% on playing. Love to play alone.

[Soloman1]

I play by myself because I don't have any friends who play.

 

I have friends who played as much as possible for 20 years, but they all quit playing golf. You couldn't pay them to play now. They say golf is just a frustrating waste of time and money, so they took up cycling.

[Keir]

I like to play by myself because I am a slow player, there I said it, shoot me. I like to focus on my round and shoot as good of a score as possible, but I can't do that when I feel rushed by others. I don't like to hold others up and most of my dear friends that I'd enjoy playing with just plain suck so it throws me off. When I play with those guys it's more fun because of the banter, but I'm looking for competition within myself most days. And I'm out there to enjoy the fresh air and nature and not think/talk about work, wife, kids, small talk, etc.

[sandtrap]

I prefer to play with strangers than to play alone.

Playing golf is what you do when you no longer have the teammates to kid and rag on.

Any kind of banter is welcome to cut the tension or monotony, makes the game easier for me and there are witnesses to hole outs:)

[Under2hours]

After today's painfully slow 4:30 round waiting on every shot, I was reminded how much more i enjoy playing by myself......

[CheckJV]

There is something magical about playing alone at dusk making your way to the clubhouse as the birds dart and weave in the fall air.

[xoted]

I'm in the same boat as the op. Early thirties. Most of my friends are either in the city working 6 days a week and having their fun at night, or poor trying to raise a family.

 

I have a 2 year old. When I can play doesn't align with when any of them can play. I tee off at 6 or 6:30 am on weekends so I can be home late morning and hang out with my kid all day. Or I take half a day off work and play during the week. They don't wake up until 10 am, and go play in the afternoon for 5 hours. Just doesn't work for me.

 

Which is also why I've invested in rain gear. If it's raining I still play, cause who knows when I'll get to play again.

 

I have one buddy that plays championship flights in two local golf weekly and golf channel tournaments every year. He's no gwrx stereotype, but he drives it consistently 300 and shoots 3-6 over regularly and is quite good (to me.) I have as much fun watching him play as I do playing myself. But he had some surgeries and is on the mend right now :( so lots of alone golf this year :(

 

[markjay1]

These days I always play alone because I can't find any playing partners. Golf isn't popular where I live so the pool of available partners is small and even if I hooked up with someone at the course chances are he or she wouldn't speak English so no comradery possible there. I don't particularly like it; I spent many years as part of a regular foursome and much prefer that.

 

The upside...I get to walk onto a fantastic, pristine course almost any time I want to. No waiting, no backups, no one pushing you from behind. Maybe there are 8-10 other players on the course and if you catch up to them they will always let you through. I can finish 18 in 2.5 hours and get in 6 or 8 holes more if I feel like it. The practice area is world-class and almost always empty. The course caters to Asian groups that fly in and play one or two days a week. Other than that I don't know how they keep afloat.

 

But I do miss playing with the guys. Obviously more fun and I play better when I'm with other people.

[MrJones]

I always preferred to play alone except for playing with my son. Other people are a distraction. I'm often the last person off the course in the evening. Just me the hawks and foxes that come out at dusk.

There is something magical about playing alone at dusk making your way to the clubhouse as the birds dart and weave in the fall air.

These are the reasons I enjoy my late evening practice rounds so much. I'm enjoying the evening and atmosphere as much as I am the practice. I honestly treat the front 9 at my course like it's my own personal front yard to enjoy.

[Scooterboy59]

I play quite a bit by myself, but all I mostly do is practice. I play around 2:30 and the course is empty. I might hit 5 to eight drives a hole, a couple of second shots and chip all around the green. Great for your game.

[jmtbkr]

I prefer playing alone, sometimes. Usually I will get first tee time, as a single and finish in under 2 hrs. I really can focus on my game and technique. Sometimes I will drop another ball and try different things.

 

However, I do enjoy playing with my usual partners. For the most part, they play ready golf and move the pace along. We will finish (foursome) in under 3hrs, typically.

 

I guess i am a fast paced player.

[Under2hours]

I play quite a bit by myself, but all I mostly do is practice. I play around 2:30 and the course is empty. I might hit 5 to eight drives a hole, a couple of second shots and chip all around the green. Great for your game.

Oh but that isn't golf according to some here. Better not post a round score......

[daegyu]

My dad introduced me to the game when I was a kid. He passed away recently. Getting out on the course and remembering all of the great rounds we've shared together has been very nostalgic and cathartic for me. It's like taking a stroll down memory lane, and that's a walk I'd rather take alone... for now. If someday I have kids that love to golf, I would hope to have a playing partner for as long as possible.

[adogg18]

I don't mind playing alone. Recently I have been jogging 9 holes with a push cart in the late evening. Nice exercise. I need it.

[dnalepoca]

I prefer playing with friends because I think it's more fun, but I have no problem playing by myself. Did that today because none of my buddies were available and I've been itching to play since I haven't in two months!

[pwa]

There is something magical about playing alone at dusk making your way to the clubhouse as the birds dart and weave in the fall air.

 

Here here.