Playing alone vs. randomly paired

[turfmantim]

So what do you prefer? I travel for work and typically just play alone. Sometimes I’ll catch a group and play with them.

[FourTops]

So what do you prefer? I travel for work and typically just play alone. Sometimes I’ll catch a group and play with them.

 

Sometimes I play alone, but catch up to a group then play with them.

[RobE]

If I'm practicing, or working on something, then I prefer to play alone.

And if I'm traveling and playing unfamiliar courses I definitely want to get paired (local knowledge).

Otherwise, to me, while golfing is an individual sport I don't think you get anything out of playing alone. The social aspect of the game is important, and can make it enjoyable (even if you're not playing well), and I've met some of my favorite regular playing partners by getting paired up with them.

[Under2hours]

Always about time. If travelling it is a holiday with my spouse so I want late in the day and alone so I can get back asap. Usually only want to play in 2 hours in that case.

[tsecor]

alone...unless its Gail Gadot on the Tee...

[PaulBallz]

Have only ever been pair with a stranger once, that's because I have only ever played by myself once, always play with a buddy. I'd definitely prefer to play as a single as my game sucks and I'd be super nervous about playing with someone that was good.

 

That time I did play as a single and was paired the guy said his HI was single digits. I was like "oh boy, this should be fun" and, while I don't have a handicap if I did it would probably be mid 20s at best. Anyway, I birdied the 1st and parred the 2nd,the guy I was with said "I thought you said you were no good?" ?

[HatsForBats]

Unless I am just practicing and the course is almost completely empty then I prefer to get paired up. I will usually look for a few tee times right next to each other where there are 2 players. I then sign up with the first twosome and hope that I have the option to switch to the other group if warning bells are triggered when I find out who is in the first group. Rarely have I had/wanted to switch but I like the option being there if possible.

[BKN1964]

I almost consider it the same thing. I really enjoy playing alone, but a random pairing doesn't require much obligation. I've only occasionally been paired with someone annoying. Sometimes it's almost like two people playing the same hole alone.

[rwc356]

Typically I'm a single so I tend to get paired by the starters at the various clubs I play. If I want to practice then I try to play by myself.

[Twism86]

Tired to play alone yesterday by picking the random tee time that was still completely open. There was a guy on the practice green with me but I didnt know when he was going off. Marshall comes over and sends me to the 1st tee, alone, awesome! Im ready to tee off and the guy drives up behind me and asked if he can hit with me, I of course say yes. We tee off and he says he is waiting for a buddy, just as he sees him walk onto the course. I said I will play ahead if he wanted to wait and let his friend tee off. Nope, we go forward and his friend met us on the green and skipped the first hole......... Found that kind of odd to leave your friend behind when he was right there.

 

A single behind us caught up and my potentially relaxing alone round on the course ended up as a foursome.... The kid was also the grown up version of the kid from the Disney movie "Up." On hole #10, midway though blowing it up, he says to me "wow you are hitting a big number on this one!" Thanks for doing the math for me Einstein! I wasnt sure I could count this high!!! :angry2:

[macedan]

Not much on random pairing I prefer to play alone unless with friends or family. But I guess playing with randoms is a way to make new friends to widen my group. My circle of 1 is already bordering too large of a group though.

[andrue]

I prefer having a partner, it's always good to have someone else keeping an eye on my ball. Plus, while I'm not a sociable person it's nice to have someone else to chat with.

[kozubs]

I used to prefer to play alone but now love pair up to meet knew people. Most of my play is at a private club and half the time I don't even make a tee time. People just show up and see who's about to tee and and join ask to them if there's a spot available.

 

Playing partners are also very beneficial when there's a slower group in front. It slows your play so your not always waiting and you have someone to chat with when waiting to hit.

 

I do remember being a higher handicapper though and being nervous paired with strangers though.

[RayGorman]

When and where I play, it is almost impossible to be able to CHOOSE to go out alone. I might get sent out as a single and be told "There is a group a few holes ahead behind several others..., you can join them". And I have no problem with that... Really, the only time I can remember playing a full 18 alone was a few years ago in Florida at a former private club that they recently opened to the public. I made my time, and when I pulled up to the gate, the guard greeted me by name and sent me up to the clubhouse where, again, I was greeted by name and offered the use of the range for a few minutes until I was ready to go... When I was ready, I looked around and I realized I hadn't seen ANYONE else around the whole time. Starter sent me on my way with the usual 'ground rules' for the day- which holes were cart only that day because of some heavy rain the night before. And so I went off... I took my time to look around and enjoy myself among the wildlife that was everywhere.

[ClintDagger]

Only got randomly paired one time. Went on a couples trip a few years ago and me & my friend had a morning tee time at the resort. My buddy had a bit too much to drink and decided to skip the tee time but I was good to go and wanted to play. They put me with a threesome that was scheduled to go in the tee time in front of us and it wasn’t a great experience at first. I could tell I was imposing on a “private” game and got a pretty chilly reception. But after a few holes it was fine. I think being a good player and a quick player helped but still there was an awkwardness the whole round. So, I would have preferred to play alone in the end.

[macedan]

I used to prefer to play alone but now love pair up to meet knew people. Most of my play is at a private club and half the time I don't even make a tee time. People just show up and see who's about to tee and and join ask to them if there's a spot available.

 

Playing partners are also very beneficial when there's a slower group in front. It slows your play so your not always waiting and you have someone to chat with when waiting to hit.

 

I do remember being a higher handicapper though and being nervous paired with strangers though.

 

Currently where I am at. Until I can shave a few strokes off my handicap and start playing more consistently, I like to play at my own pace.

[ttice6]

Totally depends on my mood and when I’m playing. If it’s after work I want to play alone so I can get in as many holes as I can. If it’s a weekend round then I don’t mind getting paired with strangers as I know I’m not gonna be able to cruise around the course anyway but I usually come with a foursome when I play on the weekends.

[NPVWhiz]

My last few random pairings have been true pieces of work. I played earlier in the year on a weekday morning at a local park district golf course, and they had a bit of a crowd, so the starter paired me into the tee time sheet with a group of three.

 

The guy I was supposed to "cart" with actually told me I couldn't ride with him because he had his laptop setup in the right seat of the cart and had to take care of some work...strapped in with the craziest bungie cord setup I've ever seen. I mean, how can you not have the presence of mind and common sense to know that you don't have to tell me I can't ride with you because you have your laptop set up on the cart? You don't have to tell me, because there is no effing way I'm playing a round of golf with someone that would ride around with a laptop setup on their cart. And I'd buy any ranger a beer that had the brassies to tell him to put that d@#n thing back in the trunk of the car. But I suppose there are no rules about that, because sometimes rules-makers have to assume that they don't have to make rules about really obvious, common-sense things. But, as we are all painfully aware, that leaves the door open for those without common-sense to say "there's no rule that says I can't". But I digress.

 

So I waited, and was eventually paired with another fellow. He looked like a very reasonable guy...a little older than me (perhaps in his early 60s), has a player's kind of bag and setup. Might have been a nice round. This guy made Miller Barber look like Adam Scott. As he foozled his way down the first three holes, he recounted every "tournament" he has played in for the last five years as an "8". He's a "financial adviser". He advises himself, sometimes under his breath, sometimes quite loudly before every shot on the four or five things he needs to do to get the ball in the air.

 

On tee five, he finally connects, somehow, with a tee shot and sends the ball out on a 19 degree launch with about 40 yards of left to right. But it's a big fairway, and things are looking up. As the ball leaves the tee and clearly is going to apex higher than 20 yards, he says....I should say "shouts"...."IT'S ON B#tC!"

 

I posted that 78 with a smile, knowing that there should have been a cash extraction from his general direction to mine on the back nine, but I just had chicken wings on my mind by hole 15.

[evgolfer]

I used to be nervous getting paired with "real golfers" when I was first starting out. Don't know why, as I never had a bad experience being paired with anyone, and often met some great people to play with.

 

Now my game isn't much improved from then, but I've found most golfers only care that you are amiable and keep up the pace of play. That single digit cap is too worried about his too-spinny Titleist driver, or whatever, to care about your 100 yard worm burner drive.

[wrmiller]

I am almost always a single, so when living and playing in the Tucson area, I was always thrown into a group. Sometimes I knew the players from a previous round, sometimes not. I seldom ever got the chance to play solo.

 

Where I live now I play almost exclusively alone because I play during the week, and late morning after all the members have tee'd off.

 

While I did enjoy the company of some of the players I was grouped with, there were other players that I did not enjoy playing with. For right now, I think I prefer my current situation.

[2putttom]

it's hard to take money from another player if I'm a single.

[Jstdoit95]

I like going it alone if I can get around in a couple hours but if it’s busy might as well have a couple other bodies so my desire to bomb everyone in front of me gets distracted.

[Itsjustagame]

Would rather play with people. Prefer the pace and social interaction. However, I will play alone based on circumstances. In Miami on business and got some unexpected free time. Went to Doral to play the Blue Monster with no tee time. Thought that might be a problem, but just the opposite. No one was there. Waited about 20 minutes to see if anyone would show up, then played as a single.

[Bonneville85308]

Weekend mornings, when courses are busy, I want to be paired up with other people. In fact I almost always book a single spot to fill out a random twosome or threesome.

 

Weekday evenings after work, it's about alone time and getting 18 holes in quickly before dark, so I prefer to play alone

[NJpatbee]

I enjoy playing with my grandson or other close friend or family member but also enjoy the occasional solo round. I am often grouped with strangers and usually enjoy it but it is my third choice.

[SBH9458]

Totally depends on when and where. If new course and paired with someone relaxed it is a good time. Familiar course....working off some tension or working on a part of the game....rather be alone. All good either way though!

[Naptime]

Prefer alone. I'd rather meet new "friends" elsewhere and then decide if I want to spend 4 hours on a golf course with them.

[andrue]

I used to prefer to play alone but now love pair up to meet knew people. Most of my play is at a private club and half the time I don't even make a tee time. People just show up and see who's about to tee and and join ask to them if there's a spot available.

 

Playing partners are also very beneficial when there's a slower group in front. It slows your play so your not always waiting and you have someone to chat with when waiting to hit.

 

I do remember being a higher handicapper though and being nervous paired with strangers though.

 

Currently where I am at. Until I can shave a few strokes off my handicap and start playing more consistently, I like to play at my own pace.

I can understand that from a beginner (someone that can't reliably hit the ball) but once I got to the point where whiffs, duffs and chunks were a rarity I was fine with it. One advantage I have is that until recently I was a short hitter so even my miss-hits didn't normally go OOB.

 

I think my only concern with partnering up is that I don't want to be holding people up because I'm sometimes only hitting the ball ten yards or because they have to keep helping me find the ball. Thankfully that hasn't been the case for several years now. I don't worry about what others are thinking of my play. In my experience they are more interested in their own game. As long as I'm not stopping them enjoying their round they don't care what I do.

[onelochevy]

Always played with my dad. Haven't played since he passed away in March, but once I get back out there again I'll be playing solo for a while. Don't really have any friends that take golf somewhat seriously and I'm not out on the course just to get hammered and play around in the golf cart. Not opposed to playing with strangers, but I'd like to get a little better before I do. I don't like holding others up because I'm hunting for my ball.

[Twism86]

On tee five, he finally connects, somehow, with a tee shot and sends the ball out on a 19 degree launch with about 40 yards of left to right. But it's a big fairway, and things are looking up. As the ball leaves the tee and clearly is going to apex higher than 20 yards, he says....I should say "shouts"...."IT'S ON B#tC!"

 

I might have broke out and died laughing at that point! Im not great myself but im more of the quiet type when I hit a good shot. I rarely even say "thanks" when my partners try to congratulate me on a good shot. I prefer the quiet, cool demeanor until the ball gets in the hole, then I can relax for minute until my next tee shot. If I celebrate a good shot prematurely I will certainly muck up the next one.

 

I had a great 7i to 5' from the hole for birdie the other day, the random guys I were grouped with all wanted to high five me and all that. I didnt want to be rude by staying quiet and just walking to the hole but I still had a putt to make in my mind before any celebration..... I left it short... Ive never even parred that hole before though (wicked dog leg left par 5 with water in front of the green) so I was still happy with my first par on the hole.