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Golfing alone


stikillller

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> @TIM929 said:

> > Brookside or whittier narrows will always be packed, but I practice a lot at Santa Anita and have had plenty of solo practice rounds at first light. Take off from the back 9 and you can usually get ahead of the first group teeing off from #1 and then you can jump around on some open holes

>

> better test it out, thanks. Hows the course/ greens compared to Brookside or Whittier Narrows?

>

> I go to those 2 because the greens are not bad for a muni.

 

Santa Anita greens are not as good, but the fairways are more undulating and are more challenging for a fairly flat course. You'll hit more off camber shots than the flat whittier narrows or brookside fairways and it also has a bit more trees. Brookside and whittier narrows seemed to be always packed and I have a better chance of some space at santa anita at first light or twilight.

 

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Most of my “rounds” are solo and usually are only 6 holes or so. I live on a course that I’m a member of and go out my backyard and play a few holes in the evening. I have 3 kids ages 5,7,8 and that means a round of 18 is hard to come by. I slip out and play when I get a chance and I love playing a few holes by myself. Sometimes I take my main clubs, sometimes my 1954 Hogan’s or my 1958 Wilson’s to change things up.

 

I enjoy playing with friends but they have all moved and are raising families so it is rare we get together anymore. My kids are learning the game so I will soon have new playing partners. ?

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I usually play nine by myself, but have a buddy that wants to play golf all the time with me. So we have been playing together, and now have worked it out to where it is a lot of fun. At first our personalities clashed, but we both compromised and worked it out. One is, I drive the cart, period. He likes to smack talk and keeps it interesting. I am about 4 strokes better per nine, so he has to really step up to catch me. If I am having a great game he gets pretty frustrated. He calls my clubs cheater clubs, as most are new, and his are a bit dated. Is it an advantage, oh well. He usually out drives me, so that makes it interesting, except I have the cheater F9 woods. I play better when playing with him.

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I love taking a half day from work and teeing off around 7am in the summer. Done it a couple times this year and the only people I see are the mowers. Longest wait on tee boxes is for the mowers to see me waiting to hit. It’s beautiful playing in less than 3 hours. Only issue I ever have is the morning dew and sunlight can make finding a ball take a little longer then usual.

 

It’s nice if you just want to practice too. Get in real course sand traps, hit off uneven lies, work on alignment, etc.

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The one issue I have as a single is the starter wanting to pair me up 35 minutes before my tee time. I’ll play with people if it happens to be randomly crowded at 7:15am on a Wednesday but I’m at the course 45 early to get aging body loosened up. I paid for the range balls, don’t send me off after I only get 10 balls down the range.

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I enjoy playing solo, I use to play solo a lot when I had membership to one club or another. But I found that my game was worse for it, especially in tournaments and money game situations. You'd think that being out there alone I'd practice more and hit shots, and I would, but over time I'd lose purpose and go out there almost out of habit and just sort of go through the motions.

I also found that being out there by myself, I'd play a few balls on holes from various spots and I never really waited, if it was slow I'd play a few balls and keep busy. I found my patience completely went to hell when I'd play in a tourney or in a weekend money game and I'd get easily annoyed or off put by slow play, and it really didn't even have to be that slow, just slower than my usual solo pace.

Now I try to avoid playing solo unless I really want to work on specific things in my game , but I really don't like playing with strangers either. They mean well, but we always end up playing different tee boxes and sometimes they're kind of annoying. lately though I have made it a point to try to do that, get paired up with strangers from time to time, the more annoying the better. I look at it as an exercise in patience and staying calm and relaxed. I'm a work in progress... Last week I got paired up with two goofballs who ended up moving back to play with me from the tips. I consider it a minor success that I stayed relaxed and actually enjoyed myself as they were spraying it all over the place while giving me lots of advice and insisting we bet various amounts on various holes. At one point I was -3 and up about 40 bucks and a few beers and they're still giving advice and looking for my ball 30 yards behind where it is. I must admit they got easier to take after each beer.

 

I have found the best compromise is for me to try and play with at least one of a few decent players I know. It slows things down, we talk strategy on holes, club and read for each other etc. so it's more competitive and more meaningful practice wise.

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Though I generally prefer playing with friends, I end up playing solo a lot for a handful of reasons:

 

1. My golf is very opportunistic because I have a more-than-full-time job, a wife, two kids, enjoy travel, etc etc. So I play on random weekday afternoons when I have some free time, typically, or play later in the day on Sunday because that seems to work with our schedule somehow.

2. Most of the people I hang out with are from work (I’m a transplant in my town), and they can be a bit “liberal leaning” at times and many have started to consider golf an elitist activity, so they avoid playing now to avoid appearing elitist amongst the other work cronies.

3. My club is very good on pace of play, and is also friendly to singles. Often I’ll go hit the range and decide that I’ve had enough and want to go play. So I just head out to the 1st tee and play. No tee times required, so it makes it easier.

 

I do have a few friends that like to play golf and don’t care if it looks elitist, and I enjoy playing with them. But they, like me, have full time jobs, children, wives, etc so trying to get out together is often a futile endeavor.

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99% of the time alone. I live in a small town and our course is sometimes completely empty. I have played 9 holes in 40 mins solo, playing one ball. Sometimes I go out and am "stuck" behind a group.. If they arent slow then I try to play a few balls and work on chipping/putting to keep the pressure off them. I see little point in playing through when there is a group in front of them as well... Just slow down and practice

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I say I play mostly solo, I play at a course that really isn't crowded so no one around to really join up with.

 

If it backs up I'll ask people behind to join me if they want, and if people ask me to join I will, I have no problem with playing in groups, but my enjoyment isn't tied to others.

 

I want to play golf, if I'm doing that I'm good.

 

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I like playing alone, it gives me the opportunity to work on courses strategies among other things. I think it is also just some good quiet time... No kids, no work, nothing but me and the next shot. On the flip side I do like getting paired also. Only thing I still can't get over is the pre game size up of your group...

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I like playing alone. I try to get out real early so that I can make this possible. I’m just past 40 so it can be tough to get friends out that have the responsibilities of family, children, etc. I really don’t mind being paired up with strangers though. Interestingly enough, I’ve played some of my best rounds when being paired up with people I’ve never met.

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Like playing alone during the “odd” times and seasons

Random evenings are great. Course is empty.

Great weather. Able to work on different shots. I call it “live” course practice instead of just the range

Love playing solo in the fall too. Usually can play during weekend without the course being very busy

 

 

 

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Played alone on Sunday and had a good experience. Played alone today and had a bad one. Sunday was a twilight round. No one behind me. In front of me it was a bit stacked but I didn't mind because after finishing each green I could practice chipping and putting a bit while the group in front got ahead. Today the course was stacked and they paired me with a two some. But they kept calling the two some for the first tee over and over and no one showed up. So they told me to go ahead. I asked the guys behind me if they wanted to play along but it turned out they were already a five some. There was a slow foursome in front of me. So I was sandwiched between a slow foursome and a, what turned out to be, an impatient fives-some. Course was really slow so it wouldn't have made sense for the foursome to let me play through. I literally had to stand their waiting on every shot. Twice during the round I hit my ball got in my cart and started to drive off when a tee shot would come rolling by. The five-some kept hitting into me as soon as I would move after hitting my shot. Couldn't play extra balls or practice putting. I left after nine holes and got a rain check for the other nine.

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> @raindawg1 said:

> Played alone on Sunday and had a good experience. Played alone today and had a bad one. Sunday was a twilight round. No one behind me. In front of me it was a bit stacked but I didn't mind because after finishing each green I could practice chipping and putting a bit while the group in front got ahead. Today the course was stacked and they paired me with a two some. But they kept calling the two some for the first tee over and over and no one showed up. So they told me to go ahead. I asked the guys behind me if they wanted to play along but it turned out they were already a five some. There was a slow foursome in front of me. So I was sandwiched between a slow foursome and a, what turned out to be, an inpatient fivesome. Course was really slow so it wouldn't have made sense for the foursome to let me play through. I literally had to stand their waiting on every shot. Twice during the round I hit my ball got in my cart and started to drive off when a tee shot would come rolling by. The five some kept hitting into me as soon as I would move after hitting my shot. Couldn't play extra balls or practice putting. I left after nine holes and got a rain check for the other nine.

 

Had a similar experience the other night at one of my regular tracks. Left work 15 minutes early, got to the course around 5pm to try and get 18 in. Sure enough, it's a league night. Pro shop warned me that it would be slow, I insisted and said I'll just warm up for about 10-15 minutes and then give it a shot. Tee off on #1, group in front was leaving the tee box of #2. By the time I got to #2 tee box, they were just hitting their approach shots into #2 green. Wait a few seconds, hit my drive, take a piss, slowly walk to my ball...they're just starting to putt their balls. At this point I knew 18 wasn't going to happen.

 

Finish up #2, hit my tee shot on #3. It's a 500ish yard par 5, I take 3W off the tee to stay away from some trouble. Absolutely smoked it and it took a hard bounce, left me 220 to the pin. By the time I got to my ball, the group in front had just started walking up to the green, and I sat and waited at my ball for what had to be 10-15 minutes. I've never seen anything like it.

 

Long story short, played hole 4, went to the club house and got a rain check for nine holes. I think it took me about an hour and a half to play four holes.

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> @stikillller said:

> Anyone else have to or prefer to golf alone because friends can’t play with you? I’m a bit older now, mid 30’s, and a lot of my friends have kids and work and we aren’t ever able to get together to play. Well a few months back I ran into an old friend from years ago and it turns out he plays a lot. I started playing with him and he is very good.....but he has no personality and drives the cart like a mad man and I just plain don’t enjoy spending my day with the guy. I’ve been playing with him because I really have no one else to play with, but after today I’m done and I’m going to try playing alone....hopefully i get paired with randoms that are somewhat cool.

>

>

>

> What’s everyone’s thoughts on playin alone and do some prefer it?

 

You really meant "walk on as a single", nor as the title stated "playing alone".

I walk on as a single most of the time unless I have arrangement with friends to play together. Mostly, for for the reason of being convenient. Playing with three or more other friends are great. There are the logistic of arranging for tee times, traveling , a drink after the 18 or a meal...... While as a single walked on, I could get up and go at moment's nitice, leave the golf course earlier to meet the next appointment...............

Plus, I had always had good luck of meeting great people on the golf course, some had become friends. Out of the 3+decades and tousands of rounds of playing with and meeting strangers on the.

Most people could behave themselves on the golf course for 4 hours or so. Stay away from those whom could not hold themselves on the golf courses.

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I'm an emergency services worker so I rarely have days off when my friends are off so my golfing ends up being solo. Having said that the last few times i have caught up to slower players and just joined in with them which I think is a large part of what golf is about. My last round I spent walking it with an 85 year old who gave me all of his wisdom on life hes accumulated. Was a pleasure to play with him and hopefully I can be the old codger who joins up with the young guy and gives him some advice in 50 years.

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I play 99% of my rounds as a single... most of my friends have ditched the high cost of living in New England have gone South. The one last golf buddy I have is a serious single handi potential player but he plays 2, maybe 3, rounds a season due to young kids and with like 18 year old sticks.

 

I don't mind playing alone but would rather get placed into another group. It keeps me on a normal pace otherwise I'm flying up people's asses and then I have to resort to playing 3 or 4 balls to keep myself back.

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I love playing alone. Just me against the course. I put ear buds in, put on a playlist, and completely block out the world. I don’t like to chat up random people when I play and getting into pointless back and forth conversations with someone I’m likely never going to see again doesn’t really serve any purpose in my opinion. Also, I work as a special ed teacher in a neighborhood on the West Side of Chicago that is known for gun violence and most golfers I’ve been grouped up with just kind of assume every negative stereotype about low-income people of color applies to my students (most popular question is always, “Do you worry about your safety at work?”). Luckily, the person I play most of my rounds with also prefers conversation be minimal.

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Love playing alone. I end up playing probably 25% of my rounds all alone. I usually play my best golf when I'm by myself and not rushing. I'll get some good music going on the speaker, smoke some good bud and then really focus on my game. Only time I'll really take my time on the greens is when I'm alone. I'll look at a putt from all angles and spend multiple minutes on a green when there's no one else around.

 

I do admit that I am mentally weak when it comes to golf. Doesn't take much to throw off my focus. Playing alone really helps me in that department.

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I don't mind playing alone but I don't always seek it out. I was lucky this year in finding someone that liked to golf similar times that I do (early mornings on weekends and usually one afternoon round in the middle of the week) but up until this year a lot of my rounds were playing alone. I do enjoy playing alone still but it's harder for me to justify with a young family. I do try to take my older son along even if he just wants to walk to the course with me instead of playing and that has been a nice way to get a chance to spend a little time together.

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I don't know anyone that plays golf with any regularity, so I've spent most of my life practicing and playing alone. These days it just feels more lonely to be out there by myself. I enjoy playing alone if I can get out and zip around the course quick, but I played with some friends (not very good golfers) and really enjoyed the company.

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