Boring...

[thenextnumber1]

playing on my own!

Hi,

Anyone here have to play golf on there own alot? I hate it, my club is a tiny club and its got like 150 members which is hardly nothing. No Juniors hardly ever play and when they do they just piss me off because all they wna do is mess about.

I love playing competitive golf and playing for a few pound or dollars. It brings out the best in me and I never seem to score well when im on my own because im not really interested!

What can I do! I really dunno what to do, Ill have lots of competitions in the summer but I gota practice!!

[Ditty_72]

I don't really like playing alone either, but sometimes I do anyway. I've got the same problem, there aren't many junior members at my course. I met a lot of the older members though (retired guys) who I like to play with sometimes. They're fun to play with, and generally really positive.

[doppler491]

I find I like to play by myself, especially during the summer months. Going out after work/late afternoon is a time where you can play at your own pace, practice if you want, try and post a score, or just mess around. Being out on the course is a great time to think, and playing alone I feel can help you 'learn' how to play competitive golf where you are focused and don't talk to much etc. Playing with friends is good, but if its not a competitive round I always find us to lose concentration..especially if someone isnt playing too good!

[sync71]

I play golf a lot by myself a lot also or probably 2 times a week. There are quite a few juniors at my club but sometimes I can't find someone to play with or I don't want to play with someone else. Like doppler said I usually lose concentration especially when someone isn't playing very well. I also like to do it when I want to practice something or just kind of reflect...because I always do a lot of thinking from shot to shot when I am by myself.

 

As far as your problem goes you could do these things maybe:

1. Listen to your ipod? I know some people like doing that.

2. Meet older members

3. See if anyone in the competitions plays around you and see if they want to go out some time, which unless one of you is extremely hard to play with you might have a regular playing partner.

[scs1070]

"When I was your age"....god that make me sound old.

 

I was a member at a course with a small membership, there were a small group of pretty good players that played together. If there is something like thta at your course, just ask if you can play with them.

[Pdougherty]

I played alone almost everyday in the summer and I loved it.

 

I can't stand it when you have to wait for other people to putt when you only have a 6 footer. I also hate social golf I think that is just awful. If you want to talk to me, talk to me when I'm at least 200 yards away from my ball, not 20 yards away and already imagining the next shot I want to play.

 

Getting back to the subject, I think that playing with people has some benefits and playing by yourself can have many benefits. It all really comes down to your personality. Its just like most hunters and fisherman are out there to get away from life and don't want people talking to them when they want to clear their mind and hunt. I can imagine some golfers are the same way with golf as some are with hunting.

[Gripit N Ripit 54]

I Love playing alone, only problem is when you shoot well, no one belives you lol

 

Listen to your mp3 player while you play golf. depeding on what you listen to, its very relaxing, and makes you feel better, which makes you play better.

 

Trust me, its awsome!!!

 

Brian

[Pdougherty]

Like Gripit N Ripit 54 said, people not believe that you shot low and that you are lying really stinks.

[DaveyH]

I only ever practice on my own eg.practice ground.

when im on the course i never play on my own.

[ryegolfer]

I am a big fan of playing alone, just me. It's really relaxing for me and a great way to wind down after school or something. Its also a great way to work on stuff on the course and you never feel bad retaking shots.

[emc]

I hate playing on my own, I never take the round seriously and will just start messing around trying to play perfect shots or not going thru my routine etc. When I play with others, I'm focussed and in the competition mode

[xal951]

When i play alone its more of just practicing. Ill hit 5 or so balls from every spot and such. Playing with others is fine, I actually love social golf when your just playing a casual round. I like to talk up until I hit the ball. As far as listening to an Ipod or something, its fine to me if your by yourself but the second you do that when playing with others it pisses me off beacuse you have to repeat yourself like a parrot and its just plain out rude. Makes me think you dont feel like being there or talking.

[Golfer Gavin]

When I play by myself its strictly for practice. My coach gave me a drill that when I play on my own I dont keep score... I miss every green long, or miss every green short or miss it to the left on purpose, etc. It really develops your shot making capability

[xal951]

interesting drill but I think that would screw with me come tournament play. Sometimes Ill hit 4 or 5 balls on each shot and take pick the worst one and play from there. I think thats better than trying to hit it long, short, left, etc. \

[sleepy_augusto]

When I play by myself its strictly for practice. My coach gave me a drill that when I play on my own I dont keep score... I miss every green long, or miss every green short or miss it to the left on purpose, etc. It really develops your shot making capability

 

i think it was in a tom watson book that i found the "miss 'em all" drill. same type of thing, perfect for when you're playing alone.

the idea is to miss three in each of the following: rough, fairway, bunker. then get up and down. if you get on the green, you have to get off (putting into a bunker is not acceptable w/friends!). it's great for the short game and helped me with using a target. also showed me that i underclub way too often.

[thenextnumber1]

cheers for the suggestions. I hate social golf, I want to play with people who I could have a match with, maybe for a abit of money or something!

 

When I play on my own i also start trying to be perfect and start messing with swing mechanics and everything.

[titleist1638]

I have the same problem at my club with not many juniors palying and the ones that do are double bogeying every hole.

 

I love to play alone. It helps to put my thoughts in order. I also work on inventing new shots with my wedges and short irons.

 

I really enjoy it, but at the same time I love to play with people and with my family and in tournaments (AJGA, IJGT, AJGT).

 

Eire

[kblakeney35]

i think it was in a tom watson book that i found the "miss 'em all" drill. same type of thing, perfect for when you're playing alone.

the idea is to miss three in each of the following: rough, fairway, bunker. then get up and down. if you get on the green, you have to get off (putting into a bunker is not acceptable w/friends!). it's great for the short game and helped me with using a target. also showed me that i underclub way too often.

 

Tom Watson WOULD suggest a drill like that seeing as he has/had argueably the best short game of all time and he and Seve were probably the greatest scramblers of all time.LOL

 

-Kyle

[GolferGal2009]

It is fun to play by yourself! You need to listen to your iPod, it makes things more interesting. I play by myself a lot and I am terribly afraid that I will get a hole in one and no one will believe me.... but other than that, it's great!!

[thenextnumber1]

Im gona by a MP3 player for sure, cos i like listening to music and I think ill do the tom watson drill, because i love short game.

[oregongolf]

i don't know why anyone wouldn't believe you, as long as your post your scores and let your play do the talking.

 

i'd give most kids the benefit of the doubt.

[Ditty_72]

People don't always believe you when you shoot really low. 2 years ago I was shooting low 80s, then one day I shot a 78 on my own and no one believed me. The next week I went out and fired a 72 out of the blue. The next day I played with someone and shot 76, so then he believed me that I could do it, but not everyone believed. Last year I litterally forced my friend to stay with me when I played the 2nd nine after I shot 34. I ended up shooting 37 on the 2nd nine to shoot 71, my lowest round ever and got him to sign it. Now I've got proof. But not everyone believes you when you say you shot a low score.

Edited because I can't spell

[golfman1229]

i shot even par at Oakland hills (north course) for a high school match. showed my friends the card with all the signitures and they still didnt beleive me. i mean ive shot evan par before in practices and with my friends, but they still didnt beleive me. think it was just because of the course.

[IROC pete]

Personally, I enjoy playing with people (or at least having someone watch). One day, I was playing the 9th hole of practice and hit my 3 wood like i allways did. I started walking towards the green when the entire golf team runs onto the green and starts walking towards me laughing and pointing. turns out i sunk my tee shot and they were all there to see it. It was kinda picture perfect becasue eveyrone saw it and was forced to believe me.

[bucketmiz60]

also personally, i find playing with freinds at my home course, which we have a good 12-15 juniors with hcps below 7, which makes for fun competition, but it since we are all 15-17, theres a lot of horsing around, in other words, i can never play for real and its hard to concentrate. During the summer i MAKE myself play alone. For many reasons, one being that i feel free and that i can take my time and pace and do whatever i want. Also, it really does help me to play on my own and think out loud, talk to myself about what to hit and how to do it, etc...

wow that was a diary moment... ;)

[DaveyH]

listening to an ipod can supposedly ruin your balance.The groundsman at my home club used 1 and has claimed his balance has gone kaput.Hes a good 4 handicap but could be way lower.I prefer playing with the male members as they dont mess around and i can play for money.With juniors its always a joke.

[dispatch096]

i love playing by myself, only problem is if you hit a great shot or shoot really low and nobody is there to see it.