Do you mind if I play some music?

[GeorgeHWB]

It was country.

[Bigarch]

I, just like the OP, love music but can do without it while I'm playing golf. So when asked, I tell the truth... that I love music, so feel free to play it as you wish. But please understand that I am often moved by music and may burst into song and sing along at any point...including in the middle of your backswing or while you're standing over a 4 footer. And then I make it a point to do so at least twice during the round... maybe as many as 5 if your playlist has old school showtunes. "Chicks and ducks and geese gonna scurry....when I take you out in my surrey....when I take you out in my surrey with the frinnnnnnnnnnnnge on top!"...

[Mr. Bean]

Oh, quite on the contrary!! I am very good company on a golf course and has received such feedback many times after the round. But rest assured I will stay on this side of the pond for the benefit of both parties.

[anythingfinite]

I got enough voices rattling around in my head, I don't need Neil Young or Ace Freely in there too.

[BlackDiamondPar5]

Can't really go wrong with classic rock at appropriate level. It's actually quite amazing at the ubiquitous popularity of classic rock with people ages 20s to 80's.

[Warrior42111]

time to make everyone mad hehehe

Unless a course bans music all together it seems that it will be a done group by group decision.

If one joins a group with no music they should not play music unless they ask and it is agreed upon. If one was to join a group that was playing music they can deal with it or see if they can join a different group. If it is split I declare a first tee royal rumble match to decide the outcome.

[nsxguy]

"Chicks and ducks and geese gonna scurry....when I take you out in my surrey....when I take you out in my surrey with the frinnnnnnnnnnnnge on top!"

 

"When Harry Met Sally" !!!

What do I win ?

[Pepperturbo]

To my surprise, I am seeing courses provide music though loud speakers on the practice range. I guess people can't stand quiet for fear of their own thoughts. Even when theres no music they immerse themselves in their phone. The making of more introverts that can't handle life around them. God forbide they interact with playing partners or friends.

[Deceptively Short]

Thankfully not a thing at all on this side of the pond. I’d love to see the look on a UK golfer’s face if a visitor from the US posed the question.

[sailfishchris]

My friend is the naysayer in our group. Two weeks ago at Bethpage a guy joined our three and asked if it was alright to listen to some music. Mind you, that all the new carts at the course have blue tooth speakers in them. Without missing a beat my buddy said -"on your earbuds?" The guy popped them in and that was that.

[HatsForBats]

I have seen, or more accurately heard, this at a number of courses over the last few years. As long as it doesn't drown out my own music it's good by me.

[limegreengent]

Nsxguy

You will nothing - -" nil poin" - perhaps a wooden spoon!

""Chicks and ducks and geese gonna scurry....when I take you out in my surrey....when I take you out in my surrey with the frinnnnnnnnnnnnge on top!"

Oklahoma - not Harry met Sally.

[Philomathesq]

One solution is to take up shooting. Between my time in the military and my side gig as a firearms instructor, my hearing sucks. Chances are, if someone is playing music at a reasonable level, I can barely hear it, if at all. My wife and kids simultaneously love and hate that I can't hear them all the time.

[bubbagump]

Or they just like some tunes while playing golf? Really no need to over analyze or insinuate just because somebody prefers something you don't, that there is an issue with their mentality.

I really don't get the assumption that because somebody has some music going, it makes conversation in the group or sounds/tranquility of nature impossible to also experience/hear or that the person that has it going is some kind of deviant out there to ruin others round.

[caniac6]

I can't wait for self driving carts. Then, I can YouTube, email, watch the game, order something on Amazon, etc. I can't believe that the golf course is for playing golf. When playing with a group, I like the sounds of golf and nature, and the conversation with the group. Music is ok by yourself, but not with a group, and not loud enough to be heard by others.

[chippa13]

I just love the internet and the all or nothing mentality. This thought that if someone enjoys things a certain way then that is at the absolute exclusion of all other things. There are things in life knows as gray areas and happy mediums but damned if you can find one in internet forums. It is quite possible to have music at respectable levels, carry on inside voice conversations, and hear sounds of nature.

[ClintDagger]

LMAO, so true. I recently moved and had to change clubs. The old one banned music and the new one doesn’t. As long as we play very early it’s fine, but if you tee off after 10am it’s like a scene from Caddyshack.

[MMB1500]

Not a thing...yet. US culture has a strong influence on the UK and now the latter is basically the 51 state, it's just a matter of time before music on the course becomes popular there as well.

[trojanhorse]

Y'all would HATE my group. Each person has a jbl speaker so we link them and keep them bumping. We tried a quiet round once and by the back 9 our scores were so terrible that we turned the music on for the back and coincidentally we all started playing better. It helps us to relax and enjoy the game but to each their own. We also play at a public course so most people are there to just kick back and have fun so music and shotgunning beers on the tee box is pretty common

[Edward_Majorwin]

I have no inclination to play music while golfing, not for a second. I blast my eardrums on the way to the course and then arrive ready to enjoy the silence of a walk in the park.

I just don't see the point of background noise on a golf course in the form of music. It's like those people who play music out of their phone speaker, like an ancient transistor radio...like, what is the point if you can't hear crisp highs, deep lows and the full spectrum of delights hidden in great songs?

I guess y'all just like hearing something because silence and tranquility is yet to be recognized as something to relish in? I have to admit, if I had the technolgy when I was in my early/mid 20s I would probably have been cranking The Wailers on the course. I remember those days of wasted youth...me and my friends thought we were the s**t (as most young adults do) and were inclined to act a fool once in a while and show off how cool we were by cranking our favourite tunes to scare the old people.

I'm at peace with it all. If I join a group and they're playing tunes I just shut up and adjust to it. It's just hard when some of those awful manufactured pop songs comes on...that's when I get angry inside and wonder what's wrong with these people hahaha.

[Bigarch]

Ding Ding Ding.... we have a winner!!!

[nsxguy]

Brother, you boomers are soooooo old. LMAO

Don't think I ever saw Oklahoma. WHMS is much more recent (although still old now,,,,,)

[Dpavs]

Or do you think that it's possible that other's might be entitled to the equal opinion that no level of volume that can be heard by them is acceptable to them?

Also as has been mentioned numerous times, what is an acceptable volume level to you, might not be to me. The fact that you are disrupting someone else should be enough to respect a request to turn it off if asked to do so or put the ear buds in if you really need to hear it.

[chippa13]

And here is the other internet fun. Immediately assuming that if someone offers a differing opinion then they must live at the exact opposite of the spectrum of the discussion.

The Mrs. and I often bring music with us to the course. If we're sent off on our own then it will be on and anytime we're possibly near others it goes off or extremely low. The Mrs. is almost overconscious of others on the course. If we're paired with others then we'll get a sense of the other folks over the first few holes and decide whether or not we'll ask about having music. Most times we don't but the times that we find ourselves with folks out to have a good time we may ask. It is typically when we find ourselves with other couples just looking to enjoy the day together or guys who are reaching into their bags early for beers or roll up to the first tee with drinks in hand.

The last time we played we went out as a twosome walking with our carts. I had the speaker in mine and put it on at the second hole. As we were walking up the 4th fairway the Mrs. was about 30 feet away and there were folks on the adjacent fairway about 100 feet away. I asked the Mrs. if the music was too loud and she asked me if it was on as she couldn't even hear it.

[capking]

Music is a consistent background noise, it’s much better then hearing people who think they’re whispering but you can actually hear.

[bubbagump]

This concept is just entirely too difficult for those against it to grasp, or they dont want to. That you can be "THAT" person with a speaker and read the situation/people and adjust accordingly. I am sure I play about the same more or less amount of golf as your average person here, and have yet to come across this mystical millennial with a speaker that is playing it obnoxiously loud, or that it is ruining nature or the sanctity of golf. Knowing society, Im sure there are plenty of instances like that happening but I do think that is the outlier and not the norm.

I play my music almost every single time I play. My partner/group are always fine and enjoy it as well and any time were in vicinity of others we adjust the volume. We somehow still manage, to conversate together, observe nature, and enjoy the course. When were paired with randoms I either ask if its ok, or just play it during cart rides between shots and keep it muted when were all in the same place. I am not offended when I come across others playing their music, or listening to a ball game while playing. I am not one to judge somebodys preference of how to spend their time on the course: be it cigars, beers, music, pot, bird watching, taking pics or whatever. As long as you keep your pace, and generally abide by the common rules, its all good.

[jdl]

Heh, reminds me of an old line from Steve Martin when he used to do stand-up.

"Hey, mind if I smoke?"

"I don't know....mind if I F ART?!?!?!?!?"

[rzitup]

This thread is great. To those that dont like music...get used to it. Golf has been around for 600 years without music, and the next 600 are going to have it.

I used to ask before I played, now I just play it. And not too quiet either.

I play regularly at high end and private courses, and it has become so expected to see walking/riding groups that have multiple speakers going that its becoming the norm.

[Pepperturbo]

@rzitup - You overstated your belief arguing using an assumption. If professional golfers are not wearing headsets during play, and its not broadcast on the practice range during worm up, then it's unlikely your wish will be reality, least as music currently shows up during golf. I play regularly at high end and private courses too, and in regional tournament events. Haven't seen music in regional competition nor during private club tournaments. Even been on the board of two high end private clubs and played interclub team golf for over ten years which took me to most of the private clubs in SoCA. I also play in AZ, TX and HI; it's not expected and only seen under certain conditions. At your best, you're wishing.

[rzitup]

I have no idea what headsets have to do with anything. I play over 100 rounds a year in SoCal and non-muni courses. I have been playing music for 15 years, on a speaker. It has gone from me playing music, to most groups playing music. That is going to continue, and there isnt anything anyone can do about it, unless courses decide to ban it. And no course in their right mind is going to ban something that makes golf more enjoyable for the demographic they are highly coveting.

The end result will be more people playing more music. So yea, get used to it.