Should Music Be Allowed on the Golf Course?

[TheBear95]

15 minutes ago, MountainKing said:

 

 

It seems like it's always the guys listening to awful country music are the ones who think the entire course wants to hear it.   In the last few years I only once heard a group blasting AC/DC and another blasting rap earlier this year (white guys on a golf course listening to gangster rap gave me the best laugh)  I'm all for music on the course, but once you're about 5 steps away from your cart, it should barely be audible.   Slayer doesn't hit the same at that level, but at least I know I'm enjoying my thing without forcing anybody else to enjoy it.

 

You will NEVER find a group that says their cart speaker is too loud. 

 

In theory, I don't have an issue with music on the course. It can be managed in a way that your group enjoys it, while others don't. But, is that reality? Hell no.

 

I absolutely loathe the cart speaker. It furthers the continuation of turning the golf course into an outdoor bar. And, now one with loud crappy music.

Edited July 25, 2023 by TheBear95

[MountainKing]

6 minutes ago, TheBear95 said:

 

You will NEVER find a group that says their cart speaker is too loud. 

 

In theory, I don't have an issue with music on the course. It can be managed in a way that your group enjoys it, while others don't. But, is that reality? Hell no.

 

I absolutely loathe the cart speaker. It furthers the continuation of turning the golf course into an outdoor bar. And, now one with loud crappy music.

 

Yeah sadly I agree with you.  I'd gladly give my speaker up to not have to hear the latest pickup truck song blasting around the course.  People don't realize that they'll be okay if they walk to the tee box or the putting green and can't hear their music, much like they'll be okay if they separate from the other 3 they are playing with to hit a shot.   Everybody is all about themselves these days, nobody has any regard for who is around them.

[Golferpaul]

1 hour ago, rzitup said:

 

Until golf courses ban music this entire debate about music is irrelevant.  Music is here to stay and becoming more popular.  Get used to it, or find a different hobby.

Fortunately, most of us can choose to play golf with people who don't insist on being inconsiderate with their music.

[Dpavs]

I was curious so I searched and found that in this thread alone what has been deemed to be a considerate volume to play music at has been described as-

1. low
2. very low
3. fairly low
4. sufficiently low
5. as low as possible

It would seem to me that the inherent subjectivity regarding acceptable volume levels coupled with a general lack of understanding how far sound actually carries across the course in various areas negates ever having the hope that someone else's music will not interfere with someone who is trying to enjoy their own music or will not be heard by someone who doesn't want to hear it at all.

 

IMO, if someone really wants to be considerate, they not only try to keep it low and then turn it off when on the green or at the tee or they opt to wear an on-ear device that limits the music to one's own ears while not blocking out ambient sounds.  But I am pretty sure neither of those will ever happen.

 

Edited July 25, 2023 by Dpavs

[rzitup]

1 hour ago, Golferpaul said:

Fortunately, most of us can choose to play golf with people who don't insist on being inconsiderate with their music.

 

*Fortunately, most of us can choose to play golf with people who don't insist on being inconsiderate with their music, but still complain because I can hear someone else's music.  

[Shilgy]

On 7/25/2023 at 10:17 AM, rzitup said:

 

*Fortunately, most of us can choose to play golf with people who don't insist on being inconsiderate with their music, but still complain because I can hear someone else's music.  

Ok….so the point you’re making is that that groups music is too loud.  Even if it’s your group.

 

Thanks for that.   

[rzitup]

17 hours ago, Shilgy said:

Ok….so the point you’re making is that that groups music is too loud.  Even if it’s your group.

 

Thanks for that.   

 

No, my music is never "too loud" even if you end up being able to hear it while I drive by, or you pull up to the tee or green.  I make no apologies for the fact that I am allowed to play music from my cart, at a level that I find acceptable and respectful.  I understand that your version of respectful is to NEVER HEAR THE MUSIC.  I'm sorry that you serene peace in your personal oasis will not be as you thought it would be.

[iacas]

5 minutes ago, rzitup said:

respectful

 

Thing is, your definition is not the only one that matters.

[rzitup]

1 hour ago, iacas said:

 

Thing is, your definition is not the only one that matters.

 

Yes it is.  There seems to be two sides to this; those that choose to play music on the golf course, because they are allowed to, because they enjoy it.  Those that approach this respectfully, will keep the volume to something they deem respectful.  Unfortunately, even at that level, the other side of this; those that want no music, will complain no matter what.

 

This is, unfortunately, a grey area with no line to be drawn.  If music is allowed, then to each their own.  You are now entering a golf course that allows music, and you will have to deal with the respectful golfers that play music, and the idiots that blare it.  Golf courses cannot monitor or regulate the volume one plays their music at, its way too subjective.  So, each person gets to define "respectful" and go with it.  

[sui generis]

9 minutes ago, rzitup said:

 

Yes it is.  There seems to be two sides to this; those that choose to play music on the golf course, because they are allowed to, because they enjoy it.  Those that approach this respectfully, will keep the volume to something they deem respectful.  Unfortunately, even at that level, the other side of this; those that want no music, will complain no matter what.

 

This is, unfortunately, a grey area with no line to be drawn.  If music is allowed, then to each their own.  You are now entering a golf course that allows music, and you will have to deal with the respectful golfers that play music, and the idiots that blare it.  Golf courses cannot monitor or regulate the volume one plays their music at, its way too subjective.  So, each person gets to define "respectful" and go with it.  

 

My club says this and it works for us: 

 

"Music at very low volume is permitted on the course. Very low volume means that the music cannot be heard by any other players on the course." 

 

So, perhaps you might not want to come here. 😉

[rzitup]

7 minutes ago, sui generis said:

 

My club says this and it works for us: 

 

"Music at very low volume is permitted on the course. Very low volume means that the music cannot be heard by any other players on the course." 

 

So, perhaps you might not want to come here. 😉

 

If I came to your club I would follow their rules, as I do everywhere I go.  

[jacot23]

Why can't folks that want to listen to music put in some earbuds and leave the rest of us alone?

 

 

Edited July 31, 2023 by jacot23

[MattM97]

I don't mind as long as I cannot hear it from a fairway over. I'll play music sometimes, really depends on the course/layout and usually when I'm solo just to enjoy the round.

 

I honestly have the volume to where I can't even hear it once I'm like 10-15ft from my pushcart so if I'm teeing off or putting I can't hear it myself most of the time. 

 

If anyone was to come up to me and say something I'd just turn it off, but at the same time I've been to courses with speakers built into the cart for this very purpose. 

[iacas]

1 hour ago, rzitup said:

Yes it is.  There seems to be two sides to this; those that choose to play music on the golf course, because they are allowed to, because they enjoy it.  Those that approach this respectfully, will keep the volume to something they deem respectful.  Unfortunately, even at that level, the other side of this; those that want no music, will complain no matter what.

 

No. If someone who doesn't want to listen to your music can hear it when they're engaged in their golf (i.e. not if they walk over to your cart), then they'd likely say it's not at a respectable volume.

 

And they wouldn't be wrong about that, because as I said… everyone gets to have their own definition. Your right to play music doesn't mean you can play it at whatever volume you deem "respectable."

 

1 hour ago, sui generis said:

"Music at very low volume is permitted on the course. Very low volume means that the music cannot be heard by any other players on the course." 

 

So, perhaps you might not want to come here. 😉

 

That's my definition of a "respectable" volume.

 

Just put some ear buds in, @rzitup. Then you can play it about as loud as you'd like.

[rzitup]

34 minutes ago, iacas said:

 

No. If someone who doesn't want to listen to your music can hear it when they're engaged in their golf (i.e. not if they walk over to your cart), then they'd likely say it's not at a respectable volume.

 

And they wouldn't be wrong about that, because as I said… everyone gets to have their own definition. Your right to play music doesn't mean you can play it at whatever volume you deem "respectable."

 

 

That's my definition of a "respectable" volume.

 

Just put some ear buds in, @rzitup. Then you can play it about as loud as you'd like.

 

Someone can say whatever they want to me, but if I think I am playing my music, in my cart, during the round of golf I paid for, at a respectable volume, then I am going to continue to do it.  I really don't care if someone vaguely hears my music as they pull of to their tee, which happens to be near my cart, parked next to the green I am playing.  Therefore, the definition of "respectable" is mine to define.

 

Thanks for the tip on the ear buds, had never thought of that and no one else has ever mentioned it!  I'll stick with the Bushnell speaker I have, made by a golf company, with a magnet to stick on my golf cart, and also happens to yell out distances for me in between playing music.  

 

 

Edited July 31, 2023 by rzitup

[iacas]

17 minutes ago, rzitup said:

Someone can say whatever they want to me, but if I think I am playing my music, in my cart, during the round of golf I paid for, at a respectable volume, then I am going to continue to do it.  I really don't care if someone vaguely hears my music as they pull of to their tee, which happens to be near my cart, parked next to the green I am playing.  

 

Thanks for the tip on the ear buds, had never thought of that and no one else has ever mentioned it!  I'll stick with the Bushnell speaker I have, made by a golf company, with a magnet to stick on my golf cart, and also happens to yell out distances for me in between playing music.

 

So, just like I said before: your definition is not the only one that needs to be considered. In the grand scheme of things this isn't a big deal, but your opinion and attitude is entitled and selfish. People probably won't often say things to you about your music, but that doesn't mean they're not annoyed and that you haven't made their day a little less enjoyable.

 

Cool for you.

Edited July 31, 2023 by iacas
grammar

[HGLucky13]

1 hour ago, rzitup said:

 

Someone can say whatever they want to me, but if I think I am playing my music, in my cart, during the round of golf I paid for, at a respectable volume, then I am going to continue to do it.  I really don't care if someone vaguely hears my music as they pull of to their tee, which happens to be near my cart, parked next to the green I am playing.  Therefore, the definition of "respectable" is mine to define.

 

 

 

I don't mind if music is played around me, it is the last thing I am worried about when I am trying to make a birdie putt, or land a drive on a tight fairway. I got alot going on in that dome of mine, plus I can block out pretty much anything, ask my wife.

But that paragraph is the epitome of selfish and entitled. 

[rzitup]

57 minutes ago, HGLucky13 said:

I don't mind if music is played around me, it is the last thing I am worried about when I am trying to make a birdie putt, or land a drive on a tight fairway. I got alot going on in that dome of mine, plus I can block out pretty much anything, ask my wife.

But that paragraph is the epitome of selfish and entitled. 

Cool. I’m usually not into appeasing complete strangers outdated takes to make my enjoyment of golf less enjoyable. 

[jobin]

I completely agree with this policy: the management makes the rule, promulgates the rule and enforces the rule.

If you want earbuds or headphones while golfing, 'up to you'.  But you cannot push your teenage ways on others.

 

[rogolf]

[greenlight]

We only have one rule: if you are in charge of the music, you’d better have the ad-free version of whatever streaming service you are using. 

[bekgolf]

17 minutes ago, greenlight said:

We only have one rule: if you are in charge of the music, you’d better have the ad-free version of whatever streaming service you are using. 

 

How about when the phone that's used for streaming gets a call?  Bluetooth speakers ring the phone pretty loud.

[greenlight]

1 minute ago, bekgolf said:

 

How about when the phone that's used for streaming gets a call?  Bluetooth speakers ring the phone pretty loud.

Should be loss of hole 🙂

[McMunch]

I was an anti music guy until a friend in my weekly foursome got one as a gift from one of his kids. Now I kind of like it. He keeps it low so you have to be near the cart to hear it and if we are waiting at a tee box it gets turned down to not bother any other golfers. No complaints so far but he does make the effort to not be annoying. Not all do.

 

Things got a little more complicated after I attended a cool member guest and speakers were given out in the gift bags. Now everyone has one.

I'm getting the feeling that these things are coming like the tide. It may be happening slowly but you can't stop it.

 

Plus there is so much ambient noise on a golf course anyway. Between planes flying, carts moving around, maintenance equipment, birds chirping, dogs barking, other golfers yelling, laughing, cursing or cheering its kind of already noisy out there. If your course is near a road there's traffic noise as well so my opinion of music on the course is softening a little. 

 

[chippa13]

The day smoking is banned on the course I'll accept music being banned on the course. 

[blades_are_life]

On 7/31/2023 at 3:18 PM, rzitup said:

Cool. I’m usually not into appeasing complete strangers outdated takes to make my enjoyment of golf less enjoyable. 

That had nothing to do with you appeasing outdated takes and everything to do with you expressing yourself like the protagonist of an Ayn Rand novel rather than a normal human being.

Edited August 4, 2023 by blades_are_life

[Malvern]

On 8/3/2023 at 1:41 PM, chippa13 said:

The day smoking is banned on the course I'll accept music being banned on the course. 

Chippa, not sure how you would play the smoking/music tradeoff in Australia, where there is a rule for everything.

 

On many Queensland courses you are allowed to smoke in the rough or on cart paths but not on tees, fairways and greens.

 

How they police this stupidity is anyone's guess.

[rzitup]

On 8/3/2023 at 11:02 PM, blades_are_life said:

That had nothing to do with you appeasing outdated takes and everything to do with you expressing yourself like the protagonist of an Ayn Rand novel rather than a normal human being.

 

I have no idea what this means, but hope they have good music in one of those books!

[North Butte]

On 8/2/2023 at 11:41 PM, chippa13 said:

The day smoking is banned on the course I'll accept music being banned on the course. 

Sounds like a great deal all around to me.

 

[Newby]

On 4/19/2023 at 5:44 AM, Ahmilla said:

As golf changes and newer generations of golfers are ushered into the sport, I notice more people playing music through a speaker on the golf course. I've seen a lot of heated debate on this topic and I can understand both sides of the argument, but I want to get the general consensus of the group here. Music on the course- Are you a fan?

No