The effect of playing partners on your game.

[Andy_Mac]

Most of the time when I play I go out to the course I am by myself and as a result I get paired with people. Since I play munis the range of personalities, ages, and skill levels vary wildly. I have noticed that I play much, much better when paired with a certain players.

Generally speaking, the better my playing partners are the better I play. Its a mental thing, but it helps. I also play better when the guys are friendly and talkative. Much more relaxing when people arent so serious that the best conversation they muster is the occasional grunted "nice shot" as they try to avoid eye contact ... again, not a groundbreaking revelation.

Aside from those, my favorite playing partners (and by favorite I mean who do you shoot better playing with) fall in the continuum of:

1. Seniors. Old guys who are friendly and know the game are awesome. Great stories, and they have been playing the course for years and know every inch of it.

1a. Guys my age who are really good, yet friendly. far and few between at my courses, but great guys to play with.

2. Guys who share beer. if they share beer they cant be all bad, right?

3. less skilled but cool guys.

4. rank beginners who are taking their new game seriously. They are serious about getting better. The only thing about these guys is that I feel bad when they ask me for advice. All I can do is preface my answers with "what I do is" and end with "but you may wanna ask someone a little better at the game than me."

8. middle aged hacks who dont care about the game at all. I dont use the term hack lightly... im talking the people who dont take the game at all seriously. slice ob mulligan repeat 3 times fairway shot dribbler to green 2 putt PAR! They can be nice enough guys, and off the course I could have a drink with them, but poison to my game.

1258. drunken d-bag college hacks. live in a college town and deal with these guys quite a bit. same age as me and I could probably deal with em at a party... but on the course I hate dealing with the guy playing in crocks and a t-shirt who chucks his 7 iron further than his ball went every other hole... not my idea of a good time.


Disclaimer: the above only relates to how I play on the golf course... off the course is a completely different matter... some of my better friends are druken d-bag frat boys... I just dont play golf with them.

My friends that I do play golf with are left out of the list because of course I am going to enjoy playing a round with them.


My favorite playing partner had to be a British guy in town on business. Playing with him was the first time I ever broke 90. I would have paid him just to walk around and whisper commentary in the background while I was hitting the ball.


Who do you guys like to play with?

[Lange]

I just play with friends and family, majority with friends and sometimes they bring guests, which i don't mind at all. I can't stand being paired up, i've ended up with some people i'd rather not meet again.

[Big Padrigo]

There's no doubt that you will play better with better players. For me though the key thing is how people behave on the course, as long as you have some idea of the etiquette and are well mannered then we can get along fine. I don't enjoy playing with guys who are just out there to get drunk, I have a couple of friends I don't play with for that reason, I want to get drunk I'll go to a bar. I also don't like playing with guys who get too frustrated, its fine if you know them but when strangers start blaming everything but their technique on what has just gone wrong it really bugs me. I guess the other category is those who over analyse everything and start trying to analyse your game too, thanks but no thanks! The guys I play with now I got paired with them randomly about a year ago and they were just really cool guys who really enjoy their golf; one's about 15 years older than me and the other about 25 years older than me. We make up a fourball at least one day a week with my wife and have a great time despite the diversity of the group.

[MunkeyGolfer]

I always play better with my best friend. He is a lot better than I am but for some reason it rubs off on me

[Dent]

I just play with friends and family, majority with friends and sometimes they bring guests, which i don't mind at all. I can't stand being paired up, i've ended up with some people i'd rather not meet again.

Sometimes I don't like to be paired up either. I actually don't mine playing with adults, but I really don't like to get paired up with juniors my age. I don't know what it is, no matter what their skill level. Most of the juniors I have been paired up with have the biggest ego's ever.

And when it comes to meeting new people I'm really anti-social.

[ITgolfHack]

I would fall into the #4 ranking on your list. I don't mind getting paired up with better players, but I find that a lot of the ones who, like me, are beginners who are serious about getting better also get mad too easily.

If some of those guys spent as much time trying to figure out why they sliced one into the woods as they do complaining and throwing a fit about it, they would improve a lot faster.

[Andy_Mac]

^heh... played with a first timer the other day (friend of a friend). he doubled his first hole a made good contact on a couple shots then was pissed the entire rest of the round because he couldnt duplicate the feat... first time hed stepped foot on a golf course and club chuckin mad about triple bogey and missing 20 footers.

Good natured otherwise, though... we were talking quite a bit of trash and the flying clubs never once came towards our heads. :)

I played like crap, but it was still a great time.

The other first timer I played with this year was a kid that came with his uncle. He as sporting a metal band shirt, jeans, and wearing skate shoes. Apparently his first time hooked him. I saw the same kid out at the course a few weeks later sporting a polo, khaki shorts and some footjoys pounding away at the range.


These guys are always great to play with, I just shoot horribly when I do.

[Cody]

The other first timer I played with this year was a kid that came with his uncle. He as sporting a metal band shirt, jeans, and wearing skate shoes. Apparently his first time hooked him. I saw the same kid out at the course a few weeks later sporting a polo, khaki shorts and some footjoys pounding away at the range.

HA! I was totally that kid(not literally the same one but i was much the same). I never liked golf but i went out with a friend one time in my metal band shirt plaid shorts and pumas. Absolutely hooked. Been playing nonstop since then.

Anyways back on topic. My course doesn't make you pair up(well i only play twilight unless im with family so they might then). And i rarely walk by myself just becuase i get a little bored. I prefer playing with family.

[golf hungry]

My favorite is #1.
Playing with the seniors I don't have the long ball ego. Nice and smooth. Amazing what happens when your not trying to kill the ball.

[ERC7.5]

I usually play with a few of the more solid players at my course. Handicaps that range from 0-7 or so. I typically play quite well with these guys. I'll play a round of golf with anybody though. I love to join up with a group of older gents. Young beginners that are serious about learning the game are a lot of fun too.

[Eore]

i actually like playing with older guys who are nice. i'm talkative when i play, because its just a game. they have great stories, and usually talk back to me.

[MrKadash]

When I play with guys (or gals) who are really good it raises my level of play, regardless of age. I always play with some friends who aren't that good, and I take those opportunities to try things I normally wouldn't when playing with very good golfers.

[golf_junkie27]

Although I would prefer to play with better golfers, my main criteria is to play ready golf. I don't want to play with someone who's 30 yards to my right, staring into space, while they can be practicing their golf swing/getting distance/choosing a club.

Nothing infuriates me more than someone who waits until it's their turn to go through all this. The only time this should happen is when we're in each other's sight lines. Otherwise, be ready to play.

[CallawayXXX]

I see that you always play to the level of your opponent/partner.

I play with 2 people most my Dad and one of my friends.

2 totally different games.

Playing w/ my Dad: usually beat him but shoot upper 90s.
Playing w/ my friend: Usually shoot low 80's.

Differences may be due to the relax factor. I'm more relaxed w/ my friends, and my Dad tends to talk alot when he plays. Kinda distracting.

But you typically play to the level/ skill of your partner.