at my course, i usually play after 2pm and its DEAD out there. i dont see anybody for 2 holes in front or behind me so i play 2 balls. on the other hand, on a nice spring/summer day, 2pm is a great time to go out and play so dont be surprised if you get paired up. the people ive gotten paired up with are really nice so dont worry about joining in on a group. i once played the front 9 with some lady and then she left so i joined up with the 3 some in front of us for the back 9.
oh and regarding the wife thing, when my girlfriend goes out with me on the course, shes playing along with me so i cant really give you advice there, all i know is that my course doesnt allow spectators, people who want to "ride along" have to pay for the round. =[
also, i forgot to add, at my girlfriends country club, the people play relatively quickly and my girlfriend always gets pissed thinking theyre riding up ours, but i tell her, theyre playing quick, were playing at a normal pace so they can wait a couple of minutes to hit
have fun and have a great round