That Awkward Moment

[Cantankerish]

I have been enjoying golf these past two years.  I enjoy meeting people and playing with friends.  When you meet a person through the lens of golf for four hours, it is long enough to be a journey.  I like how the conversation is just golf at the beginning -  yet I always come away knowing if the others have kids and what they do for a living or what brought out a dedicated single that day.  At the end of the round, when we shake hands and exchange courtesies, I sincerely mean it.  Well, almost every time.  I do not know what to do now.  I watch the hand coming at me now, and not the eyes.  Is it a fist or open?  One person even waved at me.

I miss the hand shake. I find it a meaningful end to a privileged day. What have you been doing? (if admin wants to add a poll, go ahead.)

[GolfLug]

I don't fear COVID but why tempt it? Bumping elbows is a more than adequate replacement for the handshake. You can always add "I would have loved to shake your hand" or exactly what you said "I miss the handshake". The love will be felt. 

[Vinsk]

If you have hand sanitizer with you shaking is fine. 

[billchao]

8 hours ago, Vinsk said:

If you have hand sanitizer with you shaking is fine. 

I’ve met a few people on the course that carried hand sanitizer with them. One even offered me some once.

They usually keep it in a flask 😉

[David in FL]

We shake hands or fist bump.  Pretty much as always.

[TN94z]

I think the fist bump is more apparent in my area than elbows. I still don't mind shaking hands as long as the other person comes at me that way. I tend to do whatever I see the other person lean towards. I like the first bump though. With handshaking, there is always that split second awkwardness on how hard to grip...haha. I like a firm handshake and find that some people barely even touch my hand when shaking.

[saevel25]

2 hours ago, billchao said:

They usually keep it in a flask 😉

Everclear 😉 

[darthweasel]

on the surface, after 18 holes of inadvertent contact via incidental flagstick contact, grabbing your clubs which there is a non-zero chance that someone has picked up a club around the green and hand it to you or similar means of incidental contact (as carts open up I have see a lot of people sharing cans of various liquids for example), it is not like a brief hand touch really drives up the danger that high, especially if you wash hands before leaving the course which you should regardless of contact on the green. And I would really like to reemphasize that...after a round of picking up balls from the ground, grabbing your golf club handles that a very very small percentage of people disinfect after the round, and even fewer during it...you really ought to be washing your hands prior to leaving the course regardless of post-round hand shake or lack thereof.

 

With that said, I have had a lot of success with a nod and an "air bump" in homage to Psych's Police Academy episode. It comes across friendly, fun and safe to those who take the theoretical danger serious and allows people who don't to respect the needs and wishes of those who do. It is an easy courtesy that minimizes contact while expressing thanks for sharing a round.

[djake]

I have been a fist bump person for a very long time for two reasons.

1) handshaking is a great way to catch anything, from the common cold, the flu, COVID-19 and anything that is on the person's hands from not washing well after going to the restroom or just anything.

2) i had hand surgery, shanking hands can be down right painful.  That firm handshake leads to pain.  

I travel all over the country for work, on a travel ban currently and i am in hospitals all over the country for work.  Early in my career i learned all about touch points and the best possible way to try and not spread any germs and avoid coming home with the traveler's flu.  So all of this is just a natural carry over for me.  

[DeadMan]

I suggest the post-round kiss instead of the post-round handshake:

 

 

Edited July 7, 2020 by DeadMan

[Carl3]

Take your hat off an do a flamboyant bow with hat in hand near the turf and the other behind you back 😆

[mcanadiens]

I like to be proactive about awkwardness. 

We putt out on 18 or 9, I'll just say, "Good playing with ya. You do handshakes or waves?"

 In Miami Co., OH most of em are still shaking hands.

 

[dennyjones]

Elbow bumps at the start with strangers today, fist bumps at the end.   It's almost always fist bumps regardless of the golf company. 

[boogielicious]

1 hour ago, Carl3 said:

Take your hat off an do a flamboyant bow with hat in hand near the turf and the other behind you back 😆

Sometimes I curtsy when I’m wearing my kilt.😜

[RickK]

I do miss the handshake on 18.  Our deal now is we touch putter heads after the round.  I still remove my cap/hat when doing so.  

[boogielicious]

8 hours ago, RickK said:

I do miss the handshake on 18.  Our deal now is we touch putter heads after the round.  I still remove my cap/hat when doing so.  

That’s a cool idea.

[Tepi90]

In one group we clanged the shafts. Damn, that sounds wrong.

[CarlSpackler]