Playing alone...is it bad?

[superotto80]

Hello everyone,

I was wondering if you think playing alone is bad. I almost always play alone due to the fact that none of my friends play golf. I have been making some serious strides in my game. I have been playing for about a 1yr and a half and am shooting consistently in the low 90's. But when i do play with someone or even if i know someone is watching i get so nervous and usually mess up. Any suggestions?

[Prairie Golfer]

Keep playing with other people until you aren't nervous. Playing with another single is usually good and they can help with those pesky lost balls.

Nothing will increase your golf score more than spectators I'm told.

Personally, I like playing alone. It's a primary reason I took the game up as a kid.

[CG031]

Nothing wrong with it, just gets kind of boring, and at times, in my opinion, kind of depressing.

All the time last summer I played alone, at least 3 times per week...nothing wrong with it, good for practice since you can really focus on your game with no distractions, but can also get boring that no one sees your good shots.

Imagine if you make a hole-in-one? A lot of people probably won't believe you with no one to help you justify, and no one to even see it.

[Dave H]

It depends on what you mean by alone. I go out to play alone all the time, but almost never actually play the round without other golfers - I almost always get paired up with others. As much I enjoy playing with friends I find that I play much better with strangers - for me, there's no pressure. I try to hard to impress my friends...

[alf174]

No, I think its good. Friday evenings I walk 9 and most of the time its alone, gives me a chance to work on some things without holding someone else up.

[HSip]

Nothing wrong with it, just gets kind of boring, and at times, in my opinion, kind of depressing.

Couple of weeks ago I was playing as a single and I noticed a couple playing ahead of me. The lady was hanging back and watching my shots at the par

3's. Eventually she told me that she had hit a hole in one a few years previous but without a witness and she vowed not to let that happen to someone else if she could help it. Unfortunately I didn't need a witness

[cougar978]

If you have the course to yourself, you can get a lot of work/practice in toward getting your game better - if you play a hole poorly, go back and play it again. If you have a question about how to play a hole, play another ball with a different approach to the hole. Also, for the obvious reason, if you're playing a handicap round (and not practicing), you can get in 36 holes in the same time a foursome gets in 18.

[Ed_Bighead]

I tend to play better when I play with other people. Makes me focus on my shots more - when I'm alone I tend to be more lackadaisical and perform worse. The first few times I played with someone were a bit nerve-racking, but once you get used to it, I found I enjoyed playing more when I had someone to play with.

[McGolf-Doggie]

Hello everyone,

I don't think so. No way it's bad. This great game will put you together with complete strangers ( or friends) who also love to play, anyway.

My first few times out on the course, I went solo, half expecting to play solo, and I didn't know what to expect having never played a round before. Of course, playing at a public facility, I wound up with a playing partner because the system works that way. It's a wonderful thing. The first time I teed off alone, I still picked up a playing partner -- he was playing through -- by the 3rd hole. You've only just started on this golfing journey, and the game called you to it, eventually, playing partners will come. Nothing wrong with solo practice rounds either. But with the number of single walk ups, it's pretty much guaranteed you're going to get a partner anyway. For me, it's almost always been a good thing or a learning thing. And what goes around, comes around ... In the last couple of years, I've pretty much introduced 4 people to the game myself, so that's another unexpected mini-wonder of the game -- sometimes playing partners find you so you can get them started in the right direction too ( ... then I direct them ASAP to a PGA pro!)

[flopdarock]

right now you'd be pretty lucky to even find a course that'll let you play as a single without partnering yourself with someone else...
in the off season i found myself playing alone quite often... but now its a real rarity when the season is in full swing...
i actually like playing with complete strangers as long as they arent jackasses...
its a way to gauge yourself against watching others in the real world play... great players encourage me to play better... and worse players make me feel good about my game... lol...
dont be nervous... you'll meet some really great ppl even if you never see them again... then there are others you wish you'd never met in the first place

[timwalsh300]

I played alone for the first time last September when I just had a random day off from work in the middle of the week, and I wanted to play golf. I enjoyed it a lot. I like peace and quiet, especially being outside. Lots of time to think and reflect.

In January I moved across the country for my job. Not knowing anyone here I just started going out to play by myself all the time. It has been great for my game because I can practice all the shots I want as many times as I want.

That said, I agree that it's sad to hit a great shot and have nobody else see it. I've often wondered about what would happen if I had a hole-in-one... if I'd even tell anybody about it.

Lately I've found that I actually play better in front of other people. I get more excited than nervous about showing off the game that I've worked so hard to develop over the last few months.

Luckily I've gotten paired up with other people many times (especially now that it is peak season) and I've met some really nice people that way.

Tim

[Aetsh]

I like playing alone, I don't think its a bad thing..

I work on stuff when I'm alone, and take it a little more serious when playing with other people

[SpringBokVol]

I love playing alone. Allows me to focus on every shot. Normally when I am playing with the guys I loose focus and that is frustrating to me.

[Chilli Dipper]

I like to play alone only when I'm walking. When I go solo with a cart, I play too fast to think about what I'm doing or properly execute shots.

[microcrayfish]

I play by myself all the time during the week. In many ways I prefer playing by myself but I can't keep a handicap without playing with other people so I can't only play by myself. I play with others on the weekends so I'm used to playing with others too. Can't really say I play better or worse with others as opposed to by myself.

[RC]

If you are alone, and the course is not crowded (so you would hold up others) you might try a little game that will hold your interest... a worst ball, two ball scramble. Hit two tee shots, play the worst one, and do this on every shot. I try always to pick the chip or pitch (or putt) that worries me the most, not just the furthest from the hole, and this has helped my short game. And putting takes on a whole new level of precision. No 20 foot birdies, unless you can sink it twice. When you can play a round in the range of two to three times your handicap, you are making real progress. I've never come close to two times my handicap.

[Sandplay]

I normally go out with for rounds with my friends or brother. But when i do play alone it gives me a chance to work on stuff that has been weak in my game. With out holding anyone up.

[iacas]

If you are alone, and the course is not crowded (so you would hold up others) you might try a little game that will hold your interest... a worst ball, two ball scramble. Hit two tee shots, play the worst one, and do this on every shot. I try always to pick the chip or pitch (or putt) that worries me the most, not just the furthest from the hole, and this has helped my short game. And putting takes on a whole new level of precision. No 20 foot birdies, unless you can sink it twice. When you can play a round in the range of two to three times your handicap, you are making real progress. I've never come close to two times my handicap.

I second that. You might also play a game a friend and I invented called Dickens. Best drive of two, best putt(s) of two, but the worst of everything else, including pitching and chipping.

It takes a little bit less time and you can still get away with holing a long one. I usually play it as a two-person deal so I don't know what score one person might shoot to "do well," but it puts a lot of emphasis on your iron game. Even if you hit the green, you've gotta do it twice.