Playing by yourself

[alomar123]

I play by myself, have paired up a few times when it seems logical. My friends just dont like it, plus golf is a game you dont play unless you love it cause it is soo expensive.

[Paradox]

  alomar123 said:

I play by myself, have paired up a few times when it seems logical. My friends just dont like it, plus golf is a game you dont play unless you love it cause it is soo expensive.

I think this is one of the biggest myths about golf. Everyone who doesn't play thinks its so expensive because they hear it is...but when you really think about it..its not any more expensive than a lot of other things people do in life for hobbies.

I know that when I was really into bass fishing, I spent way over a 1000 dollars a year to do that, softball is an expensive hobby, being into music is an expensive hobby. There are good sets of clubs to be had for cheap, you can score just fine with inexpensive golf balls, there are plenty of courses who don't charge a lot. They may not be the nicest courses around but I guarantee almost everyone can find a course thats relatively cheap for their area.

[BostonSully]

  Paradox said:

I think this is one of the biggest myths about golf. Everyone who doesn't play thinks its so expensive because they hear it is...but when you really think about it..its not any more expensive than a lot of other things people do in life for hobbies.

Golf has been a relatively cheap hobby for me. Cheaper than hockey 300-400$ a league + equipment. I generally pay 15-20for 9 holes. My full set of Callaway Big Bertha Irons cost 199$ 30$ driver 40$ bag 20$ shoes. Ive had it for 3 years so it really doesnt break the bank and I pay 10$ for a dozen balls.

[alomar123]

  Paradox said:

I think this is one of the biggest myths about golf. Everyone who doesn't play thinks its so expensive because they hear it is...but when you really think about it..its not any more expensive than a lot of other things people do in life for hobbies.

Yeah but in an urban setting like I am in, it is much easier to grab a basketball and go to either a court or someones house.

No matter what, golf is expensive compared to essentially free hobbies.

[canadaddy]

I play alone on a regular basis. Like others have mentioned I enjoy the quiet as well as playing at my own pace so when I do play alone it tends to be in the evening when the course is the least congested.

[eaglecc]

  alomar123 said:

Yeah but in an urban setting like I am in, it is much easier to grab a basketball and go to either a court or someones house.

I agree. I can buy a $20 basketball and play at the court up the street from me all day for absolutely nothing. For golf I had to buy shoes, clubs, a bag, drive 30 min to a course, spend $42 on greens fees each time I play, buy golf balls that I'll lose, etc. It's not even close.

This thread has kind of convinced me to go out and play by myself. I have never done it in four years of golfing. Lately everyone I golf with is either working, watching their kids, etc. Screw it, I'm playing by myself starting Tuesday!

[bplewis24]

I'm the solo king. I've played probably 90 rounds so far this year (counting 9 hole outings), and probably 20 of them have been organized tee times with other people.

Off topic, if you change the thread title to "with" instead of "by", it takes on an entirely different meaning.

Brandon

[Judah Ben-Hur]

I've only been once and that was by myself for nine holes. I see myself doing that for awhile until the consistency comes. You can work on things that you couldn't do in a group.

[Orange]

I work at a course and get to play for free (it's a wonderful thing) so most of the time I'll just go play on a whim. I like to play early and be the first to tee off for the day (usually around 5AM or so)... sometimes I'll get paired up, sometimes I won't. Like others have stated, it's a good way to clear my mind and much easier to work on certain parts of my game if I'm not with friends (which tends to be more like hanging out together in a golf course, rather than trying to work on your game).

If I choose to play with friends it takes much more effort to get a time to work for everyone so usually we will only play 9 holes in the late afternoon. Those 9 holes are just as much fun as the relaxing 18 holes by myself though. The par 3's are the best because we always play closest to the pin for a dollar. It adds some good competition for a little bet.

[ChipShot]

I have only done it once and I actually found that I felt like I was sprinting around the course and couldn't slow down! I'm sure I'll do it again in the future but I hope I'm able to slow down and relax a little.

[ahorvitz]

I head to the course alone 50% of the time. Most of those times, I'm paired up with someone at the course. I don't mind playing alone one bit. I've carded some great rounds playing alone. I'm focused and can (sometimes) whip around the course, which helps me a ton.

Why all the complaining about the cost of golf? Sure, as compared with nearly free hobbies, it's expensive. But even in this area, you can get a membership for well less than $1,000. Buy cheap, used equipment and play all the golf you want for less than you spend on cable or your cell phone, annually.

[Shripe]

  ChipShot said:

I have only done it once and I actually found that I felt like I was sprinting around the course and couldn't slow down! I'm sure I'll do it again in the future but I hope I'm able to slow down and relax a little.

I have the same issue, both on the course and the range when playing alone. I need to focus on slowing down as well.

[Valleygolfer]

I play by myself frequently. I just moved here a little over a year ago and know just a few others that golf but not always on my schedule. I would prefer to play with others but don't mind playing by myself here and there. If I waited to play with someone I knew, I would never play.

[FenderStrat62]

I've never actually played alone. I play golf with a handful of friends, so there's almost always somebody willing to play with me. That was a big part of the appeal early on--hanging out with friends. Now I just love golf for golf, and my friends are getting a little flaky in the heat, so I'm going to have to start playing alone.

[hero12]

I work retail to help my way through college, so my hours never match up with anybody else's. This means I get a lot of mornings and evenings to golf, which is great. I prefer to golf with friends but it is so easy to pop out for a quick 18-36 by myself.

[danieldrieberg]

  TitleistWI said:

I play solo 99% of the time. I actually prefer to play solo because it gives me some quiet time to clear my mind or forget about the stresses of day to day life.

TitWi Describes my golf too.

[bplewis24]

  ChipShot said:

I have only done it once and I actually found that I felt like I was sprinting around the course and couldn't slow down! I'm sure I'll do it again in the future but I hope I'm able to slow down and relax a little.

I used to do the same thing. It's sort of counter-intuitive: you'd think that if a person was playing by themselves, they'd be playing as slow as possible, right? But I find that I want to play the first hole as fast as possible, so that if a twosome or threesome end up teeing off behind me, I get clear of them and (if wanted) I can hit multiple tee shots or approach shots or chip shots on the next hole. Then I find myself rushing if I see a marshal or somebody around so that I can get back to a spot on the course where nobody is at. Then you end up catching up to a foursome who lets you play through...then I rush to try and get out of the fairway for them to tee off as a courtesy for them allowing me to play through. They always say "take your time," but I am rarely able to do that.

It truly is an odd thing. I've played solo so many times that I've gotten out of this habit and can now play a relaxed, slow-paced round. If people are behind me for a brief hole here or there, I will still try and get to my ball as soon as possible, but I've learned to take my time and not rush the shot thus ensuring I put a solid strike on the ball. The last thing you want to do is start hacking it up and make the people regret letting you in front! Brandon

[acegolfer]

I go to a course by myself 1/3 of the time. Most of the time, I get paired with other golfers, which I have no problem with. In fact, I had so much fun playing with strangers, I can remember a lot of them.

I have met interesting people and occasionally got paired golf pros. Sometimes, if I ask properly, they gave one-point lesson after the round. I have found many swing faults through them and my game vastly improved after fixing them.