Playing 9 or 18 by yourself.

[BuckeyeNut]

I enjoy playing golf as a single, but only if nobody is in front of me so I can "HAUL A$$" and not catch anyone.   I only play alone when it's really early and I'm the first player on the course, it's really late, or maybe the weather isn't good....(so the course is empty)  If the course has a reasonable amount of players on it, I think playing alone is absolutely crazy.  I prefer to pair-up........100%.

Playing alone and waiting behind others is just plain crazy self inflicted torture. People who opt for this may have social issues......or maybe they are really bad/insecure golfers...either way, maybe it's for the best they opt to play alone?  At least they won't back-up  the entire course playing as a single.  In most cases, I think these insecurities are completely unwarranted.   They'd probably be better served as golfers if they just paired-up when the opportunity arises! Really.....

[Chas]

Not at all lame. Occasionally I find myself on my own and make the most of it. More time to consider the next shot to play, and of course you can play 2 or more balls. But lately I find playing 2 balls more of a distraction than anything. Each shot should count maximally.

[Higgins1991]

I play myself most of the time. I'm a student just now and most of my friends have full-time jobs so when I have spare time I usually just went down the course and played either 9 or 18 alone. I feel it's sometimes better than playing with buddies as you're not subconsciously trying to out-do your opponent

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by Chas

Not at all lame. Occasionally I find myself on my own and make the most of it. More time to consider the next shot to play, and of course you can play 2 or more balls. But lately I find playing 2 balls more of a distraction than anything. Each shot should count maximally.

This is sort of how I see it.  I used to try and play 2 balls, or sometimes a kind of a 2 ball scramble when I got stuck alone behind larger groups, but it was never very satisfying for me.  Even if it means doing a lot of waiting around, I still only play one ball now, and do what practicing I can around the green (until the group behind me is ready to come up) or on the tee while I'm waiting.  I'll chip from one set of tee markers to another if they aren't too far apart.  A friend and I who used to play a lot together would have chipping matches to see who could "win" the most "holes" by hitting the target marker in the fewest strokes.  It was actually good practice, and one of the reasons why I consider myself to be a fairly decent chipper.

[dpgator33]

I almost always play alone, and I'm growing to prefer it.  I find I'm more in tune to the flow of the round, and while I do occasionally enjoy the interaction with guys I get paired up with, not everyone is as interesting as they think, and it sometimes annoys me, to the point that it's distracting.

I'm still pretty new at my club so I don't yet know a lot of the members, that contributes to my playing alone often.  Also that I am an early riser and live close to the club so on a typical weekend morning, I'm up with the sun or earlier and usually take a dip in the hot tub and get dressed and head to the course.  Many times I'm chasing the guy mowing the greens, even having to slow down my play a little so as not to interfere with their job.

[turtleback]

Originally Posted by Chas

Not at all lame. Occasionally I find myself on my own and make the most of it. More time to consider the next shot to play, and of course you can play 2 or more balls. But lately I find playing 2 balls more of a distraction than anything. Each shot should count maximally.

To me it depends on what is behind me as much as what is in front of me.,  If there is no one behind me than I will convert it into a practice round and spend 5 minutes or more at each green working on a variety of short game shots and putts.  But if I have people behind me that won't work.  If the ones behind me are less than a foursome I will generally ask them if they want to join up, since there is nowhere to go in front of me.  The worst is being caught between 2 foursomes since, assuming you can't play through because of additional traffic ahead of them, you can't go forward and you can't join the trailing group.  But that hasn't happened to me very often, thank goodness.

[NuclearMike]

I enjoy playing by myself.  My concentration can wane if I'm involved in idle conversation, whether with a buddy or a stranger.  When I'm alone I can get more work done on my game (if I designate it a practice round) or if it's a handicap round set performance goals for myself.  Keeping focus and challenging myself to improve are good things with potentially tangible benefits to my overall game.  I've played by myself most of the time in 2013 and have seen much more stability in my swing and lower scores.

[SCfanatic35]

I have done both. While I prefer to play with a group, a lot of good things come out of playing alone. I have played 9 and 18 holes by myself. Usually when I play just 9 holes is when I am really frustrated and just walk to my car at the turn. When I play alone is usually when I work on my swing the most. The lack of competition, for some reason allows me to worry less about my score and more about my swing. I will also hit extra shots, assuming no one is behind me. I like to hit multiple shots from say 140 in. Short game work is the hardest to duplicate on the range, which is why I do that. In addition, playing alone helps me appreciate being outside more. Also, I do a lot of soul searching on the course.

[grubby98]

When I don't feel like going to range and want to play, I have no problem playing by myself.  I always try to go way early to get out in front of everyone or I go late in afternoon and just jump around holes.  I work on my game and hardly every keep score.  I love to play a 3-6 hole stretch hitting two balls at a time and playing worst ball.  My goal is to play it just a few over, but its very hard.

[TXRains]

I played by myself Saturday and it was amazing. Was the first one at the course and blistered through in about 2.5 hours. I've done both and while I don't really have a preference between the two, it's nice sometimes to have some alone time on the course to figure out your game. But then again, I also talk to myself when I'm out by myself. That's not weird, right?

[Perfect Slicer]

I tend to wake up early on weekends, so during the summer I just get up and get to the course and walk 18 by myself. Since I'm walking, I've cleared it with the course to let me just take off when I get there, before they even open the pro shop. I pay at the turn. I don't care if the greens have been mowed, and I don't mind waiting on a hole or 2 while they mow them. The only thing I don't like is seeing my ball tracks in the dew on the green when I really misread a putt. Then the missed comebacker. Then the lip out.

It's pretty peaceful, and I play much more relaxed. I hold myself to the rules, except I usually don't bother to pull the flag.

If I can't get out first, I'l just start on the back and play 9. I hate standing behind a group, but I don't like playing through when I'm walking, because I have to run through their hole, then run to stay in front if I have a bad hole or 2. I don't like being in anyones way.

[sebsmash]

While its fun to play with friends, sometimes I think it's nice just to get out on the course and get paired with some people you've never met before. I find it's less competitive and just as much fun, I try to go to nicer courses so I'm usually with people who are pretty good and I can learn some things from. Only downside is once I was put with a guy who was smoking a cigar, I couldn't breathe at the tee or the greens and would intentially play up the other side of the fairway to get away from him, I had a headache after nine holes and had to stop

[golf9596]

I love to play 9 by myself. It allows me to hit 2 balls on each hole and practice some shots I don't get to practice at the range.

[Mozgolf]

I do not enjoy playing solo. The game for me is about getting out playing with buddies or meeting  others. Sure I have done it now and then, but never end up playing well, it ends up as an un-focused practice session, dropping extra balls etc. But yes the odd solo round is better than nothing, but not my number one choice. To each their own

[Trombone Golfer]

I enjoy the time to be alone, think, clear my mind......and pray.

[Unkynd]

I'm a member at a 9 hole course.  I play 9 by myself at least 2-3 times per week.  I don't normally play anywhere else by myself though, but I would.

[AmazingWhacker]

I often head to the course alone. If I get a chance to play on a weekday morning - I'm not going to let the lack of a playing partner stop me. 9 times out of 10 I will join another group on the course - but either way - playing golf is better than not playing golf Besides, I have my best rounds playing solo. I typically shoot high 70's or low 80's by myself but I have trouble breaking 100 when I play with others (who tend to like to count *every* stroke, lol)

[phan52]

Originally Posted by golf9596

I love to play 9 by myself. It allows me to hit 2 balls on each hole and practice some shots I don't get to practice at the range.

As long as you don't do this.

I see this sometimes on my course. That kind of practice is for the range.