Playing 9 or 18 by yourself.

[Crim]

When I golf alone, I prefer to be really alone.

Playing as a single can obviously be problematic when the course is busy. You invariably will run into someone. Those cold, rainy days when you are really the only person on the course are the best.

Quoting for truth! I go really early in the morning or on horrible days to get that private course feel :)

[sinned123]

So, since I have no one who currently wants to golf, how "lame" is it to just go and play 9 or 18 by yourself?  Does anyone routinely do that?

I love playing 9 before or after I work ALONE...it's the best kind of practice....!!!1 there's a 36 hole muni course 15 min.'s away from my house, I get there and I'm the first one in line waiting for the lazy disgruntled self important starter to open his window in his little shack only for him to say " no playing the back 9 solo !!!!.. WTF not...? A#@%HOLE...so i go out as a single with a threesome and after the first hole, I veer off and hop on the back 9 and play 6-7-8 holes by myself.....at 55 I'm still jumping around on a golf course trying to keep one step ahead of the ranger !!

[MS256]

Quoting for truth! I go really early in the morning or on horrible days to get that private course feel :)

Quote:

I love playing 9 before or after I work ALONE...it's the best kind of practice....!!!1

there's a 36 hole muni course 15 min.'s away from my house, I get there and I'm the first one in line waiting for the lazy disgruntled self important starter to open his window in his little shack only for him to say " no playing the back 9 solo !!!!.. WTF not...? A#@%HOLE...so i go out as a single with a threesome and after the first hole, I veer off and hop on the back 9 and play 6-7-8 holes by myself.....at 55 I'm still jumping around on a golf course trying to keep one step ahead of the ranger !!

I wonder if the reason you guys enjoy a round alone is that you have to make an effort to get it.

On the other hand I think the reason I don't like it is that where I used to be a member there were many days that I played from daylight to dark and never saw another person. On those days I always kept an eye on the parking lot hoping to see somebody else show up so we could have a game.

[jetsknicks1]

I love playing 9 before or after I work ALONE...it's the best kind of practice....!!!1 there's a 36 hole muni course 15 min.'s away from my house, I get there and I'm the first one in line waiting for the lazy disgruntled self important starter to open his window in his little shack only for him to say " no playing the back 9 solo !!!!.. WTF not...? A#@%HOLE...so i go out as a single with a threesome and after the first hole, I veer off and hop on the back 9 and play 6-7-8 holes by myself.....at 55 I'm still jumping around on a golf course trying to keep one step ahead of the ranger !![/quote] Wow, with your great attitude and sunny disposition I'm shocked that the lazy, disgruntled, self important, a**hole starter doesn't just give you the run of the entire course.

[David in FL]

Did you enjoy playing alone when you first started? I absolutely love it.

Nope. Hated it. Just didn't have anyone to play with as a 12 year old in 1970....

[samadams46]

We are all drawn to golf for different reasons.  I was drawn to golf because I didn't need anyone else in order to play or practice.  Having played at a professional level I can tell you that it is only between you and the course.  Love to play with friends and have a great time, but can't concentrate and focus enough to play my best.  Now if we play for money, that's a different thing.

[David in FL]

We are all drawn to golf for different reasons.  I was drawn to golf because I didn't need anyone else in order to play or practice.  Having played at a professional level I can tell you that it is only between you and the course.  Love to play with friends and have a great time, but can't concentrate and focus enough to play my best.  Now if we play for money, that's a different thing.

Not in match play!

......and why wouldn't you play for money?  That's what golf is for....I'd rather win $5 from one of my rat-bastard golf buddies than find a $100 bill on the street!

[samadams46]

Match play does affect strategy.  Sometimes playing for money is not smart when you are the guy always giving 12 or 14 shots.  Played with a group once and shot 67 and lost $20.00.  Figured out later I would have had to shoot 63 to break even.  Lots of folks out there very proficient at managing their handicap. :-)  #EssentiallyGolf

[kssupermex]

I only get a chance ususally when Iam on vacation...during that week I try to play 3-4x by myself and then usually every saturday with my buddy ...even when Iam away from my regular course, I know travel a few hours away and play in the same city as my kids live in...I can get my son to play on saturdays as well...thats an added bonus as his city has about 5-6 courses and one by a lake...its just beautiful.....i too work on things when iam by myself and i slice so badly that I always decline to go play in any tournament or really good golf course...so embarrassing.....but i keep trying!!!!!!

[RandallT]

When I golf alone, I prefer to be really alone.

"When I golf alone, I prefer to be by myself" -George Thorogood Or was that drinking? I forget.

[pepsiplusconker]

Well this just become relevant, and I've posted in the slow play thread.

I used to play all the time on my own, on a 28 hole course which was dead the majority of the time, now I'm at a public council course where you simply can't play on your own because you'll spend 3 hours waiting on tees.

[TMBridgestone]

It is the best part about the sport!!!

[Tennhacker]

I play mostly by my self mainly because I have lots of days off during the week.  On the weekends I play with my daughter (she's 13) which is a lot of fun, and random people at the muni that I play at.  But I do enjoy my rounds by my self, especially those rare days that I get the course to my self and can play 18 in 2 hours.

[davechen]

Back before I joined a golf league and before my kids started playing I used to go out as single all the time.  Sometimes I'd get paired up, but if it wasn't busy I'd go alone.  I was fine playing by myself, although I probably prefer getting paired up with whoever.  It's nice to meet new people and play with them.  But alone is fine too.  As long as I'm on a golf course, I'm good.

[BrrrrMan78]

The best practice rounds I've ever had were 9 holes by myself! Try playing 2 balls on every shot, and then play the successive shot from the worst of the 2. Continue until holing out. Great practice and you actually hit a ton of different shots. Plus making the first downhill 4 footer makes the second one so difficult!!

[GregoryShell]

It's absolutely, 100%, always, nobody can come up with a valid argument against it, ok to go to the golf course and play alone, all things considered. You can hook up with folks there normally or just play as a single. A single will often catch the next group unless they are way ahead and will sometimes be offered a chance to join that group or play through. You can hook up or play alone, either way is just fine. If a single or group catches up and is playing much faster, it is good etiquette to let them play through if they would like.

Anyone who would tell you to stay home if you can't find someone to play with should be cataloged as a non-legitimate golfer.

[dfreuter415]

For those of you who like to play a solo round of golf, two questions:

1) Do you take a cart?

2) What is your record time for 18 holes?

When I play solo I always walk and finish 18 holes in around 2 hours 45 minutes.  My record is 2 hours 20 minutes.

[Lihu]

For those of you who like to play a solo round of golf, two questions:

1) Do you take a cart?

2) What is your record time for 18 holes?

When I play solo I always walk and finish 18 holes in around 2 hours 45 minutes.  My record is 2 hours 20 minutes.

If you have good company, it can make the experience quite pleasant.

Sometimes, you aren't so lucky. Kind of hard to concentrate when you have golf snobs walking past you as you setup for your shot while holding a conversation at the top of their voices bragging about how good they are at golf by recounting some past golf stories. Sometimes, those same golfers might also slam their clubs into the tee box, to make sure you understand that slicing to a non-optimal second shot position is not normal to their skill level. Another concern is if this same golf snob is going to hit you with his club by taking full speed practice swings at multiple and random locations around the tee box as if to warn you that he doesn't give a crap about your safety even if you are 10 yards away from the tee. The worst part is that these are golfers in the 10-15 handicap range, and have to re-count your strokes to make sure you are scoring yourself on the up and up, because it really upsets them if you shoot the same score as them or better. Better not to announce that you just made a par or birdie on a hole.

So, I think I've answered why I like to play a solo round versus random people.

On the rare occasions that I can go solo, I usually walk with my fastest time around 3 hours for a 7100 yard course playing 6700 yards. I golf primarily for exercise, so taking a golf cart is kind of counter productive to that goal.