Golfing Alone?

[doublesuited77]

Golfing alone is fun, it gives you time to focus on your game and to give you a chance to fix things in your game, unfortunatly my club is so stupid that im not allowed to golf alone..

so if the course is empty to a club to which you belong, you are not allowed to play?

[robert]

I've found playing alone early in the morning to be a great way to practice. I'll go early enough to play by myself or show up early and ask to play the back 9 to avoid people all together. Like everyone I'm trying to work on my short game so I'll play one tee ball until a get into short game territory then I'll generally take the position I have put myself in and create 3 different situations 1 good lie (standard fairway lie), one decent lie (first cut, middle rough), and one really bad lie (put ball in an old divot, bury it in rough, I've stepped on it to create buried lies) of course you'll only have to create 2 of these since your ball will already be in one of these situations. I then see if I can get up and down from all 3 spots. I've found it awesome practice. As a note I would never EVER do this with other players waiting on me in anyway. But when you're on your own early in the mornings no one should be catching up to you even doing this drill.

[lamebums]

How many of you guys golf alone, and how often? I usually only go when my friends can go too, but I'd like to go often [since they can only go once a week]. Is it any fun going alone, or does it matter?

I play by myself about one out of every three rounds, or about once a week. It's just as fun playing by yourself as with your buddies, since you realize it's just you, the ball, and the course. I tend to play better when I'm on my own, because I get into a rhythm (I play 18 in two hours plus change), I don't have to wait to make shots, which is a big deal for me. The less I think about it in my mind, the better I usually do. I take one look at the hole and go - which means slow play kills my game.

I'm much faster than most people, but not quite as fast as the low-handicapper who'se played golf his whole life, and takes it as seriously as his mother's funeral. I usually play through other people, but let other singles through me (especially when I'm looking for a ball). It gives you much more opportunity to think about your game, there's little to no pressure on you if a buddy pulls off a low-percentage shot, and also, well, one bad shot deserves another. If he dubs it, odds are you will dub it as well.

[erniebanks]

The best way to practice is to spend more time on the course. The driving range does not help at all. I tend to just hit and not think at the range.
On the course I have to consider all my options from tee to green.
I like to play late in the day or when it is too hot for casual golfers.
If I play alone I may have 25 or more clubs in my bag. You can learn a lot about club selection in different situations.
Putting on the practice green does not even come close to the many options that you see on the course.
It's a totally different situation out there and it can help your game if you really want to improve.
Playing with your friends (mates to you auzzies ( or is it aussies?)) is a lot of fun and I recommend it at least half of your time.
While playing alone, you have to be aware of other players and groups out there. You may have to sit under a tree for half an hour if 4 foursomes catch up to you and you don't want to be rushed.
I never, never, never play through a group no matter how sloooow they play.
That just gives me more time to work on stuff that needs more work.
I think I talk too much, but just ENJOY THE GAME in your own way.

[mngolfer]

I golf almost every day with some friends, but I like to go out a couple nights a week and golf alone. I like to golf at a pretty quick pace, so when I go alone I get in a pretty good rythm and tend to golf better.

[mngolfer]

I golf almost every day with some friends, but I like to go out a couple nights a week and golf alone. I like to golf at a pretty quick pace, so when I go alone, I get in a pretty good rythm and tend to golf better.

[Dent]

so if the course is empty to a club to which you belong, you are not allowed to play?

Im a junior so we still arent allowed to golf alone, its really stupid.. even if it is empty.. I hate my club..its some stupid restriction, the seniors always complain if we golf alone so thats why.

[LarryK]

I recently moved to another state, and while I miss my regular playing partners of old, I am also one of those who plays better as a single. First off, I hate being pushed by the group behind which can sometimes happen if you are part of a threesome or foursome. In that case, I find myself rushing my shot and screwing up.

Playing solo, I almost never get pushed by a twosome or threesome behind me, so that gives me plenty of time to concentrate over the ball without worrying if I am holding anyone up. Allowing a group to play through me is never an issue.

If I end up pushing a group ahead of me and they invite me to play through, I will almost always do so. But I would never ask for the privilege unless they were painfully slow (i.e. a group of obvious beginners).

In the same vein, I would never ask to join an existing twosome or threesome. I would think that would be presumptuous on my part. If they should invite me to join them , however, I may or may not, depending on my mood. I would almost certainly join them if my playing through would not appreciably improve my situation or theirs. Specifically, if there is another foursome in front of them, then my jumping between the two groups is just going to clog things up. Better to consolidate and make a larger playing group, strangers though they may be.

In short, playing alone can be very tranquil, good for your game and a great deal of fun. But going out alone doesn't mean you should expect to finish that way. I believe you should always be prepared to pair up if circumstances dictate.

[J_Bone]

I have been going to the course by myself for the last 4 months. I no longer play with the guy who got me hooked 8 months ago.
Unfortunately I always get teamed up with a group of 3, But the cool thing is, I meet new people and every one of them have been great, except for one guy.

[iacas]

I regularly golf alone because I golf during the daytime and during the week (work hours). If there are holes, I usually expect to be invited to play through and will do so if asked. I never ask myself. If I'm held up, I'll throw some extra balls around the greens and chip and pitch and putt. If people are playing behind me, I won't do that, obviously - I'll just grin and bear it.

I almost never golf with others when invited to join a group unless I do so on the first tee, and even then I typically try to let them have fun and stay out of the way (almost ignoring them, but not to the point of being rude).

Today I played alone, for example, and was behind people from the first hole. I pitched and putted after holing out on the front nine. Then on ten they put a foursome out behind me, so I just used the time to think. Play slowed dramatically on the back nine, too, which hurt, so I used the time to test my mental capacity to forget about golf but gain back focus when it was finally time to hit.

Shot 39/36, so I must have done a good job.

[ERichardson]

I absolutely love golfing by myself. Don't get me wrong, I really like playing in a group but throwing my iPod on, listening to some insane music and just enjoying myself while walking a course (I don't ride when I am alone) the music, the scenery, the silence...can't be beat.

[gogolfing]

I often play alone after supper. This time of year, it's not dark until 9:45, so I can go off at 8:00 and still get in nine, or go out at 6 or 6:30 and get in 18. I find it quite relaxing and I usually come off the course quite refreshed. Things are just more peaceful at this time compared to a lot of other times earlier in the day. If it's not busy, I also find it a great time to practice; throw a few balls out in tricky lies around the green, try to hit a fade then a draw etc... It also usually only takes me an hour and twenty minutes for nine and just under three for 18, so with a young family, it is often the best use of my time. In summer, I'll do things with my wife and kids during the day, and go play after supper. This way a big chunk of the day isn't taken up with golf.

[Warik]

I play alone close to 90% of the time. I absolutely hate it. I usually play a 9-hole par-31 2-3x per week before work, one or two those times with my buddy. When I play alone there, I usually don't mind because I'm 1st or 2nd off the tee and I walk.

What I *HATE* is when I play 18 because I NEVER have anybody I can go with. One friend can NEVER play on weekends and the other never answers his phone, and when he does finally show up after 2-3 weeks of trying, he plays horribly and makes the game generally unenjoyable for me. Never compliments my good shots/putts, says "lucky" 10x a round, and finishes off the score tally by telling me "the only reason you won is because... blah blah blah..." generally making me wish I didn't invite him out in the first place.

So when I DO play alone, I always run into a group after 3-4 holes, then I have to wait 2-3 holes before they get the picture and let me through... after which point my game has deteriorated due to so much waiting and I end up finishing my round terribly (as if it weren't hard enough trying to have a good round with a high handicap).

In summary, be grateful for your golf buddies and play with them as often as you can. Foursomes are great. Playing alone sucks.

[RyanR]

I play by myself a fair amount. I work at the course I have listed in my signature as my home course, so I can just jump in a cart and take off whenever I want unless there's a tournament going on. Sometimes I go before class in the morning or after work in the evenings, and if my friends can't go, I just see it as an opportunity to get more holes in before dark!

I think it's fun to play alone to answer your question!

Good luck,
Ryan

[wigget]

How many of you guys golf alone, and how often? I usually only go when my friends can go too, but I'd like to go often [since they can only go once a week]. Is it any fun going alone, or does it matter?

Twice a week after work i'll go out on my own. Gives me a chance to really work on things out on the course. Can't beat paying $7 bucks play till its dark. Nice to get away from it all sometimes too. the only way it's not fun is if you make a hole-in-one and have no one to there to see it...

[CG031]

I golf alone about 3 times a week. 3 other days per week I'll play with friends, or my dad or my sisters. It's not horrible alone, but it isn't great. If your a beginner and you really want to get good at golf, you have to play alone sometimes.

[samyosemite]

i used to golf alone all of the time and it was nice because the course i played on was pretty much empty on monday morning when i played.there were no problems with anyone playing slow in front or some one right behind me waiting.but i prefer playing with my friends because we all enjoy the game.

[royalwulff]

I like to play golf by myself every once in a while. I usually will go play either early in the morning or late in the afternoon on weekdays. When I do play alone I will take my time, enjoy my cigar, and it lets me really evaluate my next shot. Like some of the other posts above I will let people play through and just take my time, relax, and let myself wind down from all the stress and worries of real life. I still prefer to play with my friends however.