Joined a threesome today..

[saturday]

.. No it's not dirty. For the first time ever I up and decided I'm going golfing today as a single and they put me up with two women and a guy. Needless to say I had an absolute blast. Not sure what it is but when I'm playing with new partners I seem to play better than usual. Don't know why I didn't do this earlier, was always worried people thought its creepy to have some single pair up with them.. Met new people, had an awesome round and enjoyed the outdoors :D Do you guys enjoy playing with strangers?

[LuciusWooding]

Strangers usually play slow. Unless they're really good or can keep up with my brother and myself, I prefer the course to be empty. We can finish in 2 1/2 to 3 hours at a leisurely pace and no foursome is going to manage that.

Foursomes are typically the absolute worst way to go; I'd rather get paired with one stranger than play as a foursome. Everybody takes forever to get to their ball, identify their ball, get a club, line up, and the like, especially on the green. Waiting for this 3 times before I can hit my shot every single time is absolutely maddening. The conversation is always the same and I feel like I'm splitting a chess board among 4 people; it wrecks the golf for me. How well I score on a given day is directly dependent on how well I can focus on the hole I'm on and having 2 extra bodies and a ton of pointless etiquette to worry about is irritating. If I see a hole open up ahead, I'll consider snatching my clubs from the cart and sprinting up to the tee box rather than continuing with a foursome.

[billchao]

I have always depended on the kindness of strangers. I play 90% of my rounds as a single. I love meeting new people. Most are a lot of fun to be with, and you get to learn a thing or two about anything and everything. I think most people understand that there's a chance to play with complete strangers on the course, so everyone is usually pretty cool about it. One of the best aspects of the game, IMO.

[MS256]

I haven't played with all strangers in the group very many times. There is only one course that I occasionally play that is busy enough to group people up.

I've been lucky when I did and the people in our group were all good people.

Speaking of strangers: A couple of guys came down from Tennessee Saturday to play in our game. They were in their late 60s but said that they didn't play from the senior tees. Since they were on my team, and I want to win, and they could have played from the senior tees it raised my eyebrows a little.

Soon I saw why they didn't play the forward tees. They both had very impressive length off of the tee, and hit the ball very straight. One said he was 69 years old and said he had driven the 290 yard par four earlier that week. His drives were consistently in the 275 to 280 range even though it was a very cool day and there is almost no rollout on our course (maybe a small bounce or two if you are lucky). I've played with a lot of seniors but never anybody as long as either of them.

I really enjoyed playing with them and it felt a little weird playing with a 69 year old that could hit the ball about as far as I could and more consistently. Gave me hope for the future.

[saturday]

I have always depended on the kindness of strangers. I play 90% of my rounds as a single. I love meeting new people. Most are a lot of fun to be with, and you get to learn a thing or two about anything and everything. I think most people understand that there's a chance to play with complete strangers on the course, so everyone is usually pretty cool about it. One of the best aspects of the game, IMO.

You're absolutely right about it being one of the best aspects of the game. I'm not a rush golfer but that being said I don't take my sweet time either so it unless the others are not dropping a new ball or taking mulligans over and over we're all good :D

[mcanadiens]

Anytime I play one of my usual courses as a single, I can bet on crashing headlong into a multi-group pile up by the 5th hole. If the group I run into is less than four, they usually invite me to join them. For the most part, it's usually a pleasant thing. Met some fine people that way.

I'd rather play with my buddies, but they've got their schedule and budget issues from week to week and I'm not going to pass up a chance to get out.

[phan52]

I'm still waiting for my wife to offer up that opportunity but I kind of think it ain't ever happening.

[Meltdwhiskey]

I do it all the time.  I used to worry about it because I was kind of worried about my game and being embarrassed about hitting bad shots and holding people up.  But after doing it several times, it seems most people are pretty bad at golf and there isn't anything to worry about.

I definitely meet some folks that are fun to play with - and that happens most of the time, but I've also got caught in groups where I was the only one who spoke English (and could break 120).  Nothing against folks who don't speak the same language as me (or can break 120), but it doesn't make for the best company during a round.

[bkuehn1952]

Totally agree with everyone who feels joining 1-3 strangers for a round is fun.  I also play some low level amateur tournaments and being comfortable with players you do not know helps.

[GangGreen]

While I still lean toward prefering to play as a single, I have to say I've gotten paired up with some great people lately. Yesterday was a good example, wanted to try out a new course and so I got an early morning tee time as a single. I got through the first 2 or 3 holes before I caught up with the threesome ahead of me on the tee and they invited me to join them. They all knew each other and were a really great group of guys and I had a blast playing along with them. Like meltdwhiskey said, when I first got back into playing this year I was very embarrased about my game. I think I'm more comfortable now as my game has improved but also I've come to realize that most people are only focused on their own game and could care less what I'm doing as long as I keep the pace of play up. I still get a little self-consious on the tee, but I think about that less and less the more I get out and play with others.

[0ldblu3]

I'm still waiting for my wife to offer up that opportunity but I kind of think it ain't ever happening.

What, for you to join her threesome? Thank you, thank you...I'll be here all week.

[saturday]

While I still lean toward prefering to play as a single, I have to say I've gotten paired up with some great people lately. Yesterday was a good example, wanted to try out a new course and so I got an early morning tee time as a single. I got through the first 2 or 3 holes before I caught up with the threesome ahead of me on the tee and they invited me to join them. They all knew each other and were a really great group of guys and I had a blast playing along with them. Like meltdwhiskey said, when I first got back into playing this year I was very embarrased about my game. I think I'm more comfortable now as my game has improved but also I've come to realize that most people are only focused on their own game and could care less what I'm doing as long as I keep the pace of play up. I still get a little self-consious on the tee, but I think about that less and less the more I get out and play with others.

I didn't do it enough this year but I'm going to try a bunch of new courses out next year as a single. I like your attitude about it, and you're right most people don't care at all about your skills, just want to have fun.

[BuckeyeNut]

.. No it's not dirty.

For the first time ever I decided I'm going golfing today as a single and they put me up with two women and a guy. Needless to say I had an absolute blast. Not sure what it is but when I'm playing with new partners I seem to play better than usual. Don't know why I didn't do this earlier, was always worried people thought its creepy to have some single pair up with them.. Met new people, had an awesome round and enjoyed the outdoors :D

Do you guys enjoy playing with strangers?

How long have you been playing?  It's about damn time you paired up!!!    A paired single is part of the game......there is nothing creepy about it.

[Strandly]

I think all but maybe one or two of my random pairings was pretty fun.  The starter stuck me with a husband and wife once and I think the husband wanted to stay a twosome, he was a standoff-ish prick the whole time.

[rcwkent]

Playing  as a single I've made 5 regular playing partners. There have been some duds I played with too. Even met a member

of a very nice private club and later he invited me to play with him there.

This is my first full season of playing in years and I now prefer playing with guys I've randomly met on the courses to

my own buddies who coaxed out there to begin with!

I still go out as a single 75% of the time.

[Royster1984]

One of my fav things about golf is the social side to the game. Meeting and playing with new people is great and the majority of the people in golf seem to be very friendly and open to meeting new people.

[saturday]

How long have you been playing?  It's about damn time you paired up!!!    A paired single is part of the game......there is nothing creepy about it.

I'm 29 and been golfing since I was 14 so it took me a while to golf on my own :P

[CR McDivot]

A full foursome is an unusual situation for me since my usual partners are only free on the weekend.

As a single or twosome we have been grouped with various groups and individuals, 99% of which have been very good company and fun to enjoy a round with.

The only exception I can recall was when I and another single were paired with a twosome midweek. The twosome seemed to have considered a couple of singles in the group as baggage, and after 3 holes skipped a hole to forge ahead. One commented to me that Bill (the other single) was too slow.

Yeah, Bill did take his time to consider each shot as it was his first full round of the season, but we (as a twosome) still completed 18 in under 4 hrs.

I think the reason the twosome charged ahead (never gaining more than half a hole) was that Bill is a black man.

May I say that I prefer to play with a gentleman such as Bill rather than the uncouth twosome we had been paired with!