After work (weekday) league night woes

[dave s]

Compared to weekend golf, which is relaxing and whenever I feel like scheduling rounds, weekday after work league night golf is wearing on me.  Once I get there, it's great.  I really don't care what I shoot--it's more about the company of long-standing friends, catching up, drinking a couple beers, grabbing something to eat afterwards or just sitting on the club's patio talking nonsense over one last beer.

The downside is the stress of working all day, scheduling stuff around leaving my home office an hour early to fight traffic jams all the way to the golf course.  By the time I get there, the stress level is a 9 on the 0-10 meter.  The golf course is 15 miles from my home but takes 30 minutes on a smooth Thursday afternoon, usually 45 minutes or more due to traffic, wrecks, construction, etc.

Depending on where my partner and I are on the tee sheet that evening, I could tee off anywhere from 5:00 to about 5:45.  If you're in the last couple of groups, you're certain to still be out there at 8:45 pm.  If you go off in the first couple of groups, the round moves a bit more quickly.  It takes me 3-4 holes (and at least ONE beer) to unwind mentally and loosen up physically.  By then, I'm already +5 or more, (see why I don't care what I shoot?!!!) then the slow pace takes care of the rest of the round.

Started off this season with four 9-hole rounds of 44.  Since then, it's been one 41 and the rest crap.  We're on our 9th league round this Thursday.  Notice I live in NE Ohio and we played all of April and May in cold, this-is-NOT-golf weather.  The course moved our league start day up because it hosts an early HS tournament Labor Day weekend.  So the Thursday BEFORE Labor Day is our last league round, now.

The guys who organize our league are great.  We pretty much roll with what the course dictates because the place is 95% as nice as Firestone CC.  The league has grown from 24 to 40 guys recently.  I've come to the personal conclusion that 40 is too many for a weeknight league to operate efficiently.  We all hang around 9 or 18 green until the last group finishes.  Except for June - August, the last groups are finishing up in dusk to dark conditions.  League night is now a 7 hour deal of which actual 'golf time' is 1 hour 45 minutes of the evening.

Pretty sure I'll bug out after this season.  Love the guys we play with, but the stress factor is making league night more like work than fun anymore.

dave

[dchoye]

Join new club and sign up to the  weekly league to play with and get to know some of the guys.  So far it's two weeks into it . I didn't have a partner and it happens they need one more group to make it even pair so everyone gets to play weekly. So either the Head Pro and assistant Pro has been my partner.  It's been a blast as they have game and carrying our team 

Edited May 31, 2016 by dchoye

[dennyjones]

Last year when I played in a league, we were 10 minutes from work and didn't tee off until 1 hour from the end of the shift.   It was nice to unwind, relax, warm up the golf swing and practice some putting before playing.   The league was a hack league which, like yours, enjoyed the beer.  If I would have had to drive 1 hour after work, I don't think I would have played.   

Since I have retired, I still don't play in a league, I just play whenever I choose.  I do miss the comraderey though.

[dchoye]

Update on my league . I been liking it, maybe cause its first year I join but I been looking forward to it every week.

The comraderey been friendly and competitive and I really haven't meet anyone I would not play with again.

Its not a absolute must that I play every week , we have spares that are willing to replace us in the league.

Also my game has been getting better each week I played rather than playing alone or with regular playing buddies

 

Edited June 23, 2016 by dchoye