Joining strangers on the course: I get it now

[RickK]

I have gone out as single many times and I always ask in the pro shop if there is anyone they know of I can go out with.  I prefer not to play alone.  Sometimes they are helpful, sometimes not.  I am not bashful, I will just flat ask another single, 2some, or 3some if I can join them.  All they can say is NO.  As far as bad experiences, I have had a few but over 40 years they are very few and far between.

I had an interesting situation arise one year on vacation.  I was in Vail Colorado and went to Vail Golf Club.  Checked in at the pro shop and the guy in the shop told me to talk to the starter about getting paired up so I did.  The starter asked me what my handicap was (7 at the time) and then told me to go putt and he would find me a game.  Well, sure enough, he calls me and says there is a 3some going off and I should have a good time with them.  

I walk up, introduce myself, and immediately this one guy looks at me and says, "We are playing the tips".  I just told him I was ok with that.  It took about 3 holes for them (especially the guy who told me about playing the tips) to loosen up.  I made par on the first 3 holes and suddenly these guys were all ok.  Turns out they were all 3 bartenders and played golf regularly together.  They invited me back so I played golf with them 3 more times while there and enjoyed it thoroughly.

What really amazed me more was the starter remembered my name the next day and the day after.  It was a great trip to Vail.  

 

[Bill926]

I play as a single pretty often, usually 9 holes in the evening.  I don't mind joining other groups if i'm asked.  It's a little awkward though joining a threesome, especially if were riding.  One time I went out with this younger guy maybe early 20's and he had just started golfing.  He started off taking multiple mulligans, looking long for lost balls, etc.  After his mulligan on 2 went into the woods, I told him I was going to play my ball and go on by myself. He said whatever man, go ahead, a little upset I could tell.  

[mcanadiens]

On 6/18/2016 at 11:38 PM, RickK said:

I have gone out as single many times and I always ask in the pro shop if there is anyone they know of I can go out with.  I prefer not to play alone.  Sometimes they are helpful, sometimes not.  I am not bashful, I will just flat ask another single, 2some, or 3some if I can join them.  All they can say is NO.  As far as bad experiences, I have had a few but over 40 years they are very few and far between.

I had an interesting situation arise one year on vacation.  I was in Vail Colorado and went to Vail Golf Club.  Checked in at the pro shop and the guy in the shop told me to talk to the starter about getting paired up so I did.  The starter asked me what my handicap was (7 at the time) and then told me to go putt and he would find me a game.  Well, sure enough, he calls me and says there is a 3some going off and I should have a good time with them.  

I walk up, introduce myself, and immediately this one guy looks at me and says, "We are playing the tips".  I just told him I was ok with that.  It took about 3 holes for them (especially the guy who told me about playing the tips) to loosen up.  I made par on the first 3 holes and suddenly these guys were all ok.  Turns out they were all 3 bartenders and played golf regularly together.  They invited me back so I played golf with them 3 more times while there and enjoyed it thoroughly.

What really amazed me more was the starter remembered my name the next day and the day after.  It was a great trip to Vail.  

 

A great starter can make a lot of difference in those situations. Makes me wish we had more of them at the courses I play. 

[Yukari]

I play as a single majority of times because my buddies don't have a flexible schedule as I do. 

Almost always get paired up with others and I have enjoyed 99% of the time. Very rarely do I see someone who is obnoxious. 

It's a great playing with strangers and get to know them throughout the round. 

[jetsknicks1]

20 minutes ago, mcanadiens said:

A great starter can make a lot of difference in those situations. Makes me wish we had more of them at the courses I play. 

This^^^. A couple weeks ago my son and I went out as a twosome and the starter had everything screwed up. We were the third group off and the way the starter sent everyone out were groups of 4, 3, 2, 2, 2, and a 4, what a mess that was. After 3 holes of waiting on every shot, we invited the twosome behind us to join up. Sometimes starters do a terrible job.

[ghalfaire]

I have played for a lot of years now and been "paired up" many many times and don't remember a single incident where it was an unpleasant experience.  Maybe just lucky but I agree with earlier comments about 99% of golfers are good people just trying to enjoy the game.

[Pworld]

This happens to me, when its people older than me (35). 

They are very friendly, and seem to not take things so serious. Very comfortable in their game good or bad. And have some jokes, and positive energy towards the "young fella"

[oldmanrage]

A buddy and I played as a twosome in July. The starter had the twosome behind us tee off while we were still in the fairway, and they were on us constantly for the first 3 holes (we were walking, although we were keeping up with the foursome in carts ahead of us). On a par 3 they caught us on the tee, and we asked if they wanted to join us instead of riding us, and they said they'd rather play through. So we let them, and then we were on them for the rest of the front 9. Then we didn't see them for a while, and the starter told us they quit because it was too slow. We finished under 4 hours, so I'm not sure what they were expecting.

[David L Yskes]

when i got back into golf in 2013.... the course i played at was usually dead during the week ( college course ) so a lot of the time i played solo and usually played 2 or 3 balls, trying them out...   but if someone was ahead of me or starting at the same time as me, i would ask if i could just play along with them, and usually got told no.... so i just stopped asking unless someone in their group spoke up...    

now every time i've gone to visit my brother in Livonia, Mi the courses we've played always had a starter and would pair up people, and i dont think we've ever had a bad time.... first time we played with two older guys, and wow they could hit the hell out of the ball...  one guy played a old big bertha driver,, yet crushed it a good 280+  all day long.     

two years ago one of the courses we played, we got paired up with two guys our age, and one guy played about the same as me at the time,,, and another played about a single digit.. and low n behold my brother ended up having the round of his life, shooting a 81.. to the other guy's 79...      

now i am fortunate that when i play, i am going out with my dad on a weekly basis.. and we walk 9 holes... which makes for a good time

[boogielicious]

5 hours ago, David L Yskes said:

when i got back into golf in 2013.... the course i played at was usually dead during the week ( college course ) so a lot of the time i played solo and usually played 2 or 3 balls, trying them out...   but if someone was ahead of me or starting at the same time as me, i would ask if i could just play along with them, and usually got told no.... so i just stopped asking unless someone in their group spoke up...    

now every time i've gone to visit my brother in Livonia, Mi the courses we've played always had a starter and would pair up people, and i dont think we've ever had a bad time.... first time we played with two older guys, and wow they could hit the hell out of the ball...  one guy played a old big bertha driver,, yet crushed it a good 280+  all day long.     

two years ago one of the courses we played, we got paired up with two guys our age, and one guy played about the same as me at the time,,, and another played about a single digit.. and low n behold my brother ended up having the round of his life, shooting a 81.. to the other guy's 79...      

now i am fortunate that when i play, i am going out with my dad on a weekly basis.. and we walk 9 holes... which makes for a good time

I always ask. If a single is behind us, I ask them too. If they don't want to join, I'm fine with that. Sometimes folks just want solitude when playing, which is fine.

[krupa]

As a quick follow-up to my original post.  I've been golfing somewhat regularly with one of the two guys I met that first day.  We're both members (I recently got a membership) and are at the course a lot so we frequently bump into each other and continue playing together.