Walk ons for One

[New Guy]

I'm still kinda new to the game and have mostly played with others but this upcoming spring I plan on getting out much more. If I walk on to a course will they let me play alone or will they pair me up with someone?

I'm not anti social but I think unless I'm out with friends I would prefer to be on my own so I can treat that time as practice and not chit-chatting with some stranger.

[neudi]

It depends, most of the time if they can pair you up they will b/c it opens up more times for them to make more money, the only time you won't be paired up is if there is no one around. Your best time to play alone would be first time int he morning before the first tee time or later at night.

[New Guy]

Thats pretty much what I figured, it makes sense for them to do that. I'll have to shoot for first thing in the morning and try to beat the rush.

Thanks

[Shindig]

Thats pretty much what I figured, it makes sense for them to do that. I'll have to shoot for first thing in the morning and try to beat the rush.

Or just play with whoever you're paired with, or don't be afraid of it at least. It isn't as bad as I thought it would be. You chat a bit, but if you're alone and they're a group, you're generally going to be on your own anyway.

[New Guy]

Or just play with whoever you're paired with, or don't be afraid of it at least. It isn't as bad as I thought it would be. You chat a bit, but if you're alone and they're a group, you're generally going to be on your own anyway.

I'm going to just wing it and see what happens, either way I need to get out more next year. I'm hoping for at least once or twice a week.

[flap]

One way to improve isi to play as a single with better players.You tend to lift your game when you play with better players.You live in Jersey so I think playing as a single in the summer will be Damn near impossible but you never know.I live on Long Island and if The Mrs and I get out as a Twosome we feel lucky.If you get out real early remember you are setting the pace for the day on that course and should move at an under 4 hour clip.

[Shank!]

I am a frequent solo player and I have some suggestions on this. First off, you do need to be prepared to play with strangers as sometimes it is just unavoidable. As the others said, it's really not bad, and I have played rounds with a lot of interesting people and learned a lot this way. It can be intimidating at first, but even the really good players hit bad shots and as long as you are keeping pace people don't care much about your ability.

That being said, I prefer to play alone sometimes and here are some tips to doing it.
1) hopefully you have a few course options in a smallish area. Being flexible about where you play will help. When your first choice course is too busy it's nice to drive on to another nearby option.

2) You need these courses to have online tee time booking. You are not actually going to be booking tee times for one(a sure fire way to get paired up with others incidentally). Searching the available online tee times on the day you want to play will reveal when the course is booked heavily and when its open. Search as if you are booking a foursome (otherwise sometimes the online systems are designed to autamatically pair you with others.) If you notice that there are several tee times in a row available to you at a certain time of day, then that is the time to show up. Weekdays mid day are great times. The old folks will always have the earliest times jam packed, and you want to get out before the after work/school rush in the afternoon. Weekends are tricky but i have found late'ish afternoon on Sundays to be good in my area. The key is that you search ON the day you are going to play, the closer to the time you want to play the better. Some booking systems wont show you anything sooner than an hour away. Obviously none of this works if there is still time for the course to get booked.

3)If there are no times booked between 1:10 and 1:50 for example, you want to try to get on toward the later part of that. The reason is that even if you are not a fast player, you as a single will be much faster than an average group. You don't want to run into the mobs ahead of you too quickly and end up having to play through, which now puts a group directly behind you.
If at any point you do get a group behind you, KEEP PACE, and be willing to be absorbed into the group ahead of you or behind you if there is room. Never make a group wait unless you are waiting and nothing can be done about it. If it is clear behind you but you finding yourself waiting on the group ahead, you need to slow down. Drop extra balls, practice your putts, and enjoy your practice time.

[doublesuited77]

I am a frequent solo player and I have some suggestions on this. First off, you do need to be prepared to play with strangers as sometimes it is just unavoidable. As the others said, it's really not bad, and I have played rounds with a lot of interesting people and learned a lot this way. It can be intimidating at first, but even the really good players hit bad shots and as long as you are keeping pace people don't care much about your ability.

great post. the only thing i would add is that as you get to know the starters at courses, if they know you like to play alone, they will help you out. (or at least make sure not to pair you with jerks). Also, if you tip them, they will be much more helpful to you.

[UWSig]

I actually really like walking on solo and getting paired up with people. When I relocated I did it all the time, and was how I met some of my best friends. It can be intimidating at first but you'd be surprised how much friendlier people are on the golf course than in real life.

[keb]

I live several blocks from the public golf course and purchased a season ticket. On weekends I often run out to the course earlier and play the back nine by myself. I can get home before most of my family is even up. Great way to start the day.

[packerfan1]

I walk on solo all of the time.

Most times if you are paired up, the other player is not even paying attention to your game, they are worried about THEIR game. Same as you should be.

I have had some great rounds walking onto a course in the evening and pairing up with someone else. Usually if it isn't busy you can play alone, otherwise if their are others around you will be paired up.

Met some real characters, some great people, and only had one experience that I would call 'bad' and even that is a stretch. Guy thought he was God's gift to golf teaching and constantly gave me swing advice every hole (which I ignored)...but he still was an Ok guy to play a round with on the course.