Anyone play worse when they are on their own?

rudebhoy

rudebhoy

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Just noticed a strange pattern.

Played 9 holes ten days ago with my regular partner. I played the best golf I have ever done, was only 9 over after 8 holes, made a mess of the par 3 9th and took a 6, but still got my best score ever (47).

Played myself 2 days later and was rubbish, scored 55 with some really bad shots.

Played earlier this week with my mate at a new course as ours was shut. Played really well again, hit a lot of good shots, and would have broken 50 easily if it wasn't for some poor putting.

Went out myself this afternoon as our place was open again, was very mediocre / inconsistent. Scrambled a 51 but all in all was very disappointed with how I played.

Am wondering if I am thinking about my shots too much without having a playing partner to distract me.
 
Yeah happens to me a lot. I find if I'm with a friend or playing partner I think less about the game and am more relaxed.

I put to much pressure on myself when I'm on my own.
 
I sometimes play 9 holes for practice in the evening. I cheat a little bit by playing another ball if I hit a particularly bad shot, and practice chipping around the greens if I am not holding anybody up, but by and large I probably play a bit better. I don't keep a score or take too much care with my putts though. :)
 
I really like playing on my own, actually, especially on a summer's evening when I have the course more or less to myself (found out that our fairway sprinklers come on at 9.30 pm, though ... damn that's a lot of water ;) ) Would not say I play any better or worse than when I am playing with people I like. Sometimes competitiveness can kick in and make me better when I play with others, but it can also work the other way round and I put too much pressure on myself. Playing on my own feels pretty much like the "neutral" setting.

What puts me off most is playing with someone who is having a real bad day and who gets more and more annoyed with the round. I think that subconsciously gets me to play worse myself, almost as if I don't want to make things worse for him/her..
 
rudebhoy said:
So, first of all you refuse to play with anyone with a higher handicap than you, now refuse to play on your own? Think you might have taken up the wrong game ....
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No I don't like playing with high handicap players & that is my choice & it has never caused me any issues at all plus I don't see the point in playing alone where is the enjoyment in that?

Can you explain why you think I have taken up the wrong game, to my knowledge there are no competitions at all for playing on your own, who can you beat there
 
Like Capella said, quite nice to have a wander round on your own in the summer. Throw a couple balls down and try a few different shots.
 
rudebhoy said:
Just noticed a strange pattern.

Played 9 holes ten days ago with my regular partner. I played the best golf I have ever done, was only 9 over after 8 holes, made a mess of the par 3 9th and took a 6, but still got my best score ever (47).

Played myself 2 days later and was rubbish, scored 55 with some really bad shots.
If you shot your best ever score in your last outing, you were pretty much guaranteed to play worse next time out

Played earlier this week with my mate at a new course as ours was shut. Played really well again, hit a lot of good shots, and would have broken 50 easily if it wasn't for some poor putting.
This may sound harsh, but putting is as important as everything else, you might have broken 50 with better putting, but you didn't

Went out myself this afternoon as our place was open again, was very mediocre / inconsistent. Scrambled a 51 but all in all was very disappointed with how I played.
51 is only 4 off your PB so doing it playing "badly" is actually good. You will find over the course of your golfing life that you will have to scramble well to score well. I don't think I've ever scored well without scrambling well.

Am wondering if I am thinking about my shots too much without having a playing partner to distract me.
It's nothing to do with that, it's just golf. If your bad rounds are only 4 worse than you best ones, then you have nothing to worry about.
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Comments in line
 
There's a difference between practicing and playing but purposely going for a game yourself! Do some folk actually play out and keep a score? Extreme and lonely maybe mean the same thing.
 
I tend to use solo games for practice and the scores are largely irrelevant. Anytime I play in company I'll try and play as well as I can. Solo golf has a place in my golf especially if I want time to think about life and the universe or simply enjoy a few holes and the surroundings
 
HankMarvin said:
No I don't like playing with high handicap players & that is my choice & it has never caused me any issues at all plus I don't see the point in playing alone where is the enjoyment in that?

Can you explain why you think I have taken up the wrong game, to my knowledge there are no competitions at all for playing on your own, who can you beat there
Click to expand...

I refuse to believe you aren't on the wind up.
 
I play on my own pretty regular. Some il class as practise rounds, some il go out with a card in my hand and every shot counts. I enjoy playing golf full stop. So whether that be on my own, or with playing partners it doesn't make a great deal of difference to me. Iv played some of my best golf out on my own. Can see why some people don't like it. But for someone with a busy work/family life, getting out there is a privelige in itself. The conpany plays second fiddle to the game itself, for me anyway. I play probably once a week on my own and then twice a week with PP's.
 
HankMarvin said:
No I don't like playing with high handicap players & that is my choice & it has never caused me any issues at all plus I don't see the point in playing alone where is the enjoyment in that?

Can you explain why you think I have taken up the wrong game, to my knowledge there are no competitions at all for playing on your own, who can you beat there
Click to expand...

The thing I love about golf, is that you are ALWAYS competing against yourself. If I'm playing alone or with mates or society. My handicap is my target to beat. So, to answer your question. I can beat myself......
 
I find that when I am on my own I only concentrate on my weaknesses, and therefore don't take enough time on the shots I am normally reasonable at. It's very difficult to get in the right state of mind when you can't make a fool out of yourself
 
Looks like you play at the same course as me, what was it like after all the rain and ice?

i enjoy playing on my own but never putt well.
 
HankMarvin said:
No I don't like playing with high handicap players & that is my choice & it has never caused me any issues at all plus I don't see the point in playing alone where is the enjoyment in that?

Can you explain why you think I have taken up the wrong game, to my knowledge there are no competitions at all for playing on your own, who can you beat there
Click to expand...

Just imagine if you relaxed your elitist attitude about playing with higher handicapped players how many scalps you would have.
 
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