Tee Time for One: Tips for Playing a Round by Yourself
Many women golfers, especially beginning their golf journey, claim that playing a 9 or 18 hole round alone from time to time feels incredibly freeing. One woman called it, “Pure joy!” Golf is a social sport and although you play by yourself for you own individual score, the game is designed to be played with a partner or as a foursome.
So why is it that playing alone feels so amazing to some?
My hypothesis: without the nerves of “what other people think of you,” you free up the mental capacity to truly focus on your routines, your swing and you can truly be in your body vs in your head.
It is really common to let nerves get the best of you when playing golf with others. Even when practicing at the driving range during my first couple seasons, I remember feeling so self-conscious. If I even suspected someone else’s eyes were on me, that flustered me so much that I just couldn’t hit the ball well.
So here are a few helpful tips if you choose to make a tee time for one:
It may be very difficult to keep your tee time for one. Meaning, at any time the golf course can and will pair you up or combine you with a group of 3. So be prepared that you may not be able to have that solo round any time you want. You’re best chances are:
Very late in the day tee times or the last tee time
On the shoulders of the season (very early in season like March or April her in Cincy, or very late in the season like October or November here in Cincy)
Days when the weather is not so nice.
If you don’t know for sure when the tee sheets are most empty at your local course, call ahead and talk to the pro shop and ask. They know when it’s busy, and when it’s not.
This is a good opportunity to be playful with your pre-shot and pre-putt routines. Maybe you want to try a new waggle in your pre-shot routine. Or maybe you try something new on the putting green like walk the green to feel the slope with your feet instead of just using your eyes. You don’t have to worry about anyone noticing you trying these things, or having any opinions about it.
It is a good opportunity to try out new technology - like a golf watch or a range finder. Get used to using your tech on the course solo before weaving the use of your fun new toy into your normal round routines.
As always, be mindful of your pace of play. Don’t worry too much about the group being you. For pace of play, the primary thing you have to worry about is: you need to keep up with the group in front of you.
Some drawbacks of playing alone are:
You won’t have anyone to help you find your ball. So pack a few extra and let go of your ego if you can’t find your ball quickly, just move on.
You can’t put your score in to the official handicap system because there was no witness - so it doesn’t matter if you play a career round, haha.
Lastly, you don’t have anyone to share the highs and the lows of the round with you. It gets boring after a while. In my first 3 seasons, I liked playing alone a few times each season, but now I find it really boring. I enjoy having company, even if it’s strangers, to chit chat with along the course. I love having someone there to cheer me on when I do something awesome, and I appreciate the empathy extended to me by playing partners when things don’t go my way.
Hopefully this helps you decide if playing a solo round is something you’d like to try for yourself, and if so you have a few tips to guide you.
Have you ever played solo? Do you enjoy it, or is it not for you? Let me know in the comments.
