Usual Playing Partners

PowerThrust

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 12, 2019
Messages
637
Reaction score
524
Location
Warner Robins, GA
Handicap
4
What's the opinions out there on your normal group you play with?

Like many here, in used to play allot and was pretty good, then life and career happens. Next thing you know 20 years have passed and I hadn't played much.

Some friends of mine, shooting mid to high 80s , where I generally shoot mid to high 70's when I found the time to play with them, finally got me back to playing regularly twice a week, pretty much with just them. Now that time has caught up with me and some of the skills have diminished, I generally shoot high 70's. We have a blast, play for dollar dots, I give strokes, drink some beers and it's a great time... But I'm not really improving over the last year and a half, which brings me to my question.

Have you found that you generally play to your "competition", or do you mix it up, trying to play with "better" players, to help elevate your game?

As I write this, I think I know the answer to my own question, where it's all about what I personally want out of my game and the time I spend with the buds...

Thanks in advance!

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk
 
Oh it depends? It’s different every round.

Sometimes I can go out and put the pressure on the better players, sometimes I get steamrolled

When I player higher handicaps, same story.

When I keep it laid back and loose, that is usually when I play my best.

I also play better when the pace is faster
 
I usually play by myself and feel like I compete more with my own mind than a person lol

When I do out with the guys I really just have fun and while I am extremely competitive, I really do not feel like they elevate my game or do I feel any extra pressure to perform
 
I can go both ways, but generally play better against guys who are better than me.
 
I don't have any friends that play regularly, so most of my rounds are joining another group as a single or playing alone.
 
I generally play about the same no matter who I play with. A couple of days a week I usually play in a money game where most of the guys are at least 15 years younger than me and hit the ball much further than I do. I used to try to get extra out of my drives to try to keep up. That typically lead to very poor results. 4 or 5 years ago I left that notion behind and just decided to play my game.
 
I mix it up a lot. I have a club I belong to that has about 100 of us that play competitively and for fun. Another group of about a dozen guys that get together once a month. An informal group of about 80 golfers where a couple of guys set up something 2-3 times a month and those that can get together and play. All those groups have a mix of players of different abilities. I also get out as a single 3-4 times a month. A few times I've even been asked by the pro shop to take out a group of beginners. They know I'll make sure they have a good time, make sure they keep the pace of play and help them learn the basics of what they need to do when they are on the course.
 
Going against the grain of my usual content, I will give a thoughtful answer.

Most of the time, I'm playing with people who are better than me. The effect of their game usually has not elevated mine a noticeable level. Now, the people themselves are the real device that may make me play a bit of a more focused game. All my regular foursome buddies are better than me, but it's still a real loosey-goosey vibe. My pop-in-law is better than me, but our relationship, while still fun and comfortable, causes a bit more of a focused game. My brother makes me play a bit more focused as does my brother-in-law.

If I get paired up with good players, I reflect their game a bit more. Less goofing around, and a bit more grinding. But, good players are usually more focused and grinding themselves.
 
I met my 3 best friends on the golf course when I was 15-16. I played with them and a couple of other friends for the last 23-24 yrs. one of them died of brain cancer June of last yr. I still play with the 2 left monthly. Our game has gotten worse over the yrs due to family and work. We were scratch golfers, now we shoot high70’s-mid 80’s depending on the amount of time we have been able to commit to the sport. I think we drive each other to play better, because we are so competitive. If I lose to them, I’ll be practicing every day or so until I get my issues worked out. They do the same. If I play with other folks, I could care less what I shoot.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I don't have a usual group since I golf with about 10-12 different friends.

The friend I played with last Sunday shot 120. Didn't bother me one bit or cause me to struggle at any point during the round.

I play with a Golfer who breaks 80 and one time flirted with breaking 70. I'll admit that early in the round I tried to stay stroke for stroke with him but again it isn't really a big deal. I like to be the low round in my foursome when I golf but I'm not losing any sleep if I don't.

Playing once a week and seeing friends I don't see much unless it's on the golf course is really what it comes down to. Have fun like you do with the dots, beers, and laughs.

I guess if you wanted to play with better competition perhaps a Member-Guest tourney or do a 9-hole competitive league during the week?
 
Most of my worst rounds are with my "regular" playing partners. I am really not sure why that is but I just don't play well when with my boys. Maybe I try to hard, think to much, get to distracted, heck it could be all the above but my scores suffer and usually quite a bit when out with the guys. I think they don't believe I am capable of shooting the scores I seem to shoot when they aren't around at this point. Its weird though because there are usually flashes of absolute brilliance a couple times during a round with them but there is also a lot of some part of my game just flat out does not work when with them. Yesterday for example, I was money with the putter all day and hit some unbelievable irons from terrible lies. The problem was I had terrible lies because I could not get off the tee box all day long. It was dumb to the point that even on par 3s I could not get off the tee box reasonable but would hit good irons everywhere else. I finally piped a long drive on 18 and I think mostly just because I was so ticked and done with it I just didn't care. Of course the comment was immediately, why haven't you done that all day? I don't freaking know if I did know then my score would be a heck of a lot better haha
 
Playing with low cappers absolutely drives me to play better.
Playing with long ballers absolutely has me getting the ball out there better.

But on average I'd say my world is my world. I've shot plenty under with a 20+ cap in the cart and we had a blast all day.
 
Once per week I usually play in local skins games at one of three courses, number of players ranging from 8 to about 30.
Once per six weeks or so I play with a golf buddy of mine who formerly owned a golf store but he has changed careers and now only plays a dozen or so rounds per year.
This coming weekend I am travelling up to Carson City, Nevada and a friend and will play 18 Friday afternoon, 36 on Saturday ,and 18 Sunday morning. It should be alot of fun :)
 
I play my best in this order:

Alone
With my buddies
Tournaments

When I am alone, I can get around my home course in 1:30-1:45 (assuming no one else is out) and shoot low 90s, right near my handicap.

With my buddies, I tend to shoot mid 90s, always giving away an extra stroke or two per round, for no good reason.

In Tournament play, I have broken 100, once, two weeks ago. (Mental case issues)
 
I play with an extreme range of golfers. My Uncle can shoot 120 and a friend can shoot 65.

I never really worry about how anyone else is playing. It's always me against the course.

The only time it's different is in a match play situation.
 
I've got a group of 3 buddies that I usually play with and we go out as a foursome a couple of times a week. Sometimes we get a few more golfers and split into threesomes. We all play about the same, and we enjoy the friendship, bantering, and always root for each other to play their best.
 
I play 9 holes once a week with a group of guys.

By group of guys its like 30 people. It's almost like a little mini golf league. We have a huge email list and people just check in if they plan on playing. Its really all skill levels and the guy who first started the group keeps the handicaps of everyone. We mix it up into teams and the craziness and betting is fun. I would play with anyone of them any day. The group plays monday, wednesday, and friday and I usually catch them on fridays.

They are all ages too which is cool. Nothing like watching an 80 year old beat young bucks like myself lol.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk
 
How much are you playing for? If it doesn’t have at least 2 commas, who cares? I play with guys I give 14 strokes each. They haven’t had a sniff of winning in 20+ years. It’s about being out and having fun at each other’s expense. Now, I take it a *bit* more seriously then they do and maybe play a few more rounds as a single to keep my game in shape, but they don’t care if I win by 3 or 13. We had never exchanged a dollar until our recent Ocean City trip just to get them to bear down a bit and spice things up. I think I made 12 bucks over 3 rounds. It went into the drink kitty at the bar. Yes, I sometimes get a bit complacent at times knowing I don’t have to try very hard, but I realize I’m doing it and buckle down again. As a single with strangers I’m usually 3-4 strokes better because I’m not thinking of insults aimed at my buddies.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
We play with a group of senior golfers, 12-20 on any given day. We get teamed up randomly. I seem to do better when playing with better players. Maybe I just get better reads on the greens.
 
Back
Top