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Random Pairings - Success Stories!

TheHeez

TheHeez

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I'm sure we can all list of a myriad of times where your random pairing has gone absolutely terrible. But what about those elusive successes where your random pairing goes great or perhaps, better than great? Tell me about your Ws. Bonus points if your random pairing led to something epic!

I bring this up because yesterday, inexplicably my group of three was paired with a fellow and his wife. We were all walking and it was a hot day, we teed off at 7a but it was 90 degrees by the end. Guy is a good golfer and probably shoots mid 80s from a tee box forward of us, wife maxes out at 100 yards & I thought it was going to be a long day. We finished in 4 hours and were riding the threesome (with individual carts) all day long!! The wife kept pace, was super nice and when she started to tire, she just picked up and moved on.

My greatest story is from a number of years back. Random pairing behind us as we waited on the first tee. Invited them to join us and had a great day playing. Both are now good friends and one is my tournament partner and the one person I've played the most golf with over the last 8 years. Truly one of my best friends.
 
have had more good than bad, but the 2 highlights are:

3 years ago, buddy and I went out as just a 2 some, got paired with a single. He was close to our age, great guy and we exchanged numbers. He had just moved to the area from the east coast and has become a friend that we play with more weekends than not and joined the same golf club we are members at (not course, just a club that puts on tournaments and what not).

then last fall, same buddy and I get paired with a guy, he is a little younger than us (10 years younger than me) but another great guy who moved up from San Diego and now I play with him every weekend and he also joined our club.

Random pairings have led to 2 pretty damn good friends.
 
@troyefl came to Tallahassee for a game and we played my old course and got paired with a couple women. We were thinking, "Oh great, this is gonna be a long day." He blasts one left off the first tee, I fan one off to the right, the two ladies put each of theirs down the middle and probably drove off thinking, "Oh great, this is gonna be a long day." They weren't long hitters by any stretch of the imagination, but they were straight and consistent. Nice as you could be and we all had a great time. Despite the first tee flailings, Troy and I may have been able to eek it out on 18 for the win, had we actually been keeping score.
 
I was at my home course at the time, guy was walking and I caught him on the second hole as he was waiting to play thru a 4 some. Offered him a ride and had a great round that day and the next. I have been golfing with him at least once a month now for almost 4 years.
 
I had taken a week off work and went out to play on a Monday morning at a nice public course. I was a single and they paired me with a couple of guys who were late I guess and when another twosome headed to the tee I asked if I could join and they said okay. Make introductions and seem like nice guys. In their 60s probably, good players, can tell they play a lot. They didn't do anything spectacular, but kept the ball in front of them, made some pars, and played pretty fast. The best part was, they just didn't give a crap about what was going on. They had perfect golf etiquette, but played ready golf the whole way around. I'm not much of a talker and they left me alone for the most part but we had some chances to chat when we were waiting. They were actually both members at a private club but the course was closed that day and they just wanted to play.

Towards the end of the round I realized how nice it was to play with these two guys. For me, just an enjoyable day basically playing by myself, but with two others to exchange some words on the tee box and green. I did my thing, they did their thing, and when we would meet on the tee or green, was like we were old friends. Have always kicked myself for not exchanging numbers with them. I'd gladly play with them anywhere, anytime.
 
We don't have many courses in my immediate area where this would be an issue, but I remember about 10 years my brother and I got paired with a couple of older gentlemen in their mid 60's. They proceeded to not miss a single fairway all day as my brother and I were spraying balls all over the course.

We apologized profusely for this, but the guys were great and said it was no problem. They just loved being outdoors and we were keeping them from having to go back to their wives...this was a good thing, LOL.

Then finally on the last hole one of the guys grabbed my club and proceeded to hit it straight down the fairway. Handed it back to me and said, at least you know now it isn't the club. He gave me a few pointers and I piped my drive down the fairway. I was blown away and the tips he gave me I still use to this day.

Nothing epic - but it a positive experience. In some ways I embrace getting paired with random people now.
 
A month or so ago, a guy got added to my and my dad's tee time. I was frustrated at first but the guy ends up being a super nice older guy in his 70s. He still puts the ball out there over 220 easily with driver. I sort of love that he plays in Keen shoes! :cool: He exchanged #s with my dad. We've played with him a couple times since.
 
I was playing in BC and had given the course a heads up that I would be arriving around a certain time as a single and that I understood they would slot me in with a group that had an opening. I arrived well earlier than I expected and they sent me down to the range and the starter. He gave me an option - I could join up with three members and go off shortly or wait and join up with a couple closer to the original time I had anticipated. I chose to join with the members, mostly because they would know the course.

Needless to say, the next four and a half hours felt like we had known each other for years. They gave me advice on how to play certain holes, told me interesting facts about the area/course etc. I had to get back to the airport to pick up a couple coworkers who were flying in, but they wouldn't let me leave until I'd sat down a had a couple of drinks with them post-round.
 
I caught a group in front of me last week and played with them from 2-9. One of the old timers was an administrator at the school district that my dad went to. He remembered by dad and uncle (both deceased). He told me that he has outlived a number of his old students and was always amazed to be around still. I believe he was 78 and hit it on the fairway almost every shot.
 
Friend and I got paired a few weeks back with another twosome. Around our age, good ol’ dudes. Ended up being one of the most fun, enjoyable rounds in recent memory. Haven’t laughed that much during a round in a while. We all swapped numbers and plan on playing again soon.
 
Played a course in Myrtle Beach years ago when I first started playing. Got paired up with a couple guys from California. Looked like a couple grouchy old men and I was horrible so I expected a long, not so fun round. Boy was I wrong. They were a couple of the nicest guys I’ve met. They gave me some pointers when I was getting frustrated and made sure to remind me the game should be fun regardless of skill. One of them had been an Olympic swimmer in the 60’s. He had some interesting stories. It was a cool experience and helped me get over my fear of playing with random people
 
My regular Thursday and Friday groups all came about from random pairings. We all enjoy playing together and have a great time.
 
I was paired with 3 college guys this past weekend (I’m 44). Got to watch one of them card his first ace.
 
I play as a single paired up with random people just about every time I play. Out of the hundreds of times I’ve done it, I can count the bad experiences on one hand. But, despite me being a big personality, I keep myself very contained unless they start going beyond the general friendly chatter. I don‘t make myself that annoying stranger that tries wedging himself into conversations.
 
Played as a single and was playing pretty quick given how horrible I was shooting. Caught up to the group in front of me around hole 12, but I was only waiting a few minutes between shots so no biggie. I never saw the group in front of them. A couple holes later, they finish on the green and drive straight towards me. It’s a young man around my age and a gorgeous woman, they apologize for playing “slow” and say they have a group of high school walkers in front of them (I felt bad for the kids there are some long walks between holes and lots of hills). I told them it wasn’t a problem at all. They drove off and I finished the hole. By the time I drove to the next hole (Par 3) I see the walkers teeing off and the group in front me of waiting. I pull off way behind to give both groups space and the guy and girl ask if I want to join them. She pulls out a giant Chewbacca mask and starts Modeling and taking pictures on the tee box while Were waiting. I thought it was weird but funny. We crack jokes and have a good time. She does the same thing When we get on the green. We get to the next hole and she’s talking to her friend about how hard it has been to get her Instagram going and to find companies willing to work with her and her girlfriend because of their name. I ask what it is, she says “2Girls1Hole”. The guy jumps in and says it’s one of those pages where they hit golf balls out of each other’s butts and stuff like that. I instantly reply, “I knew that ass looked familiar!” We all started dying laughing. Still one of my favorite rounds even though I only played a few holes with them. Every once in a while I make the mistake and tell people I played with one of the girls from “2 Girls 1 Cup” by accident. That gets a strange reaction until I correct myself hahaha
 
Our SMGA has 215 members and on any given day 60 or more sign up for our weekly tournament. Fore some’s are random pairings to include an a, b, c and d player based on HC.
Last Wednesday I had the pleasure of being paired with one of our oldest active members. He told me on the first tee he was going to be 90 next month and his goal this year was to score his age but thought next month it would be easier.
He took at least 3 shots to reach the par 4’s but almost always got on in one on the par 3’s. Every shot was straight down the middle and he never 3 putted. I started calling him “steady Eddy “ about half way through and told him I want to be like him when I grow up.
BTW he shot 91 that day. Not bad considering he spent half of last year in the hospital not expecting to come back out.
 
I like random pairings. My game is good enough that I am quite comfortable golfing with strangers. I like meeting new people.

A few that stand out are the competitive rounds played with strangers. Nothing was actually said, we just knew we were going play our best against each other.

Another early memory that stands out was playing with a father, and his highschool daughter. We didn't plan it, it was just that our schedules meshed showing up to play. We probably played 4, or 5 rounds together.

The daughter was an excellent player, and even played from our men's tees with her father, and I. She beat us both everytime. Her name didn't mean much back then. In fact I mis pronounced her name the whole time as "indy". Years later, I realized my mistake with her name. It was Inbee, as in Inbee Park.

Playing with strangers has also been lucrative for me. Being a builder, I have met people while golfing who wanted things built. That put a little, extra coins in my pockets.

Golfed with some actor, who name escapes me at the moment. Iirc he wasn't very entertaining.

Yeah, I like golfing with new to me people.
 
The good experiences so far outweigh the bad ones, that mostly only the bad ones would stand out. And even then, nothing "horrible," just annoying.
Golfers are usually pretty good people.
 
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