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Friend canceled -- go anyway?

Go play. You've already played a couple of holes with an instructor. You probably already have an idea of how far your clubs hit the ball... use that and build upon it in the course. Have fun!
 
I am going to take a bit of a different approach.

If you're quite familiar with the rules of golf, and understand that pace of play can be adhered to by any skill level, I say go and let the guys know you're just starting, but will do everything you can to keep up and respect them while they are hitting.

On the other side, this is their opportunity to enjoy the game. If you're new to golf AND to the rules, I'd strongly encourage you find someone you're familiar with who can take you on the course and help you both with the skill aspect of golf as well as the etiquette side.

I'm not trying to be a bummer, I just think it's important to be considerate of your fellow golfers. I've had great experiences with first time golfers who are cognizant of the rules and etiquette of the game, and I've had absolutely horrendous experiences with people who are oblivious to the simple common courtesies of play -- And I couldn't even be mad at them because they simply didn't know what was appropriate while I was playing my ball.

I think it's awesome you're getting into golf, and I hope your journey is an extremely enjoyable one -- I just encourage you to understand the rules and relatively simple considerations of the game before you step on the course with people you aren't familiar with (if you haven't already). The USGA app does a fairly nice job of clarifying simple nuances, but a quick google search could yield even better.
 
I have to agree with Canadan on this one. At the same time I hope you enjoy playing the game and decide to continue playing.
 
Go and don't keep score. If you hit into a bad spot or hit it 5 ft, go move it up to where one of the other guys are hitting. Enjoy it.
 
Canadan said:
I am going to take a bit of a different approach.

If you're quite familiar with the rules of golf, and understand that pace of play can be adhered to by any skill level, I say go and let the guys know you're just starting, but will do everything you can to keep up and respect them while they are hitting.

On the other side, this is their opportunity to enjoy the game. If you're new to golf AND to the rules, I'd strongly encourage you find someone you're familiar with who can take you on the course and help you both with the skill aspect of golf as well as the etiquette side.

I'm not trying to be a bummer, I just think it's important to be considerate of your fellow golfers. I've had great experiences with first time golfers who are cognizant of the rules and etiquette of the game, and I've had absolutely horrendous experiences with people who are oblivious to the simple common courtesies of play -- And I couldn't even be mad at them because they simply didn't know what was appropriate while I was playing my ball.

I think it's awesome you're getting into golf, and I hope your journey is an extremely enjoyable one -- I just encourage you to understand the rules and relatively simple considerations of the game before you step on the course with people you aren't familiar with (if you haven't already). The USGA app does a fairly nice job of clarifying simple nuances, but a quick google search could yield even better.
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My instructor has emphasized etiquette. In fact, he made me read two books in between lessons 1 and 2.

I'm least up-to-date on golf cart etiquette as I prefer to walk to get maximum fitness benefit from golfing. If I go today, it will be in the cart, though as this course has rules about using a cart toward their end of the day.
 
Andy216 said:
My instructor has emphasized etiquette. In fact, he made me read two books in between lessons 1 and 2.

I'm least up-to-date on golf cart etiquette as I prefer to walk to get maximum fitness benefit from golfing. If I go today, it will be in the cart, though as this course has rules about using a cart toward their end of the day.
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That's awesome to hear!!
 
Canadan said:
That's awesome to hear!!
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Not to say I'm perfect! But I should be better than your average doofus in terms of knowing what's going on.
 
who knows, the people you play with could be first timers too.
 
wadesworld said:
Go do it. Just explain to whomever you're paired with it's your first round, but you won't slow them up because you'll pick up.

If at any point you feel like they're waiting on you, just pick the ball up, carry it to the green, drop it somewhere and putt. The important thing is to pick up early enough. If you're hitting your 5th shot on the hole and they're hitting their second, you've waited too long. Who cares if you only hit two shots before picking up and are not even halfway to the hole? You're still getting the chance to hit some shots, putt some and learn how to play the game.

Also, be sure to let them know you'd like them to point out any etiquette mistakes you make and pay attention if they do.

Finally, should you get unlucky and get a rare non-understanding group , don't let that color your opinion of golf or playing with strangers. Ninety-nine percent of my rounds with strangers are nothing but enjoyable. Just chalk it up to bad luck and try again.
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This^ If they know going in that you are seeking etiquitte input and won't be offended by their corrections, they can provide you a huge head start in learning etiquette.
 
Definitely go anyways. Enjoy the round and you never know you might finds some "golf buddies"
 
Absolutely, GO! I golf away from my home course at least once a week and sometimes go alone. I've met some of my good golfing buddies this way. Remember... it's about your game, not about your friend's or other golfers. Swing Your Swing, as the saying goes.
 
Head to the course - you never know who you might be paired up with. Besides, as a beginner, there are no expectations by the other people about how you are going to play, and they won't give you lip if you play bad (like your friend might).
 
Well I m sure by now you've already gone.

How did it go. I think Dawg Daddy and others have really solid advice.


Most people won't care how good or bad you are. They will only care that you don't slow down the group a ton.

Pick up if your sitting 7 in the fairway and everyone else is on the green. Tend the flag when you are out of a hole and don't spend 5 minutes looking for a lost ball ( even though the rules say it's ok) 5 minutes is a long time to watch someone walk around in weeds :)
 
I would have no problem being paired up with a guy like you after reading your posts in this thread. I would actually enjoy it. Too bad you don't live closer to SW MO... me and forum member Dadio would make sure you always had somebody to go out and play with, and neither of us have any illusions of turning pro soon so even bad performances end up being a good time.

I know it's late enough in Ohio that you have probably already made your decision about playing today, but I hope you decided to go do it.
 
Hope you had a great experience and got paired up with a couple of "good guy" golfers. The first time is always a milestone. Going forward I hope you find a couple of reliable buddies to play with. Golf is enjoyable as it is, when you are playing with friends it gets even better.

Welcome to "the club!"
 
go have fun
 
Grip it and rip it. Let the others know that your learning and don't hesitate to pick up your ball or play the most forward tees. Have fun be social and the others shouldn't have any problem with it.
 
Hope you got out there and had a good time. Let us know how it went!
 
I did, indeed, go out yesterday.

The starter was going to pair me with a guy who was in town on business from San Francisco. He seemed really nice. When I told him this was my first time on a course, he said he was hoping to get through the round pretty fast and he'd just play ahead. So I was out on my own.

Just behind me was a twosome that were part of a league. They teed off right behind me and I offered to let them play through or join me as they were obviously much better. (As I stepped off the green, tapping in my putt on my sixth hit on a par four, they drove their first ball just shy of the green.) They opted to play through. I felt a little anxious and rough having someone pass me already on hole 1.

So I played alone, but I still had a good time. I caught up with a father-son duo on hole 6. They offered to let me play through as they were really slow and dad was teaching his son a bit on the course. With no one in view for a few holes behind me, I opted to slow down myself and not pass. It was a great decision. I knew I had plenty of time because they were quite slow, which meant that there was no rush for me. I took my time and hit better shots.

In retrospect, I think I played too fast and over swung anytime I found myself in a bad spot. Too many of my iron shots were not hit well. A few of my shots off tee weren't hit well either, but most did OK. My putting was solid. Even when across the green, I often could get to the hole with a single putt.

The 9 holes took me about 1 hour and 40 minutes to complete. I did no damage to the course. (Aside from a few divots that I made sure to replace) I didn't seem to piss anyone off. My score was terrible. I almost don't want to admit to it, but I hit a 68 on 9 holes. I mostly hit straight, though, so that's positive.

I can't wait to get out there again. And I realize now how ineffective my driving range sessions have been. I will have a totally different approach when I go back to the range tomorrow.
 
Andy216 said:
I did, indeed, go out yesterday.

The starter was going to pair me with a guy who was in town on business from San Francisco. He seemed really nice. When I told him this was my first time on a course, he said he was hoping to get through the round pretty fast and he'd just play ahead. So I was out on my own.

Just behind me was a twosome that were part of a league. They teed off right behind me and I offered to let them play through or join me as they were obviously much better. (As I stepped off the green, tapping in my putt on my sixth hit on a par four, they drove their first ball just shy of the green.) They opted to play through. I felt a little anxious and rough having someone pass me already on hole 1.

So I played alone, but I still had a good time. I caught up with a father-son duo on hole 6. They offered to let me play through as they were really slow and dad was teaching his son a bit on the course. With no one in view for a few holes behind me, I opted to slow down myself and not pass. It was a great decision. I knew I had plenty of time because they were quite slow, which meant that there was no rush for me. I took my time and hit better shots.

In retrospect, I think I played too fast and over swung anytime I found myself in a bad spot. Too many of my iron shots were not hit well. A few of my shots off tee weren't hit well either, but most did OK. My putting was solid. Even when across the green, I often could get to the hole with a single putt.

The 9 holes took me about 1 hour and 40 minutes to complete. I did no damage to the course. (Aside from a few divots that I made sure to replace) I didn't seem to piss anyone off. My score was terrible. I almost don't want to admit to it, but I hit a 68 on 9 holes. I mostly hit straight, though, so that's positive.

I can't wait to get out there again. And I realize now how ineffective my driving range sessions have been. I will have a totally different approach when I go back to the range tomorrow.
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glad you got out there and had fun! the score is a non issue for the first few rounds, do not worry about it.

about the bolded part, this is the mistake most beginners do, take a few seconds to address your ball, find your tempo and swing. you are not losing or gaining much time when hitting, its in between the shots that you can make a difference
 
Andy216 said:
I did, indeed, go out yesterday.

The starter was going to pair me with a guy who was in town on business from San Francisco. He seemed really nice. When I told him this was my first time on a course, he said he was hoping to get through the round pretty fast and he'd just play ahead. So I was out on my own.

Just behind me was a twosome that were part of a league. They teed off right behind me and I offered to let them play through or join me as they were obviously much better. (As I stepped off the green, tapping in my putt on my sixth hit on a par four, they drove their first ball just shy of the green.) They opted to play through. I felt a little anxious and rough having someone pass me already on hole 1.

So I played alone, but I still had a good time. I caught up with a father-son duo on hole 6. They offered to let me play through as they were really slow and dad was teaching his son a bit on the course. With no one in view for a few holes behind me, I opted to slow down myself and not pass. It was a great decision. I knew I had plenty of time because they were quite slow, which meant that there was no rush for me. I took my time and hit better shots.

In retrospect, I think I played too fast and over swung anytime I found myself in a bad spot. Too many of my iron shots were not hit well. A few of my shots off tee weren't hit well either, but most did OK. My putting was solid. Even when across the green, I often could get to the hole with a single putt.

The 9 holes took me about 1 hour and 40 minutes to complete. I did no damage to the course. (Aside from a few divots that I made sure to replace) I didn't seem to piss anyone off. My score was terrible. I almost don't want to admit to it, but I hit a 68 on 9 holes. I mostly hit straight, though, so that's positive.

I can't wait to get out there again. And I realize now how ineffective my driving range sessions have been. I will have a totally different approach when I go back to the range tomorrow.
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1 hour and 40 minutes is entirely respectable Andy! It's amazing how things change between hitting away at the range and then getting on course, having to aim and fire eh?

Don't worry about the score. You've got an instructor, and you've got the right mindset. Stay positive and keep at it!
 
Andy216 said:
I did, indeed, go out yesterday.

The starter was going to pair me with a guy who was in town on business from San Francisco. He seemed really nice. When I told him this was my first time on a course, he said he was hoping to get through the round pretty fast and he'd just play ahead. So I was out on my own.

Just behind me was a twosome that were part of a league. They teed off right behind me and I offered to let them play through or join me as they were obviously much better. (As I stepped off the green, tapping in my putt on my sixth hit on a par four, they drove their first ball just shy of the green.) They opted to play through. I felt a little anxious and rough having someone pass me already on hole 1.

So I played alone, but I still had a good time. I caught up with a father-son duo on hole 6. They offered to let me play through as they were really slow and dad was teaching his son a bit on the course. With no one in view for a few holes behind me, I opted to slow down myself and not pass. It was a great decision. I knew I had plenty of time because they were quite slow, which meant that there was no rush for me. I took my time and hit better shots.

In retrospect, I think I played too fast and over swung anytime I found myself in a bad spot. Too many of my iron shots were not hit well. A few of my shots off tee weren't hit well either, but most did OK. My putting was solid. Even when across the green, I often could get to the hole with a single putt.

The 9 holes took me about 1 hour and 40 minutes to complete. I did no damage to the course. (Aside from a few divots that I made sure to replace) I didn't seem to piss anyone off. My score was terrible. I almost don't want to admit to it, but I hit a 68 on 9 holes. I mostly hit straight, though, so that's positive.

I can't wait to get out there again. And I realize now how ineffective my driving range sessions have been. I will have a totally different approach when I go back to the range tomorrow.
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Sounds like a good day overall. Good pace of play, nice time on a course and a not too shabby score for the first time out...congrats!
 
Sounds like a great day out there Andy. As Canadan said, don't worry about the score. You are doing everything the right way. Keep at the lessons and get on the course occasionally and enjoy a round.
 
I judge success in that:
1. I had a good time.
2. I want to go do it again.

I have not yet reached my initial goal, which is to be able to play a round without embarrassing myself out on the course. But I think I'll get there.
 
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