Being forced to be paired up when you want to play a round of golf can be frustrating, embarrassing, or stressful if you are preferring to go it alone.
There are a few things you can do to avoid being paired up in golf. Give these a go and have a great game of solo golfing.
To avoid getting paired up in golf it is best to contact the golf course directly and ask how they can best accommodate you as a solo golfer on their course. Some golf courses will allow for solo golfers during non-peak playing hours when fewer players will be actively playing on the course
Or you could book a random tee time for four players, show up with two-three and tell the pro shop/starter that your other players are running late and will meet you on hole two or three.
Generally, a golf course or even other players may want to pair you up to complete a foursome or to avoid having a play-through player. While not all courses will expect you to pair up with other players you can play solo golf by opting to play using a few available options that many courses may offer on a regular basis or at all times.
Below are some of the best ways you can further avoid getting paired up with other players and play as a solo player in the game of golf.
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How To Not Get Paired Up In Golf
One option is to ask the golf course what is needed to allow you to golf as a solo golfer. The course may have you come at a specified time or day when they are slower to increase revenues while maintaining steady play on busier days.
A second option many courses will accept is an offer to pay the minimum fee for course play. Some courses want a minimum of two players and one cart for each round of golf. By offering to pay the minimum, the course may allow for solo play while meeting their required fees for upkeep and maintenance costs.
You can also choose specific courses that will allow for solo golfing. One example is a par 3 course.
Most par 3 golf courses allow for parties of any size to golf at any time without providing a requirement to pair up throughout your game. You can also become a member of a private golf club. Golf clubs will accommodate members’ requests for golfing preferences and allow members throughout the day to golf as a solo golfer.
When being asked by other players to pair up, kindly decline the offer to pair up with other players. While golfing with others can be a great way to learn, meet great people, and have a great golf experience, telling players that you appreciate the offer to pair up but would like to do a round of solo golf just for this round.
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Can You Golf With Just Two People?
When two people play golf this is called a twosome. A twosome is generally the maximum number of players that can ride in one golf cart at a time as electric golf carts are designed to seat and carry the average size clubs of two players.
Courses will often allow for twosomes to play without being paired up if they are a private club, par 3 or not requiring pairing up play.
As this may be a minimum for play at some courses, some courses will allow for only twosome play if two electric carts are rented per twosome. The rental of two electric carts can help the course cover maintenance fees and each player can play their own ball without having to wait to get the needed club from the driver of the cart.
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Does GolfNow pair you?
GolfNow has a program called Play Single for the solo golfer helping them get deals on great single tee times at fantastic courses and pairs them in groups.
Golf now likely will pair you, depending on the time of day, and how busy the course is. It’s no different than calling the course and asking to play as s single.
If you’re playing as the sun rises, likely you will be able to play a full 18 holes by yourself. But, if you play mid afternoon You likely will be paired.
During slower times of the day, a course may let each player play as preferred. If slow play is noticed such as people waiting on tee boxes or in fairways, they will most likely ask you to join a group to speed up play.
Some courses will allow playing with a minimum of two players while other courses will allow only players who are willing to pair up with as many as four players per group. If your group has more than four players, some courses will allow groups of four or more while most will prefer to have groups of at least three and a limit of foursomes to allow for quicker play.
For golf groups, at most country clubs and public golf courses pairing is common and a great way to play against other singles or pairs of players. Pairing will often be done according to similar handicaps, ages, or playing levels.
If you would like to be paired while playing a round of golf you can ask the course attended to be paired in groups with less than four players.
You can also play and approach other players while playing and ask if they would like to become a foursome for the remainder of the course. Many players will accommodate the request as it is a great way to meet new people and enjoy playing a round of golf with a fellow golfer in one of the most social sports in the world.
As of this writing, social distancing to prevent the spread of Covid is still being observed in some public places and many golf courses are respectful of allowing vulnerable players to play while keeping social distancing practices available during golf play.
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