When the early morning dew spots the grass, a lone figure stands out on the River’s Edge Golf Course. The clubs are clean and the ball sits patiently on the tee waiting for the swing of the iron. The golfer breathes in the fresh morning air, crisp and cool over the Deschutes River, with his breath steaming out inches from his lips. With birds flying overhead, the golfer makes his swing with a solid “thwack” as the ball takes to the skies.
This is the scenario seen with the solitary golfer. While golfing veterans would balk at the thought of even thinking about stepping onto the course alone, not every golfer desires to take part in the social aspect of this sport. Instead, you may set your own tee times, play by your own speed, and focus on yourself for the sheer enjoyment of the game.
No Need to Always Make It into a Competition
Even when you don’t seek out to be competitive, you still get into that mindset when you hit the golf course with other people in your group. A person can’t help but watch a companion make an amazing shot and feel all eyes turn to them, wanting to see whether they can make the same play or to even top it. There is no need to impress or imitate the other players to make them feel it is worthwhile to play with you.
Yet, of course, that doesn’t mean that you can’t be competitive when you are alone. You can strive to get a better score on certain holes, or get in some needed practice. Yet it isn’t a requirement when you are playing alone.
Play by Your Rules
Perhaps the top advantage that many solitary golfers enjoy is that the course is theirs for the taking. You can play a faster game without waiting for anyone else to make their shot. On the flip side, you can also replay a shot again if you want to take a different swing, or iron, to the ball without holding up another golfing group. You can completely tune out by listening to your favorite music, or skip several holes to get practice on your favorite ones.
Something else that many solitary golfers will comment on is that playing alone makes them feel more relaxed. So what if you mess up on a shot? It isn’t the end of the world, or the lasting joke between the other golfers who are sharing a car ride home with you. You are allowed to laugh, or curse, at the mistake and move on to enjoy the rest of the game.
Also, often when you are more relaxed, you become increasingly confident about your skills. This confidence leads you to focus more on the game and not on other distractions as you have a better time bringing on your A game.
So set up that tee time that is best for you and take to the course at the River’s Edge. You might find some alone time is just perfect for you.
Source: River’s Edge Golf Blog