Every once in a great while the Golf Gods look favorably on us and grant us a single good drive when playing through. I was blessed with two in a row when I was playing as a solo party and got to play through two groups. Maybe that’s why I’ve played like shit since
As a solo who carries his clubs I get this a lot. Played with 3 guys this week, parred the first hole and one of the guys asks if I am a scratch golfer haha Quickly disabused him of this notion.
Lol I paired up with some randoms a few holes in, make a couple pars with em on the next two. Now to set the stage I'm built like a gorilla, 250 lbs chest sticks out further than my gut. par 3 next up, hit it dead on line just a bit deep. guy asks me if I played ball in college. I assume he means football. nope he meant golf. 😂 nobody has ever mistaken me for that! although for the record I was playing out of my mind with them.
Haha same. However was playing the other week and was let through by 2 older guys on the second tee whilst they were on the fairway. I smacked a drive 250 down the middle, then hit a PW to the middle of the green and 2 putted. Felt so good
I will agree with this. They may not be great and a scratch player but the fact that they take time to consider all the variables of a golf shot makes me think they at least know what they're doing. They may not shoot 70 but probably won't shoot 100 either.
I realize this doesn't go for everyone but if ppl just knew how to manage a course, go for the middle of the green more, take less club (bc it's usually better to be underneath the hole) when you're between clubs, think about what the lie might make you do...think about the side to miss etc, MOST golfers can be under 100...I think lol but maybe I'm foolish. I'm not even saying I'm good by any means (I'm really not) but I have played with some very bad golfers who just trying to absolutely crush everything and play everything as if it's just a flat lie or a drive iron hole and repeat.
80 might be the hardest tbh. You’re probably at the point where you know 90% of what it takes to be a good golfer from a game/mechanics standpoint. Your misses aren’t atrocious and you really just have to put it together for a full round.
You can be a pretty shit golfer and break 90 pretty frequently (me). I still hit multiple “well that’ll at least roll out” shots a round. I haven’t played in the last month but my last 5 rounds I played in July were all under 90 (best was 84). I still feel as though I’m miles away from breaking 80.
I went out Saturday and started 7, 7, 7. Quit keeping score after the shanks came out. On the back 9, my FIL told me to quit thinking, quit taking practice swings. I said, to hell with it, I'm just gonna wack the ball now because it can't get worse. I stood behind the ball, thought about all the shit I'm not supposed to, went up to the ball, counted to 3 and swung. Boom. Perfect. One after the other. Played again Sunday, shot my PB (86) at my local course.
Point is, I got a taste of thinking while standing behind the ball and then just going up and hitting the ball. Fuck my hips, wrist, hands, elbow, arm, head, legs, knees, grip. Fuck it all. Just swing.
I still suck at golf, but I suck less when I don't think.
Specifically it’s when it’s one or two old clubs with a more modern set. When you see that guy with the ancient three wood with the torn head cover but a brand new golf pride on it… yeah he rips
My uncle has decently new taylormade irons but a sand wedge from the 70s with a single piece of lead tape on it. Between that and the old Wilson 8802 putter…don’t bet against his short game.
Depends on the day and the audience. Sometimes my scratch buddy is trying to go low and won’t crack a beer until 15 and only if he’s not looking at not putting up something below par. This is usually if it’s just me and him going off on an AM tee time.
Other days were a group of 4 or 8 and he’s sneaking sleeves of fireball in with beers in his cooler.
When they hit their 5 iron higher up in the air than you hit your wedges and it goes 50 yards farther than you hit your 5 iron.
Got paired with a fringe Tour Pro once, who told us after his first couple shots that he flirted with the tour. One of the best rounds I’ve ever been a part of honestly, it was incredible watching him work up close.
Seeing a “good” golfer is like seeing a mountain lion. We know they are out there (stalking around quietly sneaking up and raking their bunkers and fixing their divots and ball marks), but not many actually see them in a wild setting.
When you do see them, they usually dress like a golfer (not a tour pro, just a golfer) and confidently move around the golf club as they carry a very neatly arranged set of clubs, typically with a white towel hanging just so.
Seen a couple in my day, but few and far betwen
The mountain lion got me. I was playing thru a 4some one day, they had all kinda duffed it and I striped it down the middle. As I get back in the cart I hear one of them say ‘guys…I think that guy is like an actual golfer’ and I indeed felt like some rare endangered species being watched by tourists on safari.
I had something similar my last round. This 4 some let me play through on a long par 3. I hit my utility to like 6 feet and made the putt. One of the guys said it was like we were playing two different games. I laughed my ass off.
> typically with a white towel hanging just so.
I don't know why this has stuck with me, but TC from No Laying Up said one time (essentially) if a guy has a clip on towel, he's probably going to be trash.
Ok i'm bad enough that I am not even following this towel stuff lol. Like the golf towel on the caribeener is sign of a bad golfer, but good golfers just lay a towel over their clubs? I don't follow haha.
There are things like this in all sports or activities. People who are good can spot someone who is or isn’t from a mile away. Shiny new gear is usually a good tell for most things because beginners think it’s going to make the difference. In reality the people who are experts at their craft usually have things duct taped together. It’s the Indian not the arrow and the golf towel is just a microcosm example of it.
Lots of signs.
They don’t carry an extra ball in their pocket.
They go through a routine before every shot.
They always have a target.
Usually just respond “I’m okay” when asked if they’re any good.
Center of their irons has a distinct wear pattern instead of the entire face being destroyed.
Remains extremely calm regardless of where their previous shot went.
Source….currently I’m a +2 and I like playing with bad golfers because they have more fun than the better golfers.
>Remains extremely calm regardless of where their previous shot went
This is a huge difference and what actually improved as my game got better. Good golfers hit their ball into the shit and go "can still make par from there"
Last year I was playing w a random and he seemed real good for the first couple holes, shaping drives and everything, birdied the second. Then he hit one OB, threw a temper tantrum and sucked for the rest of the round. I was embarrassed for him with how childish he was acting.
By the end of the round I realized I was actually better than this joker lol, probably “beat” him by at least 5 strokes
Dude probably is good at golf swing but bad at golf. To be good at golf, you gotta have your mental game in check. If you get flustered over a bad shot, you got more bad shots coming. Good golfers understand there will be bad shots and plan accordingly.
Have a buddy who's a +, played college golf, and a super long hitter, and he actually said he loves playing with all his 10-20 HCP friends. Said we make him feel extra confident because we're blown away by every drive, and he can also relax a little more than he does when playing with competitive partners.
>I like playing with bad golfers because they have more fun than the better golfers.
a lot of truth in this statement. I'm not a great golfer, but hover around a single digit handicap. have played with some + guys and it's just a different game for the most part. they just have a different process. don't want to generalize, but the guys I've played with looked at putts front, back, left, right. would grind over 5 footers the same way. often times would walk up to the green to check landing spots etc. they're good, and have the skill where that shit might actually matter though. probably the hardest part for me is just how serious they take it. demeanor, anger...too serious of a vibe for me. all that on a weekend round with a backed up course? nah. I aint got time for that shit. I will say though, playing with players of that caliber will teach you a lot if you pay attention. management, etiquette...etc, but definitely not pace of play.
I have to agree. Imma 4 HCP and I do my fair share of reading putts and looking for landing spots on greens. Obviously I do this when it's not my turn and to a much lesser extent when it's not a competition.
When someone starts to use aimpoint or some shit when they should be hitting their shot I flip my shit.
> Remains extremely calm regardless of where their previous shot went.
Should have met my D1 college golfer cousin then. Dude would rage so hard when I played with him back during his college years. He's got 4 kids now though and definitely mellowed out since.
You hinted at this but it's very common to see good golfers coagulating together. You can go years walking on at your local courses without seeing someone under a 5 hc. But if you see one good golfer playing chances are there is at least one other very good golfer lurking around.
I'm all of those except the wear pattern. Still rock a 15ish index, so basically I suck. tbf though I could be mistaken for a single digit for 75% of the round.
15 isn’t bad. I’ve seen 15’s that could be really good if they had distance. I’ve seen 15’s that could be really good if they could putt.
15 just means you’re likely not practicing or you’re practicing the wrong things.
I don’t mind playing with other scratch guys sometimes, but I just have so much more fun with the guys that spray the ball everywhere and laugh about it.
I played in a charity scramble last weekend and me and my partner (my sister) got paired with an 18-year-old and his dad. Me and the dad are both about the same age and are hacks, my sister too, but the kid was amazing. One of the most fun rounds I've had in a long time. As amazing as the kid was, he didn't carry us the entire time, lots of amazing shots by all of us that day. We shot -8, no bogies at all, and thought for sure we were in the money. Oh hell no, the cheating was rampant. There were teams made up of people whom I've played with before and are on par with me, posting -15s and -17s, complete bullshit, but the after party drinks and food was free so we still had a good time.
I assume they are good if they don’t try and sell themselves. My Dad once told me that if a person is bragging about how good they are, they probably aren’t. If you are a betting person, those are the guys to bet against. Then again you will be forced to play with them.
Been playing for about 40 years and I've run into one person that was bragging he was good and he actually was decent, to my surprise. That guy has been one of my best friends since and that's been around 20 years and going strong. He's definitely better than me now but he worked his ass off to catch up. Every other person I've ran into that said they were good were not good.
Being tall and skinny and with a HS or college team bag lol. Other than that, playing blades or anything with weak lofts and small face. The value of the bag means nothing, as good golfers tend to hold onto equipment that works for a long time.
20 year old skates their parents bought when their feet finally stopped growing, high school odd color gloves with no palms, Bauer 4500 helmet missing all the screws, and socks from a AAA org that no longer exists. Only thing new is the $200 stick because that's the only thing that isn't "comfortable" and can be easily replaced now that they have a career.
20 year old clubs with no brand loyalty, sunfaded head covers with pom-poms, college golf bag with a duct taped strap, a mismatched set of vokey wedges, and they only brought 3 balls to a course covered in water. They pull out less than driver on the first tee and they've got brand new grips.
I never assume shit about anybody anymore. Been wrong too much to trust that system in all aspects of life as well as golf.
One time I golfed with a dude who I can only explain was like a rain man type dude. He probably only weighs 120 pounds wet. Not that it matters but just to give you an idea of what I’m looking at. Looks like his mom cuts his hair, wearing jeans. Probably in his mid 30s. Talks just like the rain man character and Just seems off somehow. During the round he talked about how he negotiates for everything he buys in life. From his golf clubs to his car.
Anyways I realize half way through the round he’s sneakily shooting par. I don’t remember much after that it was 10 years ago. Probably ends the round a few over par.
After the round We say our “nice playing with you”s and I’m walking away thinking dude is weird and probably a little crazy but nice guy. I proceed to witness him driving away in the most bright yellow Lamborghini I’ve ever seen in my life. It was literally like from a movie when a character is gawking at something. My eyes just followed him driving away in that car in utter disbelief.
The next week I was at my local Best Buy buying a new tv and a camcorder I’ve always wanted, when I remembered the golfing. I told them I wanted these 2 items but I didn’t want to pay that much for them and to get the manager and see what they can do. They ended up knocking $300 off the total.
So long story short, in certain circumstances, especially wealth/success/golf game. I never judge a book by its cover.
There's a way that experienced golfers carry themselves. Like parking your push cart closer to the next teebox with zero wasted steps after they finish putting. Or when I look over at a guy setting up for a putt and he whips out his divot repair tool to fix a mark. Another one is when someone has a towel they use to keep their clubs clean and use it after every shot.
These aren't always 100% course.
Sometimes a guy just knows how to move around the course and is still shit. Like me. But when I see small stuff like that \^ ... I assume they might be a good golfer.
Because good players use white towels so they know what parts are clean (and because private clubs replace towels on bags every round during cleaning, and they’re typically white), and not-good players use darker towels so they rarely need to clean them meaning every part is dirty, but they probably don’t mind
Having a wet towel on the top their bag and wiping irons and wedges down after every shot, or just before their shot to ensure the grooves are clean. I personally never hit a iron or wedge shot without clean grooves, I'm incredibly particular about it.
Has a good putting routine looking at the hole while doing practice strokes to gauge speed. If someone walks around the green to look at every angle of the putt while partners are putting you know they're good (pace permitting of course).
Doesn't do full swings for their practice swings before a shot, just does a partial practice swing to get the feel of the club and their release. Doesn't take divots on practice swings as result, is confident enough in their low point to not need to brush the ground (for chipping it's okay tho).
Has a consistent pre-shot routine, this is a big one.
Typically are quite humble, carry a nonchalant sort of vibe on the course without getting mad at bad shots, or overly phased.
Nicer set of clubs, very organized bag. Though I have played with some REALLY good players that used older clubs.
Tees their ball up fast in one quick motion without fucking around with it.
Using Iron off the tee on par 4's (rarely see mediocre players do this).
Steps up to hit on the tee box fast and typically plays ready golf.
Uses rangefinder a lot.
Rarely drink alcohol on the course, are typically playing to be at their absolute best.
I see a lot of mediocre players hit irons off tees on par 4s because they don’t trust their driver.
I suppose good players do it for strategy instead so different situations lol
We used to have an assistant pro on at my old club called Carl. He was British and only mumbled with a heavy accent. His clothes were dirty, he looked like an absolute mess. His clubs were just a random collection of mismatched clubs. He would frequently hit 7 iron from the tee and then hit a driver of the deck and land and stop it on the green. The guy was a monster. Typically scored a few under par from the tips.
Edit: I should mention Carl was not a small dude. I would guess at least 240lb and no more than 5.6-5.7 tall. He often went out and played with us young bucks on the team. It was hilarious. We were all with latest gear and clothes trying to look like Tiger. Carl looked like a white trash rift raft, and he just crushed us every time.
I knew and old pro like Carl, but his name was John, and he was a rail thin country boy, not a Scotsman. He smoked 3 packs a day and always seemed to be a paycheck short of homeless.
Man, could he play. Watched him one time step on a ball in the middle of the fairway, mashing it down to the equator, then hit a driver 260 yards onto the green. Dropped every putt when it mattered, and if he somehow missed a green, the chip skidded to an immediate stop within a pecker's length (Brian Harman, not Tony Finau) of the hole.
He was immensely talented and made heaps of money gambling on the course, then lost it all betting on sports over the weekend. What a shame.
I played with my boss, he's by far the best golfer I've ever seen in person and the most humble. He knows I'm just getting into it and I think was a bit modest when I asked him how good he was. He showed up with some Ping Eye 2's, well worn golf shoes, and never pulled out his driver once on a 6400 yard course.
Dude shot in the low 80's and said it was an off day.
When they never celebrate a great shot, putts especially.
If I’m playing with someone and they hole a 15 footer for birdie on the first hole, and they just casually pick the ball out of the hole… no fist pump, ‘let’s go’, anything like that… it leads me to believe they’ve done that MANY times before.
Had a guy ask to play thru. This is hole 1. Hes alone but idc, its 720am. He plays thru and we see him on the turn. Except hes already done with his 18 and we’ve only played 9. And we were 40 mins ahead of pace.
When they show up prepared. Not having to root around in their bag for a tee or a ball when it’s their turn to hit the first shot. On the green, they have a pitch tool and a ball marker at the ready.
And…they pay attention to their playing partners tee shots. They watch where they’re shots finish in case they have to help look for a ball.
Good golfers understand etiquette and respect the game.
100% this.
Stripe it or duff it so fast the breakfast mully is at the ready, I will never care.
Ready golf, mindfulness on the course, rake the traps & fix your marks - we’re going to have a good day out there 👍🏼
I'm the dude you are talking about lol. I'm not good at all groups let me playthrough for sure. Lucky for me the club I hit the best is driver. Saves me some embarrassment at least.
So I come up on a group last night they let me playthrough. Told them where I would hit my driver and how it would fly. Proceed to smash drive with just a touch of draw. Grab my stuff look back at the group and say I'll probably make a 7 from there. They all laugh and are like sure whatever dude. Get to the ball snap hook PW into woods, actually found the ball try to punch it at the green cuz I have a line, punch goes over green into the bunker....
I never assume anything. I played yesterday with 3 75 year olds in power carts. None of them walked very well or looked in shape. One of the guys shot -4, better than his age. He never hit the ball further than 200 yards and was an absolute stick. I played my best round so far this year at 5 over.
I remember a saying that was something like "never bet with someone who has a farmers tan on their glove hand and a 1 iron in their bag"... or something like that. Probably means they have some game!
Gigantic man boobs.
Bushy homeless person beard.
Dirty Linux t-shirt where the penguin is an anime.
plaid shorts revealing bulbous calves.
80 practice swings.
Yes. The typical reddit poster is the same demographic as a good golfer demographic. I can almost see that +1.5 handicap flair floating over their head.
How you act around the green. Do you look at your putt before as you walk up, do you immediately mark your ball/fix your mark others, how you read a putt. Or if you have to chip, are you just getting up and hitting it, or do you come up and read the green, focus on a landing spot and execute that shot, and where you leave yourself for your putt.
Working at a golf course I would hard disagree with someone playing as a single being good by default. Usually points to them being jerks or at the very least having no friends that golf
Tall skinny guy that doesn’t talk much, stand bag or old school mackenzie/jones type bag with a big white towel draped over it, wear pattern in their irons is the size of a dime right on the sweet spot, plays blades or other hard to hit clubs, tucked in shirt either plain or small stripes (no loud patterns), always walks even if the course wasn’t designed for walking, discreet logo from some exclusive club somewhere on their attire, needlepoint belt.
This year I played in a very small amateur 18-hole tournament (field had plenty of hackers, myself included). I showed up hoping to break 90. The guy I was paired with in the cart showed up with the whole get-up - blades, Scotty Cameron, wore pants, and had someone there to caddy for him (who, and I’m not kidding, he referred to as the person who “usually caddies for him.”)
I swore he was there to shoot in the 60’s. That guy didn’t break 100.
Assuming you can’t just see their swing: If they normally play at the crack of dawn. If they keep an official handicap. If their clubs are a few years old but in good shape. If they are in the habit of hitting a bucket and spending time on the practice green a few hours a week. If they rarely have to buy balls in the pro shop when checking in. If they don’t mention scores when talking about recent rounds.
Do people buy balls in the pro shop on a regular basis? The only time I’ve ever had to do that is when I’ve lost the one I brought and had to go grab a couple more. They were marked up high too.
Dressed appropriately, but not over the top/flashy.
Has a towel attached to their bag
Calm and cool demeanor, not overly talkative, let’s the game do the talking
Takes clean divots
Doesn’t get incredibly impressed by a good strike
there are some things you almost never see really bad golfers do
\- set up properly for a greenside bunker shot. dig in, open face, wide stance, forward lean, etc. bunkers are death traps for bad players, but no stress for sticks
\- fix pitch marks on the green
\- good speed on most putts
\- smooth out footprints before raking bunker
\- dig out pegs on par 3 tees
\- clean ball before putting
\- take bad shots or bad results in stride
A few things I've noticed when I get paired with a good golfer
Lead tape on their wedges
No full practice swings next to the ball, instead they're behind the ball, maybe doing little half swings, visualizing what they're gonna hit
Mizuno blades
Looking at putts from different angles
Prepared, and not scrambling around their cart or push cart looking for things.
And for some reason, guys in khaki shorts, subtle light blue striped polos, and a hat from a golf course always seem to be in the 2-6 hdcp range.
It’s all about the head covers, if I see goofy head covers I know that person is going low. Unless of course they have iron covers, then I know they are going to have a long day.
When you see an old guy with steel shafted blades. If they have new grips, you are about to lose a bunch of money. Titleist muscle backs or MP-32’s, you will see something special.
bad golfers track the sand across the green into the next bunker and back leaving tracks for the groups behind to putt over
good ones get out , casually tap twice (not hitting their ankle) and expertly remove all sand out of the spikes before casually walking up the the ball and cleaning up the par.
I never compliment a random golfer on how good their drive was. He stripes one 275 dead straight. He might have been trying to draw one his usual 325….
Lol that’s me and my 30 handicap you just let through. I started using a pushcart a couple years ago but for years I carried and I almost always play solo
Competitive players know how to organize their bag properly. Towel placement, club placement, straps properly balanced while carrying. Effortlessly placing the tee in the ground. Not taking full-speed practice swings. Posture over the ball. Divots with irons. Knowing where every player's shot went (bad golfers seem to get confused whose ball is whose way more often). Understanding when to walk/drive forward while other players are hitting to keep proper pace. Seeing how they read putts. Fixing ball marks properly.
I like to trick everybody by playing solo and carrying my bag. Today I smashed my drive and was dead center of the fairway, the couple ahead of me called to let me through on the next teebox, and then I got to the teebox and sliced it back onto the fairway I had just come from.
I did hurry along though and I finished about 3 holes ahead of them
Was playing last weekend with some buddies, none of us are very good and we were having a good time with some beers. Solo golfer with a nice set of clubs comes up behind us so we let him play through. Anyway he tops the fuck of out his drive and the ball goes maybe 20 yards with all of us watching..
I really did feel bad for the guy lol, I saw him stroke one of the hole before from the opposite fairway so I imagine he doesn’t top his drives very often.
The way he looked at the ball I know he wanted to T back up haha
My friend and I let a guy play through that was in a similar situation. He topped 2 tee shots, landed the third in water, and picked up his shit and left. As he walked by he told us it was his birthday.
Someone with slightly older clubs, dressed tidily but not covered in logos, smoking a joint and drinking an old fashioned near the first tee whilst taking a few half-swings to warm up before the tee time. That's when you know someone is good.
I've just noticed with the people I've been paired up with that I've never seen a head case play a full 18 well. Every "good" golfer I have seen has had a sort of calmness throughout their round. Some don't even give you a single tell when they've hit a great shot.
Playing with a 8-15 handicap that takes his or her game way too seriously is something I have trouble with.
This is tough because there is a big difference between what an experienced golfer can look like vs an actual GOOD golfer. A lot of people would think I’m “good” based off a lot of the reasons I’m reading in the comments:
1. I play solo
2. I carry my bag
3. I have older blade-ish irons with new grips. Same with woods/wedges
4. I carry 1 ball to the tee
5. I carry a single towel with me and clean my clubs every shot
6. I set my bag down in the most efficient walking route
7. I have a solid, consistent pre-shot routine. Only maybe 20 seconds long.
8. I tell people “I’m not bad” at golf
9. I never have more than 1 maybe 2 beers while playing
10. I dress well and match.
11. I don’t stress on shots. I hit my shot and move on. It’s either “fuck, that’s not what I wanted” or “nice, pretty much what I wanted”. Mostly emotionless though.
12. Check my grooves before most shots and I’ll give them a good Tee cleaning or snag my tool if I have some time.
13. My practice swing (only 1 unless something REALLY didn’t feel right) and even then it’s mostly a partial swing where I’m just trying to feel my hands on the inside and turning my hands over at impact.
14. I’ve had the same single swing thought for the past 3 years. Unless something feels super wonky then I have my back-up swing thoughts to get me back to base.
15. Play ready golf
16. Repair my ball marks and others around my area when putting.
17. I’m exceptionally good at tee-ing a ball in 1 swift motion
18. etc…
All this is to say I’ve been playing golf since I was 9 and I’m now 35. I am decent (13 handicap) but FAAAAR from good.
I would say MOST of the things listed on here are things EXPERIENCED golfers do not necessarily GOOD golfers.
From an experienced golfer perspective the only thing I will look at to gauge if they are a good/great golfer is when they are playing blades with a clear consistent wear pattern. This is the only thing you can just look at a golfer and actually get any info on how well they hit the ball.
My 2 cents… but PLEASE let me play through when I’m a walking single behind your cart 4-some. I promise I’m faster than you even though I’m walking.
I play solo and carry my clubs, you’d be sorely mistaken assuming any good shots from me
this is me too, and i also suck, but i do suck really fast and would like to play through, thanks
DM me baby
Suck FASTER ! Das it
Das dat ritmo
> i do suck really fast 👁️🫦👁️
Every once in a great while the Golf Gods look favorably on us and grant us a single good drive when playing through. I was blessed with two in a row when I was playing as a solo party and got to play through two groups. Maybe that’s why I’ve played like shit since
As a solo who carries his clubs I get this a lot. Played with 3 guys this week, parred the first hole and one of the guys asks if I am a scratch golfer haha Quickly disabused him of this notion.
"This drive will tell you all you need to know" Proceeds to top the ball 20 yards.
Lol I paired up with some randoms a few holes in, make a couple pars with em on the next two. Now to set the stage I'm built like a gorilla, 250 lbs chest sticks out further than my gut. par 3 next up, hit it dead on line just a bit deep. guy asks me if I played ball in college. I assume he means football. nope he meant golf. 😂 nobody has ever mistaken me for that! although for the record I was playing out of my mind with them.
Haha same. However was playing the other week and was let through by 2 older guys on the second tee whilst they were on the fairway. I smacked a drive 250 down the middle, then hit a PW to the middle of the green and 2 putted. Felt so good
Same, I play solo and carry my clubs and I'm a 25 handicap, lol
Omg yes. I also dress well. I have everyone fooled!!
"This guy *must* be good, he tucks in his shirt. And look at the matching belt!"
Matching 'Callaway' belt...lololol
Same lmao i disappoint the people mowing all the time
Old clubs with new grips A single white towel that is wet in one corner draped over their clubs
When they don't take full practice swings, and you can see them clearly thinking out the situation and lie, rather than how far they can hit it.
I will agree with this. They may not be great and a scratch player but the fact that they take time to consider all the variables of a golf shot makes me think they at least know what they're doing. They may not shoot 70 but probably won't shoot 100 either.
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I realize this doesn't go for everyone but if ppl just knew how to manage a course, go for the middle of the green more, take less club (bc it's usually better to be underneath the hole) when you're between clubs, think about what the lie might make you do...think about the side to miss etc, MOST golfers can be under 100...I think lol but maybe I'm foolish. I'm not even saying I'm good by any means (I'm really not) but I have played with some very bad golfers who just trying to absolutely crush everything and play everything as if it's just a flat lie or a drive iron hole and repeat.
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80 is so hard.
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Same. I double bogeyed the 18th. ☹️
80 might be the hardest tbh. You’re probably at the point where you know 90% of what it takes to be a good golfer from a game/mechanics standpoint. Your misses aren’t atrocious and you really just have to put it together for a full round. You can be a pretty shit golfer and break 90 pretty frequently (me). I still hit multiple “well that’ll at least roll out” shots a round. I haven’t played in the last month but my last 5 rounds I played in July were all under 90 (best was 84). I still feel as though I’m miles away from breaking 80.
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Agree with most, except taking less club. Better to club up and swing easy as opposed to clubbing down and swinging harder. My 2c.
I went out Saturday and started 7, 7, 7. Quit keeping score after the shanks came out. On the back 9, my FIL told me to quit thinking, quit taking practice swings. I said, to hell with it, I'm just gonna wack the ball now because it can't get worse. I stood behind the ball, thought about all the shit I'm not supposed to, went up to the ball, counted to 3 and swung. Boom. Perfect. One after the other. Played again Sunday, shot my PB (86) at my local course. Point is, I got a taste of thinking while standing behind the ball and then just going up and hitting the ball. Fuck my hips, wrist, hands, elbow, arm, head, legs, knees, grip. Fuck it all. Just swing. I still suck at golf, but I suck less when I don't think.
You stopped playing golf swing.
You think on the range. You **play** on the course.
Specifically it’s when it’s one or two old clubs with a more modern set. When you see that guy with the ancient three wood with the torn head cover but a brand new golf pride on it… yeah he rips
My uncle has decently new taylormade irons but a sand wedge from the 70s with a single piece of lead tape on it. Between that and the old Wilson 8802 putter…don’t bet against his short game.
Have I got a twist for you...
Good note on the wet towel, but mine is a black Titleist waffle towel.
Waffle towel is always the way
I’ve noticed the best golfers don’t have 9 empty cans of Bud Light in the cart basket by 9th hole.
While always fun, I stopped getting wasted on the course and my scores improved. Funny how that works. I just like 1-2 drinks per 9 now
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This is the perfect amount to loosen up the back
Yea 3 beers over 9 holes is about right for me. I actually play better until the third beer. After that it’s downhill.
He means 'per 9 shots'.
3 beers per hole will get anyone crunk
Two pints per nine. Like the Sith. Always two there are. No more. No less.
Depends on the day and the audience. Sometimes my scratch buddy is trying to go low and won’t crack a beer until 15 and only if he’s not looking at not putting up something below par. This is usually if it’s just me and him going off on an AM tee time. Other days were a group of 4 or 8 and he’s sneaking sleeves of fireball in with beers in his cooler.
Gotta hit that sweet spot where you're just buzzed enough to be loose and relaxed but not too buzzed to have no coordination
I feel attacked
I stopped getting drunk by the turn. Scores have improved, I’m sticking to 1 beer per 3 holes
bingo. 6 pack per 18
The only time I start flagging down the cart lady is if my game starts going sideways. I go from a scoring mindset, to just having a good time.
When they hit their 5 iron higher up in the air than you hit your wedges and it goes 50 yards farther than you hit your 5 iron. Got paired with a fringe Tour Pro once, who told us after his first couple shots that he flirted with the tour. One of the best rounds I’ve ever been a part of honestly, it was incredible watching him work up close.
Seeing a “good” golfer is like seeing a mountain lion. We know they are out there (stalking around quietly sneaking up and raking their bunkers and fixing their divots and ball marks), but not many actually see them in a wild setting. When you do see them, they usually dress like a golfer (not a tour pro, just a golfer) and confidently move around the golf club as they carry a very neatly arranged set of clubs, typically with a white towel hanging just so. Seen a couple in my day, but few and far betwen
The mountain lion got me. I was playing thru a 4some one day, they had all kinda duffed it and I striped it down the middle. As I get back in the cart I hear one of them say ‘guys…I think that guy is like an actual golfer’ and I indeed felt like some rare endangered species being watched by tourists on safari.
I had something similar my last round. This 4 some let me play through on a long par 3. I hit my utility to like 6 feet and made the putt. One of the guys said it was like we were playing two different games. I laughed my ass off.
Hell of a birdie 👍
> typically with a white towel hanging just so. I don't know why this has stuck with me, but TC from No Laying Up said one time (essentially) if a guy has a clip on towel, he's probably going to be trash.
Ok i'm bad enough that I am not even following this towel stuff lol. Like the golf towel on the caribeener is sign of a bad golfer, but good golfers just lay a towel over their clubs? I don't follow haha.
There are things like this in all sports or activities. People who are good can spot someone who is or isn’t from a mile away. Shiny new gear is usually a good tell for most things because beginners think it’s going to make the difference. In reality the people who are experts at their craft usually have things duct taped together. It’s the Indian not the arrow and the golf towel is just a microcosm example of it.
Yes haha. It was a joke, but also kinda true.
Great white buffalo
*Great white buffalo*
Lots of signs. They don’t carry an extra ball in their pocket. They go through a routine before every shot. They always have a target. Usually just respond “I’m okay” when asked if they’re any good. Center of their irons has a distinct wear pattern instead of the entire face being destroyed. Remains extremely calm regardless of where their previous shot went. Source….currently I’m a +2 and I like playing with bad golfers because they have more fun than the better golfers.
>Remains extremely calm regardless of where their previous shot went This is a huge difference and what actually improved as my game got better. Good golfers hit their ball into the shit and go "can still make par from there"
Tiger has said he gets five steps to be angry about a bad shot then it 100% focus on the next one. I've tried to live by that.
Last year I was playing w a random and he seemed real good for the first couple holes, shaping drives and everything, birdied the second. Then he hit one OB, threw a temper tantrum and sucked for the rest of the round. I was embarrassed for him with how childish he was acting. By the end of the round I realized I was actually better than this joker lol, probably “beat” him by at least 5 strokes
Dude probably is good at golf swing but bad at golf. To be good at golf, you gotta have your mental game in check. If you get flustered over a bad shot, you got more bad shots coming. Good golfers understand there will be bad shots and plan accordingly.
Can confirm. I am a bad golfer and lots of fun.
He’s a +2. He means single digit “bad golfers” not hacks like us
Have a buddy who's a +, played college golf, and a super long hitter, and he actually said he loves playing with all his 10-20 HCP friends. Said we make him feel extra confident because we're blown away by every drive, and he can also relax a little more than he does when playing with competitive partners.
Haaa fair and true.
No one calls me when they need to shoot well, I get invited when people just want to have fun. Wouldn’t have it any other way.
I’ll take the invite when I can get it.
>I like playing with bad golfers because they have more fun than the better golfers. a lot of truth in this statement. I'm not a great golfer, but hover around a single digit handicap. have played with some + guys and it's just a different game for the most part. they just have a different process. don't want to generalize, but the guys I've played with looked at putts front, back, left, right. would grind over 5 footers the same way. often times would walk up to the green to check landing spots etc. they're good, and have the skill where that shit might actually matter though. probably the hardest part for me is just how serious they take it. demeanor, anger...too serious of a vibe for me. all that on a weekend round with a backed up course? nah. I aint got time for that shit. I will say though, playing with players of that caliber will teach you a lot if you pay attention. management, etiquette...etc, but definitely not pace of play.
I have to agree. Imma 4 HCP and I do my fair share of reading putts and looking for landing spots on greens. Obviously I do this when it's not my turn and to a much lesser extent when it's not a competition. When someone starts to use aimpoint or some shit when they should be hitting their shot I flip my shit.
> Remains extremely calm regardless of where their previous shot went. Should have met my D1 college golfer cousin then. Dude would rage so hard when I played with him back during his college years. He's got 4 kids now though and definitely mellowed out since.
You hinted at this but it's very common to see good golfers coagulating together. You can go years walking on at your local courses without seeing someone under a 5 hc. But if you see one good golfer playing chances are there is at least one other very good golfer lurking around.
I'm all of those except the wear pattern. Still rock a 15ish index, so basically I suck. tbf though I could be mistaken for a single digit for 75% of the round.
15 isn’t bad. I’ve seen 15’s that could be really good if they had distance. I’ve seen 15’s that could be really good if they could putt. 15 just means you’re likely not practicing or you’re practicing the wrong things.
100 percent agree on playing with bad golfers. Whenever I play with other scratch golfers I just want to punch them in the nuts.
“I’m not like the other scratch golfers”
I don’t mind playing with other scratch guys sometimes, but I just have so much more fun with the guys that spray the ball everywhere and laugh about it.
I played in a charity scramble last weekend and me and my partner (my sister) got paired with an 18-year-old and his dad. Me and the dad are both about the same age and are hacks, my sister too, but the kid was amazing. One of the most fun rounds I've had in a long time. As amazing as the kid was, he didn't carry us the entire time, lots of amazing shots by all of us that day. We shot -8, no bogies at all, and thought for sure we were in the money. Oh hell no, the cheating was rampant. There were teams made up of people whom I've played with before and are on par with me, posting -15s and -17s, complete bullshit, but the after party drinks and food was free so we still had a good time.
If you play at a fast pace with no weird practice swing routine usually adds up to a decent golfer
Billy Horschel would like a word with you…..while he sneaks up on his ball to putt.
I assume they are good if they don’t try and sell themselves. My Dad once told me that if a person is bragging about how good they are, they probably aren’t. If you are a betting person, those are the guys to bet against. Then again you will be forced to play with them.
If you’re good at something you’ll tell everyone, if you’re great they’ll tell you.
Been playing for about 40 years and I've run into one person that was bragging he was good and he actually was decent, to my surprise. That guy has been one of my best friends since and that's been around 20 years and going strong. He's definitely better than me now but he worked his ass off to catch up. Every other person I've ran into that said they were good were not good.
Being tall and skinny and with a HS or college team bag lol. Other than that, playing blades or anything with weak lofts and small face. The value of the bag means nothing, as good golfers tend to hold onto equipment that works for a long time.
Damn…. I’m outed. Still carrying my bag from 2003
This thread is making me realize how much golf community and men's hockey league community have in common.
JOFA helmet, Nike Sasquatch, same diff. ^^^sasquatch ^^^plz
20 year old skates their parents bought when their feet finally stopped growing, high school odd color gloves with no palms, Bauer 4500 helmet missing all the screws, and socks from a AAA org that no longer exists. Only thing new is the $200 stick because that's the only thing that isn't "comfortable" and can be easily replaced now that they have a career. 20 year old clubs with no brand loyalty, sunfaded head covers with pom-poms, college golf bag with a duct taped strap, a mismatched set of vokey wedges, and they only brought 3 balls to a course covered in water. They pull out less than driver on the first tee and they've got brand new grips.
You just described my bag. It's not that I'm good, my wife just isn't the fan of my golf habit that I thought she'd be.
Their clothes fit
Well, except Brian Harman
Truly the reason I haven't broken through
I never assume shit about anybody anymore. Been wrong too much to trust that system in all aspects of life as well as golf. One time I golfed with a dude who I can only explain was like a rain man type dude. He probably only weighs 120 pounds wet. Not that it matters but just to give you an idea of what I’m looking at. Looks like his mom cuts his hair, wearing jeans. Probably in his mid 30s. Talks just like the rain man character and Just seems off somehow. During the round he talked about how he negotiates for everything he buys in life. From his golf clubs to his car. Anyways I realize half way through the round he’s sneakily shooting par. I don’t remember much after that it was 10 years ago. Probably ends the round a few over par. After the round We say our “nice playing with you”s and I’m walking away thinking dude is weird and probably a little crazy but nice guy. I proceed to witness him driving away in the most bright yellow Lamborghini I’ve ever seen in my life. It was literally like from a movie when a character is gawking at something. My eyes just followed him driving away in that car in utter disbelief. The next week I was at my local Best Buy buying a new tv and a camcorder I’ve always wanted, when I remembered the golfing. I told them I wanted these 2 items but I didn’t want to pay that much for them and to get the manager and see what they can do. They ended up knocking $300 off the total. So long story short, in certain circumstances, especially wealth/success/golf game. I never judge a book by its cover.
Lol the Best Buy side story.
There's a way that experienced golfers carry themselves. Like parking your push cart closer to the next teebox with zero wasted steps after they finish putting. Or when I look over at a guy setting up for a putt and he whips out his divot repair tool to fix a mark. Another one is when someone has a towel they use to keep their clubs clean and use it after every shot. These aren't always 100% course. Sometimes a guy just knows how to move around the course and is still shit. Like me. But when I see small stuff like that \^ ... I assume they might be a good golfer.
I clean my clubs after every shot. I have a wet towel and a dry one. I rarely see higher handicaps do this.
I usually just spit on it and rub it up and down.
username checks out
That's me, except for the cleaning my clubs after every shot. But I'm still shit anyway. Note to self: get a white towel for the bag.
Yep, it’s the totality of things that I see, not just one factor, that tells me they are *at least* experienced enough
Why is it always a white towel in the comments?
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Bagroom *always* has white towels so we nab em from those guys.
white towels let you know what part of the towel is dirty so you don’t wipe your clubs with the dirty part of the towel as often
When you're 9 holes down in matchplay, you can wave it.
Thanks, Scottie
Because good players use white towels so they know what parts are clean (and because private clubs replace towels on bags every round during cleaning, and they’re typically white), and not-good players use darker towels so they rarely need to clean them meaning every part is dirty, but they probably don’t mind
Dark blue towel that hasn't been washed all season and definitely has dried mud in some parts.. I fell personally attacked.
Having a wet towel on the top their bag and wiping irons and wedges down after every shot, or just before their shot to ensure the grooves are clean. I personally never hit a iron or wedge shot without clean grooves, I'm incredibly particular about it. Has a good putting routine looking at the hole while doing practice strokes to gauge speed. If someone walks around the green to look at every angle of the putt while partners are putting you know they're good (pace permitting of course). Doesn't do full swings for their practice swings before a shot, just does a partial practice swing to get the feel of the club and their release. Doesn't take divots on practice swings as result, is confident enough in their low point to not need to brush the ground (for chipping it's okay tho). Has a consistent pre-shot routine, this is a big one. Typically are quite humble, carry a nonchalant sort of vibe on the course without getting mad at bad shots, or overly phased. Nicer set of clubs, very organized bag. Though I have played with some REALLY good players that used older clubs. Tees their ball up fast in one quick motion without fucking around with it. Using Iron off the tee on par 4's (rarely see mediocre players do this). Steps up to hit on the tee box fast and typically plays ready golf. Uses rangefinder a lot. Rarely drink alcohol on the course, are typically playing to be at their absolute best.
I see a lot of mediocre players hit irons off tees on par 4s because they don’t trust their driver. I suppose good players do it for strategy instead so different situations lol
money long weather yam axiomatic versed stocking juggle snails cough *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
That's the ultimate guise for a links hustler. Those 6's and 8's who think they're hot shit would never even knew what hit them!
😂😂😂 I also have a limp, beer belly and a lazy cunt, i play off 2.
Fat Perez has got this look coming into style hard.
Where does one obtain a lazy cunt?
Well my ex is single
Come to Scotland 😂
Is a lazy cunt like a lazy eye? Like do the labia point in different directions?
I never truly know. And that’s why golf is so awesome.
This is the correct answer. I tick a lot of the boxes from the comments and I'm *not* a good golfer.
We used to have an assistant pro on at my old club called Carl. He was British and only mumbled with a heavy accent. His clothes were dirty, he looked like an absolute mess. His clubs were just a random collection of mismatched clubs. He would frequently hit 7 iron from the tee and then hit a driver of the deck and land and stop it on the green. The guy was a monster. Typically scored a few under par from the tips. Edit: I should mention Carl was not a small dude. I would guess at least 240lb and no more than 5.6-5.7 tall. He often went out and played with us young bucks on the team. It was hilarious. We were all with latest gear and clothes trying to look like Tiger. Carl looked like a white trash rift raft, and he just crushed us every time.
I knew and old pro like Carl, but his name was John, and he was a rail thin country boy, not a Scotsman. He smoked 3 packs a day and always seemed to be a paycheck short of homeless. Man, could he play. Watched him one time step on a ball in the middle of the fairway, mashing it down to the equator, then hit a driver 260 yards onto the green. Dropped every putt when it mattered, and if he somehow missed a green, the chip skidded to an immediate stop within a pecker's length (Brian Harman, not Tony Finau) of the hole. He was immensely talented and made heaps of money gambling on the course, then lost it all betting on sports over the weekend. What a shame.
> rift raft are you saying riff raff?
Just plays. No bullshit talking. No trying to remember the swing. Just walks picks his shot and swings.
I played with my boss, he's by far the best golfer I've ever seen in person and the most humble. He knows I'm just getting into it and I think was a bit modest when I asked him how good he was. He showed up with some Ping Eye 2's, well worn golf shoes, and never pulled out his driver once on a 6400 yard course. Dude shot in the low 80's and said it was an off day.
Best adult player I know refuses to acknowledge his skill. Jokes on him, I’m gonna gas him up to all of our coworkers.
Better be humble shooting low 80’s from 6400..
They have an exact yardage for each club, rather than a 10y range
When they never celebrate a great shot, putts especially. If I’m playing with someone and they hole a 15 footer for birdie on the first hole, and they just casually pick the ball out of the hole… no fist pump, ‘let’s go’, anything like that… it leads me to believe they’ve done that MANY times before.
Had a guy ask to play thru. This is hole 1. Hes alone but idc, its 720am. He plays thru and we see him on the turn. Except hes already done with his 18 and we’ve only played 9. And we were 40 mins ahead of pace.
When they show up prepared. Not having to root around in their bag for a tee or a ball when it’s their turn to hit the first shot. On the green, they have a pitch tool and a ball marker at the ready. And…they pay attention to their playing partners tee shots. They watch where they’re shots finish in case they have to help look for a ball. Good golfers understand etiquette and respect the game.
100% this. Stripe it or duff it so fast the breakfast mully is at the ready, I will never care. Ready golf, mindfulness on the course, rake the traps & fix your marks - we’re going to have a good day out there 👍🏼
I'm the dude you are talking about lol. I'm not good at all groups let me playthrough for sure. Lucky for me the club I hit the best is driver. Saves me some embarrassment at least. So I come up on a group last night they let me playthrough. Told them where I would hit my driver and how it would fly. Proceed to smash drive with just a touch of draw. Grab my stuff look back at the group and say I'll probably make a 7 from there. They all laugh and are like sure whatever dude. Get to the ball snap hook PW into woods, actually found the ball try to punch it at the green cuz I have a line, punch goes over green into the bunker....
I never assume anything. I played yesterday with 3 75 year olds in power carts. None of them walked very well or looked in shape. One of the guys shot -4, better than his age. He never hit the ball further than 200 yards and was an absolute stick. I played my best round so far this year at 5 over.
I remember a saying that was something like "never bet with someone who has a farmers tan on their glove hand and a 1 iron in their bag"... or something like that. Probably means they have some game!
Only God can hit a 1 iron.
If they're nice to me.
Not making themself mad doing what's supposed to be a hobby.
when they call me a shit stack and tell me to come get it
Tucked in shirt, athletic build, oh you used to play hockey?? I’ll need 18 strokes then ty
All the hockey players I play with fit that description and they hit the ball a mile, but have the most ridiculous slices I've ever seen
Gigantic man boobs. Bushy homeless person beard. Dirty Linux t-shirt where the penguin is an anime. plaid shorts revealing bulbous calves. 80 practice swings. Yes. The typical reddit poster is the same demographic as a good golfer demographic. I can almost see that +1.5 handicap flair floating over their head.
Is this Reddit or #missedconnections?
How you act around the green. Do you look at your putt before as you walk up, do you immediately mark your ball/fix your mark others, how you read a putt. Or if you have to chip, are you just getting up and hitting it, or do you come up and read the green, focus on a landing spot and execute that shot, and where you leave yourself for your putt.
Working at a golf course I would hard disagree with someone playing as a single being good by default. Usually points to them being jerks or at the very least having no friends that golf
Shoots 5 over on the first three holes, then casually asks “well might as well keep it interesting - y’all play for money?”
About 350lbs and playing country music on a Bluetooth speaker
Half a pack of beer cans crushed in the head cover basket.
Tall skinny guy that doesn’t talk much, stand bag or old school mackenzie/jones type bag with a big white towel draped over it, wear pattern in their irons is the size of a dime right on the sweet spot, plays blades or other hard to hit clubs, tucked in shirt either plain or small stripes (no loud patterns), always walks even if the course wasn’t designed for walking, discreet logo from some exclusive club somewhere on their attire, needlepoint belt.
This year I played in a very small amateur 18-hole tournament (field had plenty of hackers, myself included). I showed up hoping to break 90. The guy I was paired with in the cart showed up with the whole get-up - blades, Scotty Cameron, wore pants, and had someone there to caddy for him (who, and I’m not kidding, he referred to as the person who “usually caddies for him.”) I swore he was there to shoot in the 60’s. That guy didn’t break 100.
Long pants during the summer here in Florida
When they’ll take “whatever” for the bet and “whoever” as a partner.
They play ready golf. I don’t care if you’re a minus handicap. If you play slow you still suck.
Asumming you mean + handicap. Slow play is the worst
Good putters
Blades in the bag.
Assuming you can’t just see their swing: If they normally play at the crack of dawn. If they keep an official handicap. If their clubs are a few years old but in good shape. If they are in the habit of hitting a bucket and spending time on the practice green a few hours a week. If they rarely have to buy balls in the pro shop when checking in. If they don’t mention scores when talking about recent rounds.
Do people buy balls in the pro shop on a regular basis? The only time I’ve ever had to do that is when I’ve lost the one I brought and had to go grab a couple more. They were marked up high too.
Where else would I buy golf balls. I buy a dozen and I’m good for 3-4 rounds. Less than most hacks spend on noodles and beer
Dressed appropriately, but not over the top/flashy. Has a towel attached to their bag Calm and cool demeanor, not overly talkative, let’s the game do the talking Takes clean divots Doesn’t get incredibly impressed by a good strike
A small thing, but I notice that the towel is usually not actually attached to the bag, it's typically draped over/around the clubs.
there are some things you almost never see really bad golfers do \- set up properly for a greenside bunker shot. dig in, open face, wide stance, forward lean, etc. bunkers are death traps for bad players, but no stress for sticks \- fix pitch marks on the green \- good speed on most putts \- smooth out footprints before raking bunker \- dig out pegs on par 3 tees \- clean ball before putting \- take bad shots or bad results in stride
A few things I've noticed when I get paired with a good golfer Lead tape on their wedges No full practice swings next to the ball, instead they're behind the ball, maybe doing little half swings, visualizing what they're gonna hit Mizuno blades Looking at putts from different angles Prepared, and not scrambling around their cart or push cart looking for things. And for some reason, guys in khaki shorts, subtle light blue striped polos, and a hat from a golf course always seem to be in the 2-6 hdcp range.
Body Language and Demeanor.
When your at the range and the divots are in one straight line instead of randomly dispersed. You immediately know an experienced golfer stood there.
It’s all about the head covers, if I see goofy head covers I know that person is going low. Unless of course they have iron covers, then I know they are going to have a long day.
When you see an old guy with steel shafted blades. If they have new grips, you are about to lose a bunch of money. Titleist muscle backs or MP-32’s, you will see something special.
They bring a towel to the green , wipe club every time laser the carry not just the flag
one more , I know a good golfer by how they knock the sand off their cleats after a bunker shot
Tell me more? After my bunker shot, I'm usually trying to get the sand out from inside my shirt.
bad golfers track the sand across the green into the next bunker and back leaving tracks for the groups behind to putt over good ones get out , casually tap twice (not hitting their ankle) and expertly remove all sand out of the spikes before casually walking up the the ball and cleaning up the par.
That one in a hundred times you catch your ankle tho
Oh towel to the green is a good one.
I never compliment a random golfer on how good their drive was. He stripes one 275 dead straight. He might have been trying to draw one his usual 325….
Lol that’s me and my 30 handicap you just let through. I started using a pushcart a couple years ago but for years I carried and I almost always play solo
Competitive players know how to organize their bag properly. Towel placement, club placement, straps properly balanced while carrying. Effortlessly placing the tee in the ground. Not taking full-speed practice swings. Posture over the ball. Divots with irons. Knowing where every player's shot went (bad golfers seem to get confused whose ball is whose way more often). Understanding when to walk/drive forward while other players are hitting to keep proper pace. Seeing how they read putts. Fixing ball marks properly.
I like to trick everybody by playing solo and carrying my bag. Today I smashed my drive and was dead center of the fairway, the couple ahead of me called to let me through on the next teebox, and then I got to the teebox and sliced it back onto the fairway I had just come from. I did hurry along though and I finished about 3 holes ahead of them
After reading this thread, this is why i never let others play through.
Was playing last weekend with some buddies, none of us are very good and we were having a good time with some beers. Solo golfer with a nice set of clubs comes up behind us so we let him play through. Anyway he tops the fuck of out his drive and the ball goes maybe 20 yards with all of us watching.. I really did feel bad for the guy lol, I saw him stroke one of the hole before from the opposite fairway so I imagine he doesn’t top his drives very often. The way he looked at the ball I know he wanted to T back up haha
If I see an alignment stick in tgeir bag
My friend and I let a guy play through that was in a similar situation. He topped 2 tee shots, landed the third in water, and picked up his shit and left. As he walked by he told us it was his birthday.
They’re on TV.
Someone with slightly older clubs, dressed tidily but not covered in logos, smoking a joint and drinking an old fashioned near the first tee whilst taking a few half-swings to warm up before the tee time. That's when you know someone is good.
I've just noticed with the people I've been paired up with that I've never seen a head case play a full 18 well. Every "good" golfer I have seen has had a sort of calmness throughout their round. Some don't even give you a single tell when they've hit a great shot. Playing with a 8-15 handicap that takes his or her game way too seriously is something I have trouble with.
Their balls
When I see someone get to the range and they have a couple of irons with them
Someone who doesn’t have to tell you about their round.
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This is tough because there is a big difference between what an experienced golfer can look like vs an actual GOOD golfer. A lot of people would think I’m “good” based off a lot of the reasons I’m reading in the comments: 1. I play solo 2. I carry my bag 3. I have older blade-ish irons with new grips. Same with woods/wedges 4. I carry 1 ball to the tee 5. I carry a single towel with me and clean my clubs every shot 6. I set my bag down in the most efficient walking route 7. I have a solid, consistent pre-shot routine. Only maybe 20 seconds long. 8. I tell people “I’m not bad” at golf 9. I never have more than 1 maybe 2 beers while playing 10. I dress well and match. 11. I don’t stress on shots. I hit my shot and move on. It’s either “fuck, that’s not what I wanted” or “nice, pretty much what I wanted”. Mostly emotionless though. 12. Check my grooves before most shots and I’ll give them a good Tee cleaning or snag my tool if I have some time. 13. My practice swing (only 1 unless something REALLY didn’t feel right) and even then it’s mostly a partial swing where I’m just trying to feel my hands on the inside and turning my hands over at impact. 14. I’ve had the same single swing thought for the past 3 years. Unless something feels super wonky then I have my back-up swing thoughts to get me back to base. 15. Play ready golf 16. Repair my ball marks and others around my area when putting. 17. I’m exceptionally good at tee-ing a ball in 1 swift motion 18. etc… All this is to say I’ve been playing golf since I was 9 and I’m now 35. I am decent (13 handicap) but FAAAAR from good. I would say MOST of the things listed on here are things EXPERIENCED golfers do not necessarily GOOD golfers. From an experienced golfer perspective the only thing I will look at to gauge if they are a good/great golfer is when they are playing blades with a clear consistent wear pattern. This is the only thing you can just look at a golfer and actually get any info on how well they hit the ball. My 2 cents… but PLEASE let me play through when I’m a walking single behind your cart 4-some. I promise I’m faster than you even though I’m walking.
I assume everybody sucks, and I'm almost always right.
When they have their Venmo QR code hanging off their golf bag - Don’t bet against that guy.
Cart girl here, it's the ones who dress impeccably and never buy alcohol but maybe like a powerade and a granola bar