We all know golf is complicated enough without having to tolerate an annoying golf partner. If you want to be a great partner, make sure you, apart from not irritating fellow players with advice no one asked for, keep their spirits up. Let’s discover how!
Have hope
Stay positive even when no one else would. Having hope and positivity lifts spirits and is way better than being despondent when shots become jokes. No one wants to hear: ‘’I’d be better off rearranging my furniture’’. To succeed in climbing to the top of a personal golfing mountain, golfers need partners who encourage rather than annoy.
Don’t coach your golf partners
Don’t start coaching and giving advice to your partners unless they ask you. It’s incredibly irritating. Golf is hard enough without your opinions that don’t make the game any easier. You’re not a coach but a teammate. Bite your tongue whenever possible unless they ask you to share your wisdom with them. Even then, try not to overanalyze their performance.
Be ready
A vital trait of a great golf partner is time sensitivity. Speed up a little if you’re taking forever to select a club and an eon to hit the ball. Being too slow might make your partners anxious, so be ready to take your turn. I’m not saying to become Speedy Gonzales, but keep the game going. For example, if you don’t know the whereabouts of your original ball, play a provisional.
Be flexible
Many times we become too stiff when we play with other golfers. Stubbornness won’t help you become an ultimate golf partner. Adaptability will. Display some open-mindedness and flexibility when things don’t go well on course.
Keep your cool
The angry golf partner can be tiring to deal with. Your partners are already dreading their poor shots. They don’t need to go through the same hell when you fail. So, keep your cool. Be considerate and sustain the illusion of peace, even when you’re enduring inner uproar. Laughing at your mistakes instead of cursing whenever you miss a shot will help maintain a positive atmosphere even if your game is falling apart.
Don’t take the game too seriously
Golf is a game, and it’s supposed to be fun. Taking it too seriously can create unnecessary worries in you as much as in your golf partners or make your golf game incredibly dull. You don’t want to be a boring partner, and neither do you want one. So, keep the spirits up by chuckling at your poor shots or telling jokes about all those lost balls. However, inappropriate jokes about your partner’s mistakes might not be such a good idea.
Offer support to your golf partner
No one wants to hear: ‘’You could have made a more accurate shot’’ or ‘’Why am I even playing with you’’. Apart from being unpleasant, it’s rude and unfriendly. Support your partner throughout the round, regardless of their play. Be there for them during difficult moments, but also congratulate them when they make a huge putt. Offering support means a lot, and that’s what partners are for.
Show interest in their game
A great golf partner will be interested in what another partner is doing on the course. Be that great golf partner and watch their ball for a start. If you can’t see well, focus as they drive off, and if their ball strays off the line, watch it down. Also, count how many shots your playing partner is taking rather than asking: ‘’How many’’ after every hole. So, to become an ultimate golf partner, you need to show interest and be attentive to your partner’s game.
Be quiet when it isn’t your turn
Talking, even whispering, when others are about to strike the ball is more irritating than missing a three-foot putt. When your partner is about to play, stand out of their peripheral vision, especially not behind their right shoulder, and don’t talk. Great golf partners are more often than not silent.
Don’t go striding off
When the last player has teed off, don’t go striding off or driving off in a cart. Apart from being rude, it’s antisocial. Social banter is just as important as looking for your ball, and a game is far more enjoyable if you stay with your playing partners.
All in all
In the end, what makes a great golf partner is how you approach the game and your playing partners. If you address them with a positive attitude and a sense of humor, you’ll surely make one hell of a partner. Also, by being ready for your turn and quiet during their turns, they’ll know you respect them and will respect you in return.