Been off and on golfing for a few years but really got into it deep this year (about 30 rounds, including about 16 straight weekends). I had the day off of work yesterday and it was raining in the morning but was supposed to stop. Got a tee time at a local course about 30 minutes before the rain stopped. It ended up stopping by the time I was done with the 3rd hole. I realized about then I was the only person on the course. Not a soul apart from the starter on the grounds, just me. Golf just me on a beautiful course was so serene and I truly don’t know if I’ll ever experience anything like it again. Such an unbelievable change from some unfortunately pretty rowdy courses in my area. Missed 2 birdie putts but still set a personal best, hell of a way to finish such an amazing round.
by Tynstein
13 Comments
That’s awesome, man! Congrats on the 118!
I did this on a 9 hole par 3 course. It was so much fun.
That’s a great picture. Hope you had the knockdowns working, that flag tells it all
OP this is why I pretty much only play fall golf. My local course is pristine this time of year with it’s turf, nobody around, no stress, just you golfing. I am a pretty social person but these solo trips on deserted courses is pretty cathartic.
I used to be a member at a small semi private club up in WA state, and in late summer I could play golf until after 9pm. In the fall I would pick apples from the trees between 12 and 16. I played alone almost every day and was very often the only person on the course. This was long before wife, kids, and the Covid explosion in golf popularity with now-packed tee sheets. When I think about those glory halcyon days I feel like I’ll never know anything like them again!
One year I was working nights during the fall, woke up one morning at like 10am and couldn’t sleep, said fuck it and scheduled a tee time and drove out. Basically same thing happened to me, weather was kinda bad, kinda cold, tee’d off and played two balls the whole round and didn’t see a person on the course. Fantastic experience, I’ll never forget it.
I can see it in my mind’s eye and feel it in my soul. Thanks for sharing your story.
I did this one time driving home from a conference. It was late afternoon in fall and I was driving past one of the RTJ trail courses in Alabama. I was calculating my drive time home and I had two choices – drive straight through and get home close to midnight, or stop and play 9 holes before dark and then get a hotel.
I chose number two and played 9 holes as the only person on the course as the sun set. Pure bliss achieved unlike anything I’ve experienced. I prefer golfing as a social outlet with friends but this one night sticks with me to this day 20+ years later.
The serenity is unmatched. I remember my first time being out in the middle of the fairway on a long par 5 at my local track alone. Fall time, golden sun rays in the late afternoon/early evening. Wind was blowing, there’s a river to my left, trees to my right. I look around, realizing how blessed I am at that second. “And in this moment, I am happy” came to mind from the song I wish you were here by incubus. Truly beautiful moment I don’t know I’ll ever forget.
There’s pure and then there’s *pure*.
The former is all about great course conditions and the latter is the feeling there aren’t any external forces aside from the course and the weather that you are competing against. No distractions like loud ass Bluetooth speakers or the group ahead of you playing a 5 hour round.
For me, playing on an empty golf course is the definition of peace for the soul. There’s been times where I just stop what I’m doing, close my eyes and breathe in the perfectness of the moment
There is nothing better!
Amen brother. I started playing at 8, grew up in a small town. Parents belonged to the local
club and I started working there at 15. This time of year I could close up and play 10-12 holes alone in an hour or so. Was pure magic.