Good club to be a former member of...

[John Percival]

Wow.
That anyone would be allowed to play single or even two at a busy time shows a lack of regard for the membership. That deprives two/three other players from a spot on a course. As there are limited spots through the day, clubs should institute a policy of 'minimum players per time'. Or something like that. For God's sake, get a game and make new friends. If some dew-sweeper wants to play early, fine, but dont allow it in the middle of the day.
To be fair, there are many golfers who are intimidated to join with better players. That's when a great starter makes a club special. By matching skills and personalities.
At Oakland Hills, Bob Byerlein manages that task beautifully.
And the generally accepted norm is that a single has no status on the course.

[DMoriarty]

I think perhaps there are a number of red herrings swimming around this thread.  I don't think anyone is seriously suggesting that singles or twosomes ought to be out there playing through at a two hour pace on a crowded saturday morning.  But when courses are less crowded and things are a bit more spread out, it seems rather unreasonable to not let faster matches play through.   It takes only a few minutes to let a group play through.  Less if done correctly.  And the courteous act saves the annoyance of having one group waiting on hole after hole and the other feeling pressured.  

NGLA's scorecard states the proper etiquette succinctly:  "Please allow faster matches to play through."  

That said, the issue of the entitled single is not a new one.  This from the Nov. 1922 Vanity Fair.

[Dan Herrmann]

At my club, twosomes tend to go out between 7-8am.  Then there's a ball drop at 8 that's all foursomes.  After they're done, it's a free-for-all.   We don't have tee times, and tee times aren't restricted to "primary members".  We all love it.

[John Kavanaugh]

David,

Thank you for the cartoon as I thought the unsocial misfit was more a problem associated with our disconnected society than since the very beginnings of the game.

I've been joining up with strangers for the last 45 years I have played golf and can attest to not have a single friend in the world that I did not first meet on the golf course. No one from work, church, gambling or the grocery.  I like the Indian guy at Subway but dont know his name  While my friends are a select few I hate to think how alone I would be if I refused to join up with anyone looking for a game.

[Dan Herrmann]

John. I heard that guy from Subway is a three hdcp looking for a game  

[Mac Plumart]

David,

Thank you for the cartoon as I thought the unsocial misfit was more a problem associated with our disconnected society than since the very beginnings of the game.

I've been joining up with strangers for the last 45 years I have played golf and can attest to not have a single friend in the world that I did not first meet on the golf course. No one from work, church, gambling or the grocery.  I like the Indian guy at Subway but dont know his name  While my friends are a select few I hate to think how alone I would be if I refused to join up with anyone looking for a game.

Excellent stuff, John.  I agree with this sentiment.  Going to my current club as a single, almost always lends itself to getting randomly paired up with other golfers.  I've met some good people this way.

[Mike Hendren]

I was playing as a twosome with Mike Hendren when another twosome came up on us on the 16th tee where we had been waiting for the green to clear. I asked if they wanted to join us for the remaining three holes and they said "No, we would prefer to play through".  Hilarity ensued and they decided just to end their golf day there and drive in. I made them an offer they had no choice but to refuse. I will never understand the fear some people have with joining up.

"Hilarity ensued" is one of the great understatements of all time!   It was all I could do to keep from falling down.  Good times.

Bogey

[Robert Kimball]

Excellent stuff, John.  I agree with this sentiment.  Going to my current club as a single, almost always lends itself to getting randomly paired up with other golfers.  I've met some good people this way.

Hey Mac: I know you are right on the money here, but I always have trouble with this topic.  I have to learn to get over the awkwardness of being a single and showing up to play golf with people I don't know. All my "regular" guys don't play on the weekends anymore, so if I am going to play, it will have to be as a single most likely.

I always feel like I am "busting up" a groups comradarie if I am the "tag-a-long."  I just need to stop worrying about it, and grow a pair, but it is tough. Mac, I know we need to get a game going sometime as well. . . . hope all is well over at "Atlanta's Hidden Gem."

Rob