How Much Do You Chat While Playing?

[Hoganman1]

Over the last few weeks our club has gone to the "walk and carry only" rule. During this time I've been playing with some new people. I've found most of them to be very nice, but some are extremely chatty during the round. I'm starting to find it very distracting. I try to be friendly when meeting new people, but sometimes I feel like I'm being interviewed while playing.I used to be a pretty good player and had a single digit handicap for two decades. Now I have to work hard to concentrate on every shot to shoot in the low 80s. Age and injury has taken it's toll, but I still love to play. Maybe I'm just becoming a grumpy old man. It's  just I don't like to talk much during a round of golf. I get that some people are more social than me. They're just being nice by showing interest in my family, my previous career and my history. However, I wish they would save all that for after the round. Maybe the fact that we cannot congregate for a beer or drink after the round is causing this to occur. Anyway, this isn't that big of a deal. I just wondered if anyone else feels this way. Maybe I've been a jerk all along and am just now noticing.

[Jbmullin]

I’m not much of a talker at the best of times so I like quite. I’m not a statue if I do get paired up with others, actually must be some what social as I’ve been purposely paired with the same guys who called in and requested to pair up with me if I was golfing.
With my sons.. lots of chatter of instruction and encouragement.


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[silver & black]

Just the normal heckling and making jokes at at my playing partner's expense...lol.  

[Rickp]

Just the normal heckling and making jokes at at my playing partner's expense...lol.  

I guess I’m kind of a babbler. Occasionally make sense, maybe.
I enjoy the discussion during a round, keeps most guys relaxed, not everyone likes it so I (we) throttle it back a wee bit.


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[russtopherb]

I don't mind some chatter, we're social creatures after all. I can only think of a few times where I was paired up or placed in a group where the golfers weren't asking questions, chatting about past rounds & terrible shots, etc. As long as it quiets down as someone's stepping up to their shot, I don't mind it at all. 

[silver & black]

26 minutes ago, Rickp said:

I guess I’m kind of a babbler. Occasionally make sense, maybe.
I enjoy the discussion during a round, keeps most guys relaxed, not everyone likes it so I (we) throttle it back a wee bit.


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The guys I play with are the same. We just have a good time and throw a few jabs around.

[Rickp]

Have a friend who lives in Myrtle Beach now (Big Stu’s & GrandStranded problem) when he STOPPED talking I looked around to make sure he was OK.


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[Kenny B]

I am usually not a talker when I play, but it depends on who I am playing with.  My Monday walking group of guys are all over 75 years old, except me (72).  We only get together to play 9 holes once, maybe twice a week.  So it's a lot of chatter about what's happened since we last played.  Nobody keeps score (I do in my head).  I usually play pretty well with them because they are "familiar."  I tend to walk faster than they do trying to "drag them along".  So, I get some quiet time.

When I play on the weekends with my wife and are paired with other people, it's a crap shoot.  My wife is the talker so she is always in a conversation with them if they also want to talk.  Sometimes it's difficult for me because I hear the talk, but don't understand any of it.  Old age takes it toll.  I should be getting used to it, but when I try to shoot a decent score, it can be distracting.  If someone is talking when I'm ready to swing, I just step back and wait.  Doesn't take many times and I'm good for the rest of the round.

When my wife and I play with other couples we know, it's strictly competitive.  Socializing comes after.

There is one guy that my wife and I will do anything to avoid getting paired with him.  He's into financial investments, and we are treated like potential clients.  He never shut up!!

[tony@CIC]

I don't mind chatter/trash talk as long as everyone shuts up when I go to hit the ball. Had that problem last year with another couple we play with. Both of our wives would start chatting, generally when I'm on the tee box. They got the idea when I just stood and waited for them to stop talking.


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[Shankster]

Silence. I let my shots do the talking, bad or good. Haha

[GolfSpy_SHARK]

I am a chatter. Not about play I let the shots and score do that. But just chatter in general. Depending on who it’s with I will talk smack occasionally. Usually general conversation and with me folks I definitely chat with them as well. 
funny because I am overall very reserved not a huge talker outside of golf (the wife hates it lol)

[DiscipleofPenick]

To myself or others? I'll talk as much as others want. When I play with friends and family, lots of chatter. If I get paired up I stick to friendly conversation. I don't want to be that guy trying to give swing advice out there.

And chatter during my swing isn't an issue. If your talking, keep talking. When I address the ball and you stop that's just as distracting to me.

Take Dead Aim

[GolfSpy_SHARK]

13 minutes ago, Tsmithjr9 said:

To myself or others? I'll talk as much as others want. When I play with friends and family, lots of chatter. If I get paired up I stick to friendly conversation. I don't want to be that guy trying to give swing advice out there.

And chatter during my swing isn't an issue. If your talking, keep talking. When I address the ball and you stop that's just as distracting to me.

Take Dead Aim
 

Good post this is how I am as well. Chat away during swing doesn’t matter. Friendly chatter (ball busting with regular people. I know I can coke and joke with)

[bens197]

This made me think of Lee Trevino. The old story goes something like:

Nicklaus and Trevino standing on the first tee at Merion during the US Open. Nicklaus went up to Trevino and said, “Lee, I don’t feel like talking much today”

Without missing a beat, Lee says, “That’s OK Jack, you don’t need to, I’ll handle the talking today.“

In college during my Senior season, the same teams traveled to the same events. We grew accustomed to our regular partners and the #2 from Bryant, Pace and SNHU were all great. All solid golfers but the conversation was great and we had a lot of fun. Sure it was competition but we were four strangers who actually enjoyed our matches and rooted each other on.

[Hoganman1]

Seems like a pretty good cross section of answers. Some people don't mind a lot of chatter during a round and others, like me, prefer less talk..I think this is why I enjoy sometimes playing alone. It's hard to do at my club because we have a lot of members for a club with only one eighteen hole course.  I guess I'll just have to learn to tune out the talkers when I play. Here's hoping "good shot" or "great birdie" is what they're saying most of the time.

[GB13]

As someone who plays as a single quite frequently, I feel my answer varies widely based on who I’m paired with. By nature, I’m a fairly quiet person and if I’m paired up with someone else who is quiet, it’s mainly just pleasantries and not much else. And I’m happy with that. 

As for the social people? I usually find one of two types. (Painting with a broad brush here.) People who chatter incessantly and boast about themselves, and people who want to have a good time with good conversations. With the first type, I’m not very chatty, just the occasional, polite, “Very interesting.” With the second type, I’ll be much more friendly and chat back and forth, inject some good natured trash talk etc... 

So for me, it depends. I’ll gladly be quiet, and I’ll gladly have a good time with it, I just kinda go with what everyone else wants. 

[MattF]

I don't mind a joke and a talk, but it depends on who I'm with. As a single at my course most of the time, there's a chance of being paired with someone you'd rather not talk to.

If it's one/some of the guys here who I've played with before, we trash talk and joke pretty much the whole round.

[juspoole]

I'm not one to talk all that much besides the occasional jokes in the cart ride, but I do like chat a bit and check on my buddies and how their family is doing as I do not have a "regular foursome" but rather about 10 different guys that I play golf with throughout the year and normally they'll invite the other guys to complete a foursome.  I play with them once or twice during the season normally, and my hope is to get 20 - 25 rounds in a given year.  

With my job, I'm fortunate to get to play about 6 - 8 rounds of golf per year, but with that and travel I try not to play as much on weekends to ensure I spend plenty of time with my family and give my wife, who works full time as well, a much needed break from our 3 kiddos.  I'm trying to get my oldest (5) into golf a bit, but depending on the month, she is into it.  Depending on how this current pandemic situation shakes out, she could go with me a couple times this summer.

[cnosil]

With my regular group I will chat throughout the round. During my golf league it is generally responding to a chatty partner.
Other than that I don’t talk too much; I am a quiet person especially around people I don’t know.

[Middler]

I’m a medium talker, but I can get along with almost anyone for 4 hours. In my weekly league, some groups are too quiet to me (we’re not playing for FedEx cup points, have some fun) and some too chatty to the point of slow play - but most groups seem to strike a happy medium. Poor play/high HI doesn’t bother me. Talking doesn’t bother me. I’ve even gotten used to guys who must have music. The only thing that bothers me is unnecessary chronic slow play, guys who take way too long for no good reason (talking when they could be hitting, reading greens forever, leaving carts/clubs out of position, looking for lost balls we’re not playing such that it slows play, etc.).

[M. Parsons]

I feel like it just depends on the other people I'm playing with.  I'm not a huge conversation starter, but I can keep one going and stay engaged throughout a round if it's a good one.  During tournaments I'll typically only talk to the person I'm in a cart with or the occasional pleasantries with the other 2 guys.  I've played with guys that are always joking (running over your ball and whatnot) and it doesn't bother me really, I can joke back...but usually I'm more of the encouraging type.

[PMookie]

If I’m in a tournament, I’m not talking much at all. I hate how in our City Championship we ride carts with others because I’ve been with the guy that doesn’t stop yapping, and it drives me nuts. If I’m just playing a normal round, I’ll chat as much as those I’m playing with as I’m usually a single joining others. In San Antonio a few years back, I made friends with three guys, and ended-up calling them to golf each time I came back for work.


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[Berg Ryman]

In high school matches I had a reputation as a chatterbox, and that was fine by me. I was always intrigued to learn more about the guys I was playing against and hopefully find a connection there. Of course, there were players that thought they were too cool for school (the private club kids) who I didn't talk to all that much, but most everyone else was pretty cordial. 

Now I've kinda cooled it down a bit because I don't play with talkers all that much. I will sing or rap to myself on the course though if I'm having a quiet time out there.

[Hoganman1]

14 hours ago, GB13 said:

As someone who plays as a single quite frequently, I feel my answer varies widely based on who I’m paired with. By nature, I’m a fairly quiet person and if I’m paired up with someone else who is quiet, it’s mainly just pleasantries and not much else. And I’m happy with that. 

As for the social people? I usually find one of two types. (Painting with a broad brush here.) People who chatter incessantly and boast about themselves, and people who want to have a good time with good conversations. With the first type, I’m not very chatty, just the occasional, polite, “Very interesting.” With the second type, I’ll be much more friendly and chat back and forth, inject some good natured trash talk etc... 

So for me, it depends. I’ll gladly be quiet, and I’ll gladly have a good time with it, I just kinda go with what everyone else wants. 

I think you're absolutely right. I've encountered both types and much prefer the second type too. 

[SteddyGolf]

I’m a functional introvert so if someone engages me first I welcome the discourse. However, if left alone I’ll probably remain relatively quiet but always cordial.


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[RetiredBoomer]

My usual golf buds and I chatter incessantly while we play. 

Lots of players really wouldn't like it, and I can understand that.  

Golf is a different thing to different people.

 

[bens197]

Quiet people aren’t quiet around the right people.

[Jmikecpa]

Depends on whom is in my group. Most times I am fairly quiet and like to go about my business. If I am playing a business round there is generally a lot more conversation.


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[palvord]

I adapt to the situation, and the people that I am with.

When it is with my friends and family, we chat the entire round. Never when anyone is standing over a shot, but all the space in between. For us, golf is a social event and we socialize.

When I am in my golf league, it is relatively chatty as we all know each other and like to trash talk and catch up on life from week to week.

When I go out as a single and get paired up with a stranger, I usually adapt to their personality. If they want to chat, I chat, provided that the conversation is interesting and worth my attention. I'll be relatively quiet if I get paired up with someone that I find to be uninteresting, or not a nice person. 

[Advstj]

I usually golf with my dad and sister so there is always conversation going on. If with friends, we talk to catch up but are quiet from time to time.