How do you handle Golf Invitations in Brief Encounters?

[FuzzyKnuckles]

Had an interaction this weekend with a random guy which got me thinking...

 

What do you do If you meet someone at the gym, bar, neighborhood pool, store, etc. and the conversation leads to golf, they give you their number and invite you to come play at their club sometime. Do you reach out to accept their offer and set something up?

 

I'm talking like you just met this individual, and you talked for an hour max. Do you assume that it was simply a kind gesture, or a serious offer? Do you say what the heck and accept the invite? Or are you the one who invites people you just met - is it usually a lighthearted gesture or a serious offer?

 

Met a guy at a store for 20 minutes and he invited me to a pretty high end club in the area where he's a member, which has got me thinking let's do it and go play this course. Not so much looking for advice, but rather your experiences with similar encounters.

Edited July 27, 2021 by FuzzyKnuckles

[hammergolf]

It’s a round golf. If you were invited, take them up on the offer. 

[carrera]

Sending a text is easy.  Text the guy and say you enjoyed meeting him, and appreciate his offer to play.  Then, decide whether you want to take him up on his offer.  If you don't reach out to him within the first month or so of your opening text, he'll forget who you are and the invitation will probably be stale.  So go for it...he wouldn't have given you his number if he didn't have an interest in hosting you.

 

Source:  I used to do that all the time when I was a member of a top club, and surprisingly, most people didn't follow up on the invitation.  Their loss...those that did, had a good time.

[CDM]

As noted above it's just golf 

 

Honestly If its a TOP 50 course or a course your not sure you will be able to get on again you should always take the invite, you never know if those invites come around again.

 

Most common reason not to:

......Top private clubs charge a decent $$ to play with a member/more without and some people regardless of course are not sure they want to pay these fees or honestly cant which is legit.

.......When is the invite to play and if your available. A lot times with life/family today its hard to match up avaialbe dates it seems.

..... OR If you got a "vibe" it was more then golf well that is up to you  🤣

 

 

Edited July 27, 2021 by CDM

[BdubBoston]

No harm in calling or texting--if it was a courtesy offer (who does this?) then they just won't respond or it will be difficult to schedule. No cost to you to send a text!

[Dpavs]

Obviously you have never read this great golf novel or you would not even be asking about taking such a risk...

Edited July 27, 2021 by Dpavs

[Abh159]

It would depend on the course for me. If it's somewhere I've been wanting to play or somewhere I know I probably won't get the chance to play ever again then I would go for it. 

 

But if it's just a run of the mill course or somewhere I've played before I'm passing. I already have a solid group of golf friends I play with regularly so I don't necessarily need another...

[Wander Bread]

In this case, I would say definitely take him up on the offer, but make sure it is known that you will be covering all of the fees including guest fees, cart or caddy fees, etc.

[Bonneville85308]

Locally I play with a lot of random out of state tourists during peak season, and get a lot of them telling me stuff like "if you're ever in Podunkville, Iowa, here's my number, call me and I can get us on XYZ Goat Ranch Golf Course for free since my brother owns it" but I am either never in that place or don't feel like attempting to coordinate with some guy I played one round with at a muni two years ago to save a $30 greens fee.

 

All of the private club invites I've had generally involved someone I already had some kind of relationship with, or someone returning a favor for a member of my family. Never someone I just randomly minutes ago. However, I am not very outgoing of a person so I don't usually get into conversations with random people at a store, and frankly would be suspicious about the motives of someone I just met offering me a round at a high end private club (MLM sales, financial advisor type looking for new blood, etc.)

[Roody]

As a member of a private club, I don't really make it a habit of inviting random people I just met out for a round. So you really must have made an impression. Or, like someone said earlier it's a "more than just golf vibe". 

 

If you feel comfortable, take the invite. Who knows, this guy could become your new best friend. Or you spend 4 agonizing hours with him, never see him again, but got to play a round at a nice golf club. 

[act0fgod]

If someone invites me to play I'm playing.  Why wouldn't you, we're golf nuts.

[Hawkeye77]

The subject of golf has never come up in any brief encounter I’ve been part of, nor in the movie, where they never actually “encountered”. 

[Carl Spackler3]

Personally I don’t offer anything as chit chat. If I offer it’s a genuine offer. I except people to hold to the same ,(mean what you say, say what you mean). Being said, if it looked like a person you’d enjoy golfing with , say yes

[me05501]

I’d send a nice follow-up text to say “It was nice to meet you, I definitely would enjoy teeing it up sometime.” Then you have to leave the ball in his court. 
 

Next time you find yourself in that social situation and someone says “You should come play at my club,” be ready for it. Maybe put on a comically serious face and say “Now Ted, don’t engage in loose talk like that unless you mean it, because I *will* show up!”
 

If you have a chance to indicate the level of control you have over your schedule that’s always a good idea. Some people might assume that weekdays are out unless you make it clear that you can play any time. 

[nlinneman20]

1. He wouldnt have invited you if he didnt mean it

2. What harm can a text do?  He can choose to decline or not respond if he wasnt serious

3. Lastly I found that a lot of members like 'showing off' their club.  Its not a shot at them by any means, they are just proud of it and could think its one of the best in the area.

[CDM]

On 7/26/2021 at 4:31 PM, FuzzyKnuckles said:

Had an interaction this weekend with a random guy which got me thinking...

 

What do you do If you meet someone at the gym, bar, neighborhood pool, store, etc. and the conversation leads to golf, they give you their number and invite you to come play at their club sometime. Do you reach out to accept their offer and set something up?

 

I'm talking like you just met this individual, and you talked for an hour max. Do you assume that it was simply a kind gesture, or a serious offer? Do you say what the heck and accept the invite? Or are you the one who invites people you just met - is it usually a lighthearted gesture or a serious offer?

 

Met a guy at a store for 20 minutes and he invited me to a pretty high end club in the area where he's a member, which has got me thinking let's do it and go play this course. Not so much looking for advice, but rather your experiences with similar encounters.

 

Best in the area? Top in state? Nationally ranked? etc....??    There are a number of "decent" private courses in our area but many are not better then some of the local tracks yet they charges 50% to double the local rates....because it is "private".... if that is the case I would blow it off.  (just me....)

 

The big question not answered is if you think you can get on this course pretty easy another way and not sure of the person then don't reach out.

 

[Primo1868]

If I’m getting invited, and I want to go, I reach out and take them up on that offer. Doesn’t matter if it was a 10 min conversation. If I don’t want to go, different story!