Music on the Golf Course

/ The Grateful Golfer

The golf course is a tranquil location where golfers can commune with nature and enjoy scenic beauty. It is a place where anyone can challenge themselves to be a better player and in some cases person. It is my “happy place”!

A few months ago, a follower of The Grateful Golfer asked my opinion about some playing music while playing golf. He also recommended I write an article about this very topic. At that time I had no frame of reference, well that ship has sailed!

I was playing men’s night and our group was on the par 3, 8th tee at Osprey Links Golf Course. Cruising down the 9th fairway was a group of 20 or 30-year-old players with their music playing. I did not recognize the songs, but heard them played on the radio as top forty hits.

The music was loud enough so that other groups on holes 1 and 7 could hear the songs as well. I would not consider the music blasting, yet it definitely was disrupting the peaceful nature of the golf course. Driving to their next shot, the players stopped and had to wait for others to clear the green. As we all do, they started a conversation. Well, they were speaking over the music which made their disruption even more abrupt!

After experiencing music on the golf course, I can categorically state that I do not in favour of it. I find it annoying and intrusion of my personal space. Most of us find it difficult to play when the grounds keepers are working and making noise, but we understand that this a necessary disturbance.

Music played through a speaker has no a place on a golf course. It is disturbing to the players in the vicinity and should not be allowed. If someone wants to use music as a motivator to enhance their personal experience, I suggest they use ear buds. Unless….

Thanks for posing the question about music on the golf course. I hope this answers your question.

I am a grateful golfer. See you on the links.

 

11 thoughts on “Music on the Golf Course”

  1. My friends play music all the time. When I moved to Florida all my friends have music. It’s the advent of Bluetooth speakers and Pandora or Spotify. It is the new wave of golfers who don’t think that tradition is that important. I just think the volume should be lower. I don’t mind the music but I would never initiate it.

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  2. Aloha Jim,

    Guys, I don’t care for music on the golf course either – but I suspect it is the coming new reality. I hear more and more of it from the folks I play with.

    The golfers playing the music and I don’t often have “years” in common. But I like playing with them because we do have one thing in common – we believe that golf should be fun. If they believe that music enhances their enjoyment of the game – I will deal with it. I want them on the course and paying green fees. I always invite them to play with me again … in the hope of making “regulars” out of them.

    Now I know that my attitude comes from working with golf courses and being concerned about their revenue streams. But the need for revenue is a cold reality for golf courses. It is true that – Business is about more than dollars … but it’s not long about anything without them.

    A Hui Hou,
    Wayne

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    • Wayne

      You perspective is very valid. I am not sure if banning music is going to reduce revenue, but I can understand the dilemma. Your point about us more experienced players adapting is a good one, however I am not sure I am there yet with respect to music. As always, great discussion.

      Cheers
      Jim

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  3. Jim,

    I am not a fan of music on the golf course either. Luckily I haven’t ever played with anybody who insisted on listening to music, but I have heard it many times from other groups on the course and it comes across as fairly ignorant when other groups can start to hear it.

    Cheers
    Josh

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  4. Jim, I suspect nobody mentored those folks on golf etiquette. It may seem perfectly normal to the younger generation but I am in total agreement. Got to keep it to yourself; it’s not a sports bar out there.

    Thanks,

    Brian

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  5. I absolutely agree. I do not like it when people are shouting to each other on the course never mind music. Tranquility is an important aspect of why I play, the only music I want to hear is the sounds of the birds in the trees.

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