Opinion & Analysis

Music and golf: Hit Me With Your Best Shot!

Published

11 years ago

Mar 17, 2015

Tom HIll

Except for the par-3, 16^th hole at the TPC Scottsdale where the pros play in a coliseum-like setting with 20,000 fans chanting, singing, cheering, and even booing, golf is mostly a game of respectful quiet.

No one talks when a guy in your group is standing about to hit his shot. On the tee, in the rough or fairway, or putting, there’s usually dead silence as we play any meaningful stroke. Oh, of course, in between shots people give each other the needle, but for hundreds of years, etiquette has demanded and custom has dictated quiet immediately before and during the strike.

This time-honored tradition is changing though. Slowly building like the chorus of “Hey Jude,” this trend is led by mostly younger golfers (more on that later) who increasingly are bringing music with them to the course.

“I guess ‘playing through’ has a new meaning,” one of my playing partners said recently during a round at Black Gold.

“Yeah, playing through your dumb-a** playlist,” teased his cart-riding companion. “Put some Marley on, man. Let me get into the groove.”

Played through easily portable wireless speakers, or at a smart phone’s full volume, Pandora, iHeartRadio, and iTunes now provide a digitally connected soundtrack for golf.

[quote_box_center]“I think it’s a millennial thing,” said Jimmy, a soccer coach from Pasadena, playing at Empire Lakes.[/quote_box_center]

And yet his choice of musical accompaniment was classic rock tracks from the 1960s and 70s. And even I must admit that there’s nothing in my previous golfing experience like standing on the first tee ready to hit my opening drive while Mick and the boys work through, “Start Me Up.”

And yes, I did hit a good drive: thanks Keith.

Mike from Mojave, an aerospace engineer who helps design civilian spacecraft – really, that’s what he said and why would I doubt him? This is Southern California, after all – Mike was listening to Avenger on Pandora.

[quote_box_center]“Sometimes I listen to salsa while golfing, sometimes to classic rock. But I think the last few holes have me in the mood for something a little heavier. AC/DC or Offspring sometimes,” he said as he gripped his driver with tattooed hands.[/quote_box_center]

And then he crushed it.

“There isn’t any song I wouldn’t want to hear while I’m playing,” said Kyle from Apple Valley. “It’s my playlist so there’s nothing on it I don’t like.”

“Well, you’ve got some twangy country on there…” said C.J., who obviously doesn’t appreciate how “Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die“ relates to golf.

“Does anyone ever complain?” I asked Mike.

“I keep it low, or turn it off if I think it’ll bother someone,” he answered. “But I did have a guy one time who blamed the music when he hit a bad shot. I think he was just looking for an excuse because he’d parred the two holes before that with Zeppelin playing.”

“Give me something with a beat and a good bass line,” said Renn at Oak Quarry. “Or sometimes I listen to jazz, something without any words to distract me.”

“Music never distracts me,” said C.J. “But then again I went to clown school in Florida, so I’m used to a lot going on at the same time.” Honest, he said this while balancing a driver on his chin for about 12 seconds!

In Long Beach I played with Greg from Redondo. He never listens to music on the golf course, never heard of that. “What, are they doing that now?” He did allow that one time he played with a guy who listened to Rush Limbaugh on the front nine.

[quote_box_center]“I pushed every drive out to the right all day.”[/quote_box_center]

And if what you hear really does influence how you play, then wouldn’t listening to upbeat, positive songs help, maybe in some minimal subliminal way? Hopefully, while it still matters on the front nine.

“Hit Me With Your Best Shot,” maybe? Or Simon & Garfunkel’s swing advice, “Slow down, you move too fast.”

As a golfer on the back nine of the music-on-the-golf-course demographic, I accept it, even if I don’t join the chorus and sing along. Not for tournaments or serious golf, but for casual play. Maybe someday carts will have iPhone docks and built-in speakers that automatically lower volume when you approach a green? As long as the tunes are only loud enough to be heard within the group who like it, who cares, right? Let the music play.

I have just one request: when I’m standing over the ball, don’t put on Linda Ronstadt’s “You’re No Good.”

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Tom HIll

Tom Hill is a 9.7 handicap, author and former radio reporter. Hill is the author of the recently released fiction novel, A Perfect Lie – The Hole Truth, a humorous golf saga of one player’s unexpected attempt to shoot a score he never before thought possible. Kirkus Reviews raved about A Perfect Lie, (It) “has the immediacy of a memoir…it’s no gimme but Hill nails it square.” (kirkusreviews.com). A Perfect Lie is available as an ebook or paperback through 7-ironpress.com and the first three chapters are available online to sample. Hill is a dedicated golfer who has played more than 2,000 rounds in the past 30 years and had a one-time personal best handicap of 5.5. As a freelance radio reporter, Hill covered more than 60 PGA and LPGA tournaments working for CBS Radio, ABC Radio, AP Audio, The Mutual Broadcasting System and individual radio stations around the country. “Few knew my name and no one saw my face,” he says, “but millions heard my voice.” Hill is the father of three sons and lives with his wife, Arava Talve, in southern California where he chases after a little white ball as often as he can.

45 Comments

Double Mocha Man

Mar 18, 2015 at 8:08 pm

Beethoven’s 7th Symphony, Third Movement, can put you in the mood for a string of birdies.

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Jeremy

Mar 18, 2015 at 6:40 pm

Quiet, sounds of nature only should be the default, but there’s room for music in the game as well. From an etiquette standpoint, seems simple enough: on your own, do what you want, just keep it reasonably quiet so as not to disturb other groups. With your friends where everyone’s cool, same deal. With strangers, just don’t, or if it’s really you’re thing then ask if they’re okay with it.

Overall, just have fun and enjoy the day. Let others do the same. Be conscious of what you’re actually playing for. If it’s a massive putt to win a really big prize, by all means insist on rigid silence. But chances are you’re just doing it for the fun, the exercise, the peace of mind. There’s no reason to let being within earshot of a song you hate for 30 seconds ruin your day.

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chunner

Mar 18, 2015 at 5:04 pm

Steely Dan on the course all the way! I’m 100% for music. Got paired up with a couple of old timers, asked them if the music was okay and they loved it. The super hot cart girl loved the Rolling Stones jam that was on. Music fuels the soul. People try to ‘play’ golf way to seriously…keep it loose and and swing!

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- chunner
  
  Mar 18, 2015 at 5:08 pm
  
  ***I am an Acushnet employee, but am not an Acushnet spokesperson. This posting is my individual opinion only.
  
  Reply Report comment
- Philip
  
  Mar 18, 2015 at 6:30 pm
  
  Could dig that – as long as everyone is in agreement and if asked to turn it down by others, one respects that they are not alone on the course (usually).
  
  Reply Report comment
Rich

Mar 18, 2015 at 3:31 pm

I can’t stand music on the course. And I’m 32. For those of you who love playing music, I ask you this:

If you went to fire up the bluetooth speaker, would you be cool with someone else in the foursome controlling the entire playlist?

I would love to hear my favorite songs all day every day. But it’s disrespectful to think that anyone else in the world wants to. And most people are too courteous to tell others to turn off their music on the course. Don’t make people tell you that they don’t want to hear your music.

Assume that if they aren’t playing it themselves, they’re either respectful of their playing partners, or don’t want to hear music on the course.

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- Double Mocha Man
  
  Mar 18, 2015 at 8:06 pm
  
  I’m fine with music on the course. Did it myself, alone, using earbuds, with “A Little Bit is Better than Nada” to keep me in the golf mood. “Tin Cup” reference. But it’s not very conducive to good golf camaraderie and banter when playing with friends. And please, don’t be the guy in the car with his music cranked up because he thinks everyone else will think he has great taste in music. He doesn’t. He’s just egotistical. And his playlist only works for him and his cookie-cutter friends.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Rich
    
    Mar 19, 2015 at 10:56 am
    
    Very much agreed with all of this. Ear buds shouldn’t even be an issue. Can’t imagine why anyone would have a problem with someone else using headphones when they play golf.
    
    I’d much rather play with someone wearing ear buds than have them ask me if it’s ok if they play music on their bluetooth speaker.
    
    Reply Report comment
Tupac

Mar 17, 2015 at 9:31 pm

If you need music on the golf course it’s not your sport. oh and your probably a hack!

Reply Report comment
- Keith
  
  Mar 18, 2015 at 10:11 am
  
  That’s incredibly stupid…
  
  Reply Report comment
  - rgb
    
    Mar 18, 2015 at 12:05 pm
    
    You misspelled ‘accurate’.
    
    HTH.
    
    Reply Report comment
    - Keith
      
      Mar 18, 2015 at 12:48 pm
      
      Thanks…but my plus index disagrees. Now if you’ll excuse me, gotta crank the jawbone up before I hit this tee shot.
      
      Reply Report comment
      - Taylor
        
        Mar 21, 2015 at 1:07 pm
        
        Jawbone ftw…dropped 5 strokes when I put it in the bag
        
        Reply Report comment
    - Brad
      
      Mar 18, 2015 at 1:29 pm
      
      Also, I believe it should be you’re…. not your. Spelling hack.
      
      Reply Report comment
      - BAA
        
        Mar 18, 2015 at 2:57 pm
        
        Do you even english? “Your” is the correct usage.
        “You’re” is an abbreviation for “you are”.
        
        Reply Report comment
        
        JJ
        
        Mar 18, 2015 at 4:13 pm
        
        @BAA…you might want to re-read the entire excerpt.
        
        Brad is correct in his analysis of @Tupac’s word usage.
        
        Damn, I love it when one is wrong when trying to correct another.
        
        Reply Report comment
        
        Philip
        
        Mar 18, 2015 at 4:37 pm
        
        Actually they are both correct – “your sport” is correct, “your probably” s/b “you’re probably” – as usual, depends on the context, as does music on a golf course or in the office.
        
        Reply Report comment
        
        Jeremy
        
        Mar 18, 2015 at 6:32 pm
        
        No it doesn’t. The context is “you are,” which should be “you’re.”
        
        Philip
        
        Mar 19, 2015 at 12:11 am
        
        what doesn’t? The context I was relating to was which “your” was being referred to. The first was used correctly, the second wasn’t …
        
        Jeremy
        
        Mar 19, 2015 at 8:07 pm
        
        Yup, I get it now. Hard to decipher punctuation when the reply only gets 4 words per line. Carry on!
        
        BAA
        
        Mar 18, 2015 at 10:48 pm
        
        Yep, my bad. I was looking at the wrong “your”.
        
        Reply Report comment
        
        RG
        
        Mar 21, 2015 at 5:27 am
        
        This is why people hate golfers.
- Jeff
  
  Mar 21, 2015 at 2:56 pm
  
  Your sport: correct usage. your proably a hack: should be you’re.
  
  Reply Report comment
other paul

Mar 17, 2015 at 7:26 pm

I played a round with my bro and we listened to the music from the group ahead for the whole round. It wasn’t to loud, it just carries forever on our flat courses. You can be a 550 yard par 5 away and hear it clear as day around here. So I am not a fan so far.

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- Philip
  
  Mar 18, 2015 at 11:42 am
  
  That’s the only thing about it. The design of course courses would make it almost impossible to properly isolate the music from each group. So if one group is listening to hip hop and the other country, there is no way a battle of the louder music will not erupt eventually. We think we sometimes have problems on courses with tempers now and slow play – it could get way worse when someone gets so annoyed they take a wedge to another groups boom box …
  
  Reply Report comment
Beacher50

Mar 17, 2015 at 7:10 pm

Why does everyone always have to be listening to music, I like music, but not in a golf setting. And I deplore it when people use it as a means (with ear buds) to prohibt talking with others. On the driving range, standing in line or whereever. Its just plain rude. They call the new generation the connected generation, to me they’re disconnected.

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- Keith
  
  Mar 18, 2015 at 10:14 am
  
  Maybe I don’t want you talking to me on the driving range while I’m in my practice routine. I could call your invasiveness rude.
  
  Goes both ways…
  
  Reply Report comment
  - talljohn777
    
    Mar 18, 2015 at 12:59 pm
    
    Golf is a social sport. Being anti-social is not really the point…
    
    Reply Report comment
    - rer4136
      
      Mar 18, 2015 at 1:57 pm
      
      Being social means you get to do what you want?
      
      Reply Report comment
    - Mark
      
      Mar 18, 2015 at 8:41 pm
      
      Golf is an individual sport. While competition may be social, practice is usually not really all that social.
      
      I could count the number of times I’ve had a practice partner on the range or practice green on one hand. If I want to go through my routine with earphones on and music playing, I don’t want to be interrupted.
      
      Reply Report comment
Shallowface

Mar 17, 2015 at 6:54 pm

I feel the same way about music on the golf course as I do hearing it blasting out of cars. Keep your lack of taste to yourself.
Most communities have “disturbing the peace” ordinances on the books, so if it gets too bad on the golf course I might have to see what the police can do about it.

.

Reply Report comment
- Keith
  
  Mar 18, 2015 at 12:58 pm
  
  Wow…really? Already threatening to call the police, huh? That would be an interesting conversation to hear. “Those whippersnappers won’t turn down their Snoopy Dog while I’m trying to make this putt to win a dime off of Bob over here.”
  
  My advice…turn down your hearing aids.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Brad
    
    Mar 18, 2015 at 1:31 pm
    
    Classic. LMAO
    
    Reply Report comment
  - Brad
    
    Mar 18, 2015 at 1:36 pm
    
    HAHA…. Classic..
    
    Reply Report comment
  - HackerDad31
    
    Mar 19, 2015 at 1:26 pm
    
    Phenomenal! And we wonder why no one is taking up the game. Because curmudgeons are threatening to call the f-ing police over music. This like Footloose, only lamer. That’s no small feat.
    
    Reply Report comment
Philip

Mar 17, 2015 at 5:39 pm

I see two things that can go wrong with music. the first is that people are always competitive and I can see different groups eventually cranking the tunes, which is of course, totally dissing everyone else on the course. Also, what are the odds everyone in the group is in the mood for the same genre of music for that round.

The second thing is – how am I supposed to even make a swing – as a music lover and musician, there is no way I could maintain my natural rhythm without the rhythm of the music changing my walk, pace, swing – everything.

Now, can I play with music blasting at rock concert levels – oh yea baby – had no choice. The course I joined for the last three years is part of a ski mountain resort and during the summer they have downhill bike races, carnivals, concerts, conferences and lots of other festivities – and all you hear is crowds and blasting music (heavy rock, hip hop, rap – not classical of course) along with the DJ and race announcer, along with trying no to hit groups of people who think the golf course is a park to stroll in.

You’ll be surprised how much you can tune it all out to make that putt :o)

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RoscoDog

Mar 17, 2015 at 5:25 pm

Bluetooth Headphones. I don’t want to hear your music and I don’t expect anyone to listen to mine. Or sometimes I use a bluetooth headset, that way I get music in one ear but I can still hear out of the other ear.

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Sean

Mar 17, 2015 at 3:40 pm

I like music, but not on the golf course. The only sounds I want to hear are those provided by nature.

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Keith

Mar 17, 2015 at 2:54 pm

I listen to the Dre/Snoop channel on Pandora and check my email and texts constantly. Different people have different ideas of what disconnecting or unplugging is. Mine is getting out of the office, but my job requires me to be accessible and responsive. I keep the music low and make sure it’s not turned up so as to be respectful. But if we want this game to grow, it’s needs to feel inviting to millennials, not like a stuffy coat and tie dinner.

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- Philip
  
  Mar 18, 2015 at 1:48 pm
  
  Just curious, do you listen through headphones? When the course is slow I try to chit chat, but my groups tend to play opposite corners of the fairways so I can enjoy the view and sounds for only so long before it just becomes boring waiting all the time, but maybe I’ll bring a tiny player with headphones so that I forget how long i am waiting. I can listen to mediation music I guess, because if I try something with more of a beat I’ll end up strutting down the fairways to the beat. Of course, I could always provide the entertainment and give a pulse to the group – lol
  
  Reply Report comment
MJS2

Mar 17, 2015 at 2:48 pm

I do not think its a situation where we cant unplug. I do not belong to Facebook and rarely check my phone throughout the day, but I have been brining my portable speakers on the course for a year or so now. I think the idea of golf is to go out, test your limitations, and enjoy some time with your buddies or make new ones. I fail to see how music (which is incorporated in every other sport out there) deters from this.

I always ask the group if they mind or if they want to listen to something in particular (when not playing with my regular 4some). It is never loud, just faintly playing in the background, and I always keep my distance from the person hitting (unless its my cart mate). I find it takes off the edge, especially when you are waiting 5+ minutes on a saturday afternoon in-between each shot because the groups ahead of you are slow.

Ive yet to play with someone that this really bothers, however, if i do i will gladly turn it off and wait in silence.

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- rer4136
  
  Mar 18, 2015 at 1:54 pm
  
  If the music is not a bother to you then wear headphones. If noise is not a distraction then why does Tiger Woods (and former caddie Stevie) go gimp when a photographer clicks a camera during his swing. I promise you my focus isn’t even close to Tiger’s. I would guess that most of your playing partners hate the music but won’t say so.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - MJS2
    
    Mar 18, 2015 at 2:28 pm
    
    Where in my above post does it state that noise is NOT a distraction, ill wait while you re-read…
    
    …great.
    
    If I wear headphones, then i surely can’t hear the multiple FOURS that are yelled during a Sat-Sun afternoon round and certainly put me and my groups safety in grave danger and nobody would want that. And unfortunately, you would have guessed wrong, it was my playing partners who first starting bringing music to the course.
    
    If the birds chirping, frogs gulping, wind howling and tress rustling (all of which constitutes as noise) is that distracting to, maybe you should try a nice song faintly playing in the background one day, it may help you drown those sounds out and focus.
    
    HIT ‘EM STRAIGHT!
    
    Reply Report comment
Joe

Mar 17, 2015 at 2:41 pm

Im in favor of a quiet peaceful round except for the boys jawing one another. Fully agree its a time to unplug from everything. How annoying is it when one of your crew has to check their phone every few minutes etc.

Reply Report comment
rer4136

Mar 17, 2015 at 2:19 pm

Seems like more of a situation where we can’t unplug from some sort of media or the other. I kind of think that the idea of golf is to detach from the constant stream of media. Does all the media have to intrude into every part of our existence. It’s a noisy world already and I guess it is going to get worse. The problem I have with this is, as a paying customer at a golf course why should I have someone else impose their music on me? There are wireless headphones that sync with your phone, so wear those and listen to your hearts content. Better yet relax!

Reply Report comment

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