How do you tell a good buddy you don't want to play with him..every weekend?

[Maverick]

My dilemma is I got a coworker into golf recently. He is really hooked and it's great. Anyway, I have another buddy, who I played with most of the time..we're about the same ability..and I want to start playing with him again.

The problem is I don't know how to go about mentioning to my coworker that I don't want to play with him EVERY Saturday..as he always assumes. Should I just tell him straight up that I want to play every other weekend with him? would he get offended? should I lie?

The reason we all can't play together is I want to play 18 holes and it's harder to get a 3 some on in the morning than a twosome on a waiting list since I want to play early. When we (coworker) play 9 holes it's no problem getting on in the morning. He really doesn't understand that it's a different story trying to play 18 without a tee time.

Any suggestions?

[obagain]

Be honest with him. If you know someone else that plays, try to get them together so he will still have someone to play with. If not, show him how to sign up on the waiting list and explain how that is a great way to meet new golfers.
Make sure he knows it is not that he is a bad player, you just have other people that want to play with you also.

[Maverick]

Yeah, I just decided to be honest and told him I just want to play 18 more than just 9..he understood. I told him more often than not I'll be playing with him..but probably 1-2 times a month I'd like to play 18. I think he indirectly understood also that I wanted to play a little more seriously..than just for fun.

[Pa Jayhawk]

I for one was almost the same as your co-worker in the story, as I'm sure alot of new golfers are. The great thing about golf is there are alot of people to pair up with, and you can show up alone assuming you are outgoing enough, and have no problem having a good time being paired up with new people. My wife and I would have never met most of our really close friends over the last 5 years had we not paired up with people in golf.

I have also seen the other side happen with other people on not being truthfull on many occasions. If you play the same courses, you would probably always be paranoid in seeing him on the course after telling him something different, and if you ever did see him on the course, it would put a serious damper on your relationship.

You did the right thing in my book.