Let\u2019s just be fair about this now \u2013 in the year 2025, we are ALL guilty of being on our phones too much. Young, old, middle-aged, it doesn\u2019t matter. These things have enslaved us to a degree where it is impossible to be alone with your thoughts for more than seven seconds, roughly. Hell, my 14-month-old son grabs the thing and just starts scrolling it like he\u2019s been scrolling it for years. No idea where he learned it. Probably from looking at my wife and I doing it (mostly me). I hate myself for this.<\/p>\n
There is one place on earth I at least attempt to make a phone-free zone: the golf course. The problem with that is I dabble in a little content creation here and there, which I enjoy doing. But sometimes I do just want to leave the thing at home. Then you get out there with some buddies, intent on NOT looking at your phone, and one of your friends says \u201cC\u2019mon, can I be in one of your little videos?\u201d You can\u2019t escape it. You can\u2019t just have four hours of freedom. Deep down in places you don\u2019t talk about at parties, you may not even want it. Depressing, I know. <\/p>\n
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Sometimes, the decision is made for you. Like when you\u2019re lucky enough to be invited to an old-school private club where being on your phone might get you removed from the property. I cherish those days. But at public courses, or clubs with more lax rules, everyone in your group is going to take a peak at some point, whether walking or riding. Which brings us to today\u2019s stupid golf problem:<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re the No. 1 culprit of being on it too much, be it for work-related calls or texting or doomscrolling, does everybody else in the group hate you?<\/p>\n
The short answer is probably yes. There\u2019s a certain type of character who says yes to a round on a week day and turns the course into their personal office. They incessantly take and make phone calls, they performatively wheel and deal. They \u201chop on a zoom\u201d and put themselves on mute. Their brains are elsewhere, which can be particularly frustrating if the rest of the group is fully engaged. Maybe there\u2019s a few bucks on the line and wannabe Ari Gold can\u2019t be bothered. I often wonder why these folks even come out to play. If your job is that important, you probably shouldn\u2019t be teeing it up during work hours. For those with kids and busy weekend schedules, though, a few hours during a week day may be there only opportunity to get out there. <\/p>\n
Then there\u2019s the person who doesn\u2019t take any calls, but is still on it constantly. Typing away emails, texts, Slack chats. Someone who goes shot, phone, shot, phone, phone on the green while everyone\u2019s putting, putt, phone. Another disengaged party who can\u2019t just put it down. Don\u2019t mind us, bud, just playing a little golf here. <\/p>\n
Again, though, we\u2019ve all been this person. I try to compromise, or excuse the behavior, by remaining engaged while everyone else is hitting and making a point to only be on it in the cart while riding to the next shot. If I\u2019m walking, I try to keep it in the bag and only check during waits on the group ahead. Once you start messing with keeping it in your pocket at all times, you\u2019ve lost. You\u2019re going to reflexively pull it out every chance you get. <\/p>\n
I posed the question on social media, since I\u2019m not the only one with an opinion. And the responses leaned heavily toward \u201cthis person is the worst.\u201d It\u2019s rare you get everyone to agree on something these days. This happened to be one of those times. <\/p>\n
If I know them and they planned for this round, there\u2019s absolutely no reason they should be on a call.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Lucas Dolengowski (@LDolengowski) November 3, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n As Lucas Dolengowski pointed out, if you know the person and this round was something planned in advance, there\u2019s no reason to be on a call (save for emergency, of course):<\/p>\n Nah. Highly annoying. If you need to be on the phone because of work, dont play the round.<\/p>\n \u2014 SB (@Sean_Brace) November 3, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Generally disrespectful <\/p>\n Gotta do your best to limit those calls\/texts\/emails and take care of it after the round.<\/p>\n Come on it\u2019s 4 hours. World won\u2019t end if you delay a few responses. <\/p>\n (There are exceptions for immediate response, but in general limit it)<\/p>\n \u2014 Fendi (@Your_Dude_Fendi) November 3, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Others agreed with my sentiment \u2013 if you have to be on work calls during a round, you should probably be working, not playing golf:<\/p>\n Absolutely hate it. To me it’s not worth it to play if I have to constantly be “working” on my phone. No interest in playing with someone who is.<\/p>\n \u2014 Allen, Allen, Allen, & Allen (@MatthewHokie) November 3, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n The BowTiedGolfer, one of the more opinionated voices in the Golf Burnerverse, makes an interesting point about being on your phone in a walking vs. riding situation:<\/p>\n If you’re walking and playing quickly you shouldn’t have time to look at your phone. <\/p>\n Carts are a different story. <\/p>\n In my view, golf is about disconnecting from the internet for a few hours and talking to your playing partners. The new generation clearly doesn’t see it this\u2026 https:\/\/t.co\/SJ7D7i0wHh<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 BTG (@BowTied_Golfer) November 3, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n The best take of all came from Neil Parker:<\/p>\n Best rounds are four pals all walking, and no phones. <\/p>\n Can\u2019t be that way every round, unfortunately.<\/p>\n \u2014 Neil Parker (@NeilParkerBets) November 3, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n This is unequivocally true. The rounds, nay, the DAYS, you remember most are those days where you take a stroll with three other buddies, maybe you have caddies, and the phones are tucked away. Everyone\u2019s dialed into the match, chatting on the walks to each shot, drinking in the scenery. It\u2019s not always the case, but you always seem to play better in these situations, too. It\u2019s almost like paying attention and caring about the shot ahead of you helps. Afterward, you add \u2019em all up over a beer, ideally in a grill room where no phones are allowed, and recap the day. Maybe even plan the next one. <\/p>\n Then everyone retreats to their vehicle, checks that they have 154 notifications and gets sucked into the vortex of technological hell. But at least you had those four-to-five hours of mental bliss. <\/p>\n RELATED: Stupid Golf Problems: How do I stop leaving my wedge on the last hole?<\/p>\n Do you have a \u201cstupid\u201d golf problem? A question you\u2019re too ashamed to ask your close friends? A conundrum that needs to be talked out in a public forum? We\u2019re here to help. If you have etiquette-related inquiries or just want to know how to handle some of the unique on- or off-course situations we all find ourselves in, please let us know. You can email me ([email\u00a0protected]<\/a>) or send me a DM on Twitter\/X (@Cpowers14) or on Instagram (@cpthreeve).<\/p>\n This article was originally published on golfdigest.com<\/p>\n