Questions for the Fairway: How a stranger becomes a friend after 18 holes

By Chelsea Kalt, Fore the Ladies contributor

My golf course handicap index is high, and I pat myself on the back for being a pleasure to walk a course with scratch golfers (if you need references, I’ve got ‘em). I think I know the hack as to why. I value the honest, undivided attention I can receive from other playing partners for a round of 18 holes. It’s what makes golf an adventure. I love getting to know someone’s childhood background, career growth, sports fandom and everything in between on the fairway. This is what separates golf from any recreational sports. If you find yourself in a space where you want to drive conversation, I have some questions and talking points for you! Please enjoy these open ended conversations, organized by which hole you’ll find yourself on the course:

Holes 1-4 

• Is this your first time playing this course? If you’ve played it before, what are some of your favorite holes? 

• What are some other courses in the area you like to play at? 

• Who are some of your favorite women & men professional golfers you like to root for? 

Holes 5-9 

• Have you ever attended a golf tournament? U.S. Open? Solheim Cup? Masters? The Players tournament at Sawgrass? 

• Have you ever had the pleasure of making an ace? If yes, spare no details! 

• Do you want to grab a snack after 9? And if yes, what can I grab for ya? 

Holes 10-14 

• Do you take the time to go on golf trips? If so, where have you been in the last couple of years? 

• What are some of your favorite destination courses? And why do you like them? 

•  If you're playing with women, a great question at the 13th tee box can be, “so what American Girl Doll did you have growing up?” Please note, this Q&A can potentially cause slow play. Use directionally (!!) 

Holes 15-18 

• What are some of your favorite types of courses, and golf course architects? And why? 

• Who was your first celebrity crush? Mine was Lance Bass. We can unpack that later. 

• What’s a non-golf related feature/unintentional detail you value on the golf course (i.e. invisible garbage bins you step on to open built in the ground) 

• You only have 10 golf rounds left in your life, and you can only play courses you’ve already played. What are the last 10 rounds of your life? If you want to play [insert local course] 10 times you can! There are no limitations to the amount of times you play a course, just as long as you’ve already played the course. 

19th Hole: 

• This was a blast! I’d love to play with you again soon! When are you free for another round?