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There was a time your friend couldn’t sit still during a football match. Every foul was a personal offence, every goal a reason to leap.
But now? They're talking about the greens, walking for fun, and clapping like they're in church. If you're sensing a shift, you’re not wrong. They're drifting—gracefully—into the calm, leafy world of golf.
Here are six subtle signs that your football buddy is trading stadiums for the golf course.
1. They’ve developed a strange love for walking
Unlike football, which involves sitting in a packed stadium shouting at players from a distance, golf is all about moving around—quietly.
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At golf tournaments, there’s no fixed seat. Fans walk—sometimes across 18 holes—to follow players through vast, beautifully manicured landscapes.
While football fans prefer standing only to protest a bad decision, golf fans might clock 10,000+ steps in one round, willingly.
If your buddy suddenly suggests long, scenic walks on a Saturday morning instead of catching the early kickoff at your local joint, don't be fooled—this isn’t a fitness phase. It’s a gateway into golf fandom.
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2. Their cheers have gone from loud to... Almost Silent
Football thrives on noise—chants, vuvuzelas, shouting instructions from the stands. Golf? Total opposite.
Golf demands silence during play. Spectators freeze and zip it while a golfer lines up their shot. You only clap after the swing—and even then, it’s polite, not passionate.
So if your once-vocal friend now claps softly and urges you to “keep it down”, they’ve been reprogrammed by golf etiquette.
The next time they frown at your Premier League screamfest, just nod. The transformation is complete.
3. Their wardrobe has undergone a makeover
In football, fandom is loud and proud—jerseys, scarves, and branded caps rule. Golf, however, whispers class with collared shirts and khakis.
If your friend starts swapping their club’s jersey for performance polos, chinos, and spotless white sneakers, they're not just switching it up.
That’s the unofficial uniform of golf spectatorship. Bonus points if they start wearing visors or suddenly care about UV protection and breathable fabric.
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They may still claim loyalty to their football team, but their outfit is already living on the 9th hole.
4. They’re suddenly ignoring their phone
Football fans live online—checking fantasy league scores, reacting to VAR drama, or memeing missed penalties. But in golf, phones are almost taboo.
At golf tournaments, phones must be silent. No buzzing, no shutter clicks, no flash. Even a rogue notification sound during a backswing can get you publicly shamed—or escorted out.
So if your friend who once texted through matches is now strangely unreachable on weekends or gives you side-eye for using your phone in public, it’s not mindfulness. It’s golf code.
5. They move less
In football, fans jump, flail, chant, and stomp. In golf? You stay still—very still—when a player is hitting.
Golfers are hypersensitive to movement. Even a slight shuffle in someone’s peripheral vision can ruin a shot. That’s why golf spectators stand still, barely blinking until the ball is airborne.
If your friend now pauses mid-step when someone’s talking or stops walking when near a group of people deep in concentration, they're not nervous—they're stuck in “golfer concentration” mode.
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6. They show unusual respect for event staff
Football fans and stadium staff often have a love-hate relationship—marshals are tolerated, not praised. In golf? They’re treated like saints.
Those holding “Quiet Please” signs and managing the crowd are central to golf’s success. Fans are expected to listen, thank, and obey.
If your friend now respects volunteers, applauds organisers, or says “Let’s not make their job harder,” the golf bug has bitten them.
They're not just fans anymore. They're participants in the sacred ritual that is golf etiquette.