Whether you are a 30 handicapper or a scratch golfer, we all have career days, and we all know they only count if we’re playing with someone. Have you ever played with close pals and realized that with every new hole you were one closer to finally breaking through and shooting your low score? After all, that’s why we all play this game!

Here’s a list of 10 things not to say when your playing partner is having a career day:

1) “Hey, should we let these guys play through? They’ve been on us all day.”

This is the last thing you want to do to your pal when they’re playing well. Take it upon yourself to pick up the pace. Let them stay in the zone. There’s just way too much time to think. Thinking = BAD.

2) “What are you doing differently today? Did you change your grip?”

Until this moment, your playing partner was hitting it great with no swing thoughts. Suddenly, they’ll become Sergio at Bethpage re-gripping the driver because nothing feels comfortable.

3) Whatever you do, don’t offer unsolicited swing advice! For example, “close up your hips, you’ve been hugging the left side all day.”

This kind of advice is just unnecessary. Now instead of hugging the left side your buddy will be playing army golf. LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT.

4) “Hey, what did you make there?”

Sure this is a normal thing to do, and kind of tough to avoid, but if you see that your buddy is having a career day just pay closer attention. Get out of their head. Odds are it’s easy to keep track of a career round when they’re not making their typical triple on 15.

5) “Remember last week when you hit it OB here?”

You can bet that they do remember when they hit it out of bounds, or in the creek on a hole seven days earlier. Golfers aren’t fish; we can remember that seven iron we hit on the same hole 6 years earlier.

6) After the front nine DO NOT ask, “Is that your low 9 this year?”

Just recognize that it’s their lowest nine. You play together every Sunday remember? You know their lowest nine. Just leave it be unless they ask what they were.

7) “Reload on that one, Breakfast ball!”

Sure it seems like the nice thing to do. And it is totally fine if you say it on the first hole. However, if your playing partner is lighting it up, don’t say this. Would you want your career round to have an asterisk next to it? Neither do they.

8) “What’s the max you can take there? Double?”

If they make a triple and can only take a double due to their index. Just shut up and write down triple. Breaking 80, or 90 doesn’t feel as great with a 7 Net 6.

9) “That’s Good!”

This is a tough one. We all love ‘gimmes’. We all do. But, when you’re having the round of your life you want to make all the three-and-a-half footers. It’s one thing to give them 8 inchers, but don’t be too generous because it won’t feel right to them. Just use your established ‘gimme’ range, and don’t go giving 5 footers.

10) “Wow, this is the round of your life, all you have to do is par the next hole!”

We’re all golfers here. When it comes to our own games we know exactly where we’re at without scorecards or buddies reminding us what the magic number is. When you’re going low you know exactly what you need to do.