Posts Tagged ‘golf etiquette’
Golf Etiquette – Is it a Thing of the Past?
I’ve always been a proponent of golf etiquette from the time of my first golf round. Many new golfers and some experienced golfers alike do not always observe the etiquette that is associated with golf. Of the many courtesies that should be extended to your fellow players on the golf course, one I observe frequently being overlooked is allowing a single golfer to play through or asking them to join you if there are only two or three players in your group.
This infraction of golf etiquette was more apparent this past weekend when I was the single golfer and the two groups ahead of me were not observing the common courtesies associated with the game. I played the first six holes solo and finally caught a twosome and followed them for a number of holes. I caught up to them on the tee box of the eleventh hole where they were preparing to tee off and they did not bother to ask if I would like to join them or play through until about four holes later. I finally did play through and ended up behind a foursome who was more discourteous than the twosome. They ignored the fact that I was waiting indefinitely on each hole as they proceeded to hit their golf balls, one shot worse than the other. I had enough at the 17th hole and left the golf course since I was waiting at least 20 minutes on each hole for them to clear the landing area. The amount of time they took was well above the average total of about 15 minutes usually required to play an entire golf hole. If the day was beautiful and sunny like it was the previous weekend I may have played the last two holes but the cold windy conditions made it difficult to wait for each shot.
Tip for the day (Fore: Observe Golf Etiquette - allow a single to join you if you have three or less golfers in your group. It is also courteous to allow a single player or twosome to play through, especially if you notice them behind your group and waiting on every shot.)
Happy Golfing to All!
In two previous posts I touched on Golf Etiquette, an important but often overlooked fundamental of the game of golf. Some additional golf tips for beginners regarding golf etiquette are as follows:
- Yelling “Fore” out loud if you hit an errant shot that goes off line and anywhere near another group of golfers, {Fore: A golf ball can become a dangerous weapon if aimed or directed at another person so DO NOT ever fool around and aim toward another person because the result could be deadly.
- Not driving your cart on or around the green or tee area.
- Adhering to the local rules of the golf course.
- Not marking your score in the area around the green while another group is waiting to hit up.
- Having the integrity to write your correct score on the card. {Fore: It is not critical for the beginner to keep actual score.
- Returning a lost club by a fellow player to the pro shop so they can retrieve it after their round.
- Wearing proper golf attire while on the course.
As a new golfer the importance of etiquette may take a back seat because it is not as exciting as hitting a great shot to a tight pin placement, but when first learning to play is perhaps the most critical time to adhere to this all too often overlooked aspect of the game. This way it will become second nature to you and you will be learning to play the game of golf “The Right Way”. Observe these simple courtesies so you and your fellow golfers will enjoy the journey all the more. Happy Golfing to All!
In the previous post I presented some of the rules of Golf Etiquette and some golf tips for beginners. There are many other courtesies to be observed with golf and the ones listed below are worth mentioning.
- Not taking an excessive amount of time looking for a lost ball ( 3 to 5 min. max.)
- Conceding a short putt, especially for the beginner so as to keep the pace of play moving {Fore: Not Allowed by the USGA Rules of Golf for Professionals in Competitive Play}
- Being considerate enough to allow a quick playing group behind you to play through.
- Not taking more than twice the amount of strokes than noted for Par on any given hole, especially for the beginning golfer. { Fore: In regulation golf all strokes must be counted until the golf ball is sunk into the cup. The suggestion to keep your total score to double par is for the beginning golfer to help maintain the pace of play. This courtesy should not be continued after a player has reached a certain level of skill.}
- Repair or replace a Fairway Divot, which is a clump of grass removed in the fairway by the swing of your club.
Listed above are some additional rules of golf etiquette to be observed as you play. Observing these special courtesies will make the game more enjoyable for you and your fellow golfers. Happy Golfing to All!
Etiquette is described in the dictionary as “Any Special Code of Behavior or Courtesy” and Golf is a game based on special codes of behavior and courtesies.
One of the first rules of golf etiquette is to “Learn to play properly before going out on the golf course”. I’ve been playing golf for about thirty years or so and there are many golfers, and especially beginners, who venture out on the course without a clue as to how to play, the basic rules of golf and devoid of any etiquette required by the game.
Some Golf Tips for Beginners on Golf Etiquette are as follows:
- Learning the basic rules of golf before venturing out on a regulation golf course and not breaking 90% of them before finishing the first hole.
- Standing to the side and out of the view of your fellow golfer and remaining still and quiet while they address and hit their ball, especially while on the “Tee Area”
- Repairing your Divot which is a mark or indentation made by the golf ball landing on the putting green. It is good golf etiquette to also repair one or two others.
- Waiting patiently while the player farthest from the hole hits first and being ready to hit when your turn comes.
- Not stepping in ones putting line while on the green.
There are many more courtesies to be extended to your playing companions and fellow golfers which will be discussed in a subsequent post. You will learn them as you gain more experience playing. Observe these simple courtesies so you and your fellow golfers will enjoy the journey all the more. Happy Golfing to All!
When I took my son out to the golf course for the first time, I had a number of goals in mind. Of course the fun and the bonding element were huge parts of it, but I also wanted to instill a lasting love of the game. That meant teaching him proper etiquette. It’s easy for a seasoned golfer like myself to take certain parts of the sport for granted. While you and I wouldn’t think of talking during a playing partner’s shot, children have to learn about these things.
When we finally arrived at the first green, my son stepped right in my line. I had to tell him about the importance of walking around a player’s line – the invisible path from the ball to the cup. I also taught him the procedure for marking and cleaning a ball. Now he knows not to line up his odyssey putter without taking those rules of etiquette into account. Golf truly can be a character builder unlike any other.