The Weekend Hacker’s Guide To Simple Golf Etiquette
Is there anything worse than the lack of golf etiquette shown by many out on the course? Have you ever had a golf ball driven into your foursome by the group behind you because of their lack of patience? Or have you ever waited to hit your approach to the green because the group getting done is busy filling out the scorecard on the green and talking about the hole? It’s all a lack of golf etiquette.
It seems that we will spend big sums of money on clubs and equipment, but fail to learn the rules of the game. Take a little time and brush up on the basic rules and etiquette. Listed here is quick and simple outline on the basics of golf etiquette.
On The Tee Box
Before you even get to the 1st tee, make sure you are ready to go. Get to the course a little before your tee time and warm up. Get yourself stretched and ready to play. Perhaps even get to the course early enough to hit some range balls, or practice your putting. Arriving late and holding up your own foursome, as well as others behind you is not proper golf etiquette. Do you see the PGA Pros arrive at the course, jump out of their car, grab their driver at the first tee, and bomb a 300 yard drive down the fairway? No, they make sure they get to the course early and get focused.
If you are the first in your group to tee off, make sure the fairway is clear. Don’t make it a game to see if you can bomb your drive between the player ahead of you and their golf cart. If you have ever been hit with a golf ball you can understand what I’m saying. Being hit by a golf ball is painful, and can occasionally be deadly. Take your time and be sure the way is clear.
In The Fairway
Once everyone has teed off, the player who is the furthest from the green hits first. The others in your group should be in position to hit their next shots. Don’t just gather around the guy hitting and shoot the breeze, be in place to hit your next shot. This is one of the major causes of slow play and 5 hour rounds. If you are sharing a golf cart and your partner has hit to the other side of the fairway, drop the other player off at his ball, and go on over to yours. This keeps the pace of play up and makes everyone happier. Always take a few extra clubs and balls with you in case of a miss hit, or you don’t make it back to the cart.
If you’ve hit your ball off the fairway into the deep rough, or in the trees, etc., don’t spend 30 minutes looking for it. Put out another ball down where you last seen the original go in at, and play on. Don’t hold everyone behind you hostage by spending 30 minutes looking to for your ball. That is certainly not good golf etiquette. Be sure you replace any and all divots that you make. No one wants to see huge hunks of sod laying all over the fairway.
When you find yourself in a sand trap and have finished getting out of it, grab the rake and clean up your footprints and ball marks. Then return the rake to the edge of the grass, out of the sand trap.
On The Green
Once you arrive on the green, leave the pin in place until the rest of your group are all on the green. One of the biggest lacks of proper golf etiquette is repairing ball marks made on the green. Use a divot repair tool and fix your ball marks. Help keep the greens in good condition for all other golfers. If you see a ball mark that isn’t yours, fix it up too.
The player who is furthest away from the cup will be the first to putt. If you see that your golf ball is the line of one of the other players behind you, mark it and move it out of the way. And never walk in the line of another players putt when they are preparing to putt. Not only is that not good golf etiquette, it can also affect the path of there putt. Watch where you stand on the green to as your shadow could be a distraction to the person getting ready to putt.
It should also goes without saying that you should never start talking as someone is about to hit their ball.
When the last player has sank their putt, move off the green and on to the next hole. Never just stand around the green and write up scores, talk about your great shot, etc. There will most likely be players waiting behind you. Be courteous and wait until you’re at the next tee to write up scores.
You can enjoy playing golf so much more just by simply following some of these basics rules of golf etiquette. It’s really more common sense than anything. They say that golf is a gentleman’s game. Golf is even used many times as a way of doing business, and making deals. You’ll save yourself a lot of embarrassment and frustration from your fellow golfers, and look like a professional by knowing the basics of golf etiquette.