This Page About Golf Etiquette

Golf Etiquette

Golf, unlike almost any of the trash-talking sports you can watch on TV nowadays, is a game where sportsmanship is paramount. Golf is an easy game to cheat at, so every player is on his honor. But there's more to it than that. Golf has its own code of etiquette, semi-official ¡°rules¡± of courtesy that every player is expected to follow.

Here are the main things you need to know:

Don't talk while someone is playing a stroke.

Give your partners time and silence while they are analyzing the situation, making their practice swings, and actually making their swing for real. Don't stand near them or move about, either, especially when you're on the greens. Stay out of their peripheral vision while they are putting. Don't stand near the hole or walk between your partner's ball and the hole. Even be mindful of your shadow. The line of a putt - the path it must follow to the hole - is holy ground.

The key is being aware of your companions' - and their golf balls' - whereabouts and temperament. Easygoing types may not mind that you gab away while they choose a club, but that isn't true for everyone. If in doubt, stand still and shut up. If you're a problem more than once, you'll be told about it.

Be ready to play when it's your turn.

For example, when your ball lies farthest from the hole. Make your decisions while you're walking to your ball or while waiting for someone else to play. Be ready to play. And when it is your turn to hit, do so without any undue delay. You don't have to rush; just get on with it.

The honor (that is, the first shot) on a given tee goes to the player with the lowest score on the previous hole. If that hole was tied, the player with the lowest score on the hole before that is said to be up and retains the honor. In other words, you have the honor until you lose it.

Make sure everyone in your foursome is behind you when you hit.

You're not going to hit every shot where you're aimed. If in doubt, wait for your playing partners to get out of your line of play. The same is true for the group in front; wait until they are well out of range before you hit. Even if it would take a career shot for you to reach them, wait. Lawyers love golfers who ignore that rule of thumb.

Pay attention to the group behind you, too.

Are they having to wait for you on every shot? Is there a gap between you and the group ahead of you? If the answer to either or both is yes, step aside and invite the group behind you to play through. This is no reflection on your ability as golfers. All it means is that the group behind plays faster than you do.

The best and most time-efficient place to let a group behind play through is at a par-3 (it's the shortest hole and therefore the quickest way of playing through). After hitting your ball onto the green, mark it, and wave to them to play. Stand off to the side of the green as they do so. After they have all hit, replace your ball and putt out. Then let them go. Simple, isn't it?

Sadly, you're likely to see this piece of basic good manners abused time and again by players who don't know any better and have no place on a golf course. Ignore them. Do what's right. Stepping aside makes your round more enjoyable. Think about it. Who likes to ruin someone else's day? Give your ego a rest and let them through.

Help the greenskeeper out.

A busy golf course takes a bit of a pounding over a day's play. All those balls landing on greens. Feet walking through bunkers. And divots of earth flying through the air. Do your bit for the golf course. Repair any ball marks you see on the greens. (You can use your tee or a special tool called a divot fixer, which is about 50 cents in the pro's shop.)

Here's how to repair ball marks. Stick the repair tool in the green around the perimeter of the indentation. Start at the rear. Gently lift the compacted dirt. Replace any loose pieces of grass or turf in the center of the hole. Then take your putter and tap down the raised turf until it is level again. You can repair ball marks either before or after you putt. It's a good habit to have.

Finally, smooth out or rake any footprints in bunkers, (but only after you play out). And replace any divots you find on the fairways and tees.

If you must play in a golf cart (take my advice and walk whenever you can), park it well away from greens, tees, and bunkers.
To speed up play, you should park on the side of the green nearest the next tee. The same is true if you are carrying your bag. Don't set it down near any of the aforementioned, but do leave it in a spot on the way to the next tee.

Leave the green as soon as everyone has finished putting.

You'll see this a lot, and after a while it'll drive you crazy. You're ready to play your approach shot to the green, and the people in front are crowding round the hole marking their cards. That's poor etiquette on two counts. One, it delays play, which is never good. And two, the last thing the greenskeeper wants is a lot of footprints around the cup. Mark your card on the way to the next tee. Continue to learn more about golf, please visit Golf Serv.

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