The sport of golf is on an upswing—pun intended—meaning that there are many new players on the course, making good golf etiquette more important than ever. Here are several basics to keep your time on the green an enjoyable experience for all.
Before ‘Fore!’
Being “late to the tee” is a serious offense. Under U.S. Golf Association rules, being late by up to five minutes incurs a two-stroke penalty, while arriving more than five minutes late gets you disqualified. Recreational courses vary on how strictly they enforce the rules, but it’s best to plan to be on the course 30 minutes before your tee time. If you want to practice on the putting green, make that 45 minutes.Turn off your cellphone, and stand still and quiet as other players make their shots. Face the person playing, behind the line of their ball. Never tee your ball before it’s your turn to play. When it’s your turn, make sure that the group ahead of you is out of range.
Keep Up the Pace
You don’t want to have to wait on the group ahead of you, so extend the same courtesy to those behind you. A leisurely round of 18 holes is expected to take a bit of time, but don’t take forever to make the perfect shot.Also, don’t spend too much time looking for lost balls. Instead, drop a provisional ball where you think you went out of bounds, and take the penalty if you can’t find it quickly. Be a good sportsman and help others find their lost balls.
Another timesaver is to agree to play “ready golf.” Traditional rules call for the player farthest from the hole to go first. Ready golf says that the first person who is ready to play, takes the shot. For example, if one player is in a sand trap setting up a complex shot, in the meantime, another can take their shot on the green.
Respect the Course
Divots and ball marks happen, particularly for those new to the sport. Golf Manners 101 calls for making an immediate repair. If you’re using a rental golf cart, you may have been wondering what that bag or container of sand is for. It’s a mixture of sand and seed. Pour it into the divot that your club just dug into the grass until level, and play on in good conscience; nature will take care of the rest.Ball marks are equally fast and easy to fix, though you’ll need a specialized ball mark tool. Simply insert the two prongs of the metal or hard tool into the rim of the depression and lift the indentation, working your way around the mark until done. Many courses provide them at the pro shop, free of charge.
Wild Balls
At some point in their life, every golfer will hit a shot farther than expected (and unfortunately into the group ahead of them) or have one go wild. Yell “Fore!” immediately—it’s golf code for “duck and cover.” You may have heard pro golfers calling “fore left” or “fore right.” They are letting the fans know that a hot ball is incoming. You don’t have to be that specific; just yell loudly.On the other hand, when you hear “fore,” don’t look back to see what’s happening, as you’ll probably get beaned. Instead, dash behind a tree or duck behind your golf bag.
