"Get to Grips with Golf" - Basic Etiquette

Whilst the game of golf should remain a fun pastime, there are a few basic rules that are considered good etiquette (acceptable behaviour) that will make our time on the course that much more enjoyable.

Many of these rules are also there to ensure that the golf course remains in good condition for the enjoyment of everyone.

1. Always replace your divots (the piece of turf dug out by your golf club)

2. Always repair your pitch marks on the green (the indentation made by your golf ball when it hits the green)

3. After hitting your ball out of a bunker, always rake the sand to smooth over the indentation made when you struck the ball, and all of your footprints

4. Do not pull your golf trolley over tees, greens, and through bunkers. Always keep to the designated paths where required, and obey local club rules which may sometimes be in force due to ground conditions (i.e. if the course is particularly wet)

5. When another golfer is hitting his shot, always stand still and remain quiet

6. Do not play your shot until the group in front of you on the course is well out of the way. I would recommend that this should be a distance of at least 100 yards further than you can hit the golf club in your hands

7. If your group is holding up the group behind you, let them play through. This will not only be much appreciated, it is good golfing courtesy and is the expected thing to do

8. When marking your score card always wait until you have left the putting green before doing so. This will ensure that you do not hold up the group behind, and allows them to hit their shots onto the green

9. Always allow the person who scored the lowest score to tee off first on the next hole. This is what is known in golf as having the 'honor'

10. Always allow the person who's ball is furthest away from the hole play their shot first. There are the odd exceptions to this rule, an example of which would be if playing your ball first would mean that you would be standing on someone else's line on the green

11. Don't put your golf bag down on the green or anywhere near to where you or your playing partners are playing their shot from

12. Make sure that you do not drag your feet when walking on the green as the spikes on your golf shoes will scuff the grass causing damage to the surface of the green

13. When removing and replacing the flagstick from the hole be very careful not to damage the edge of the hole. Do not stand near to or on the edge of the hole as this will also damage it

So there you have it - the above may seem like a long list of 'do's and dont's', but they will soon become second nature. I must admit to becoming a little frustrated at times by those golfers that continually break the above rules of etiquette, and many of those offenders have been playing the game for several years and should know better.

It is particularly annoying, for example, when you hit a great drive straight down the middle of the fairway only to find that your ball has rolled into a divot hole left by another golfer. Under the rules of golf you have to play your ball where it lies .

So let us all follow the above rules and show the same courtesy to others as we would expect ourselves.

Copyright (c) 2008 Lewis Blood