| Course Etiquette | |
| Whether New to the Game or An Old Pro, this page is just a Reminder of Expectations Each and Every Golfer should abide by and expects Other Golfers to abide by as well. | |
| These are the General Guideline Expectations for All Players. There are also Guidelines set by each Course and are printed on their scorecards and signs within the clubhouse. Click here for Individual Course Etiquette Page. | |
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Keep It Safe • Do not swing your club until you know that others in your group are at a safe distance. Likewise, keep your distance when others are swinging. Be aware to steer clear of trouble. • When practicing your swing, never swing in the direction of another player. There may be pebbles or twigs or other matter in the grass that could fly up and injure a playing partner. • Do not hit the ball until you are certain that the group ahead of you is out of range. • If your ball appears headed toward another player or another group, give them a warning by yelling out, "Fore!" (an internationally recognized alert) • Observe the safety suggestions posted in golf carts and drive carefully. Golf etiquette requires keeping your cart off the grass as much as possible. (see golf cart safety for more) • Never throw clubs in anger. In addition to being rude and childish, it could also be dangerous. |
Be Kind to
the Course • Observe cart rules. Some courses will post "cart path only" signs; others will ask you to observe the "90-degree rule." Do as you are told. • Keep carts away from greens and hazards. The wheels on carts can damage these sensitive areas (see golf cart rules and etiquette). • Repair your divots in the fairway. • Repair your ball marks on the green. • Always rake sand bunkers after hitting to erase your footprints and damage to the area where your ball was. • Avoid taking a divot on a practice swing. |
| Maintain a Good Pace • Keep the round moving by being prepared to hit your shot when it is your turn. You probably don't like waiting on other groups - don't make other groups wait on you. • The player who is away hits first in a group. However, in friendly matches (as opposed to tournament play), this rule can be ignored in favor of "ready play" - players hit as they are ready. All players should agree to "ready play" before it is put into effect. • Do not spend too much time looking for a lost ball, particularly if there is a group behind you ready to play. If you insist on taking the full five minutes allotted in the rulebook to look for lost balls, golf etiquette says wave up the group behind to allow them to play through. • Always try to keep pace with the group ahead of you. If space opens in front of you, allow a faster group to play through. This also applies to Number of Players, if you are a 4-some or 3-some and there is a 2-some or a Single player behind playing faster, allow them to play through. This Poses THE QUESTION: Do Single Players Have the Right to Play Through? • When two players in a cart hit to opposite sides of a hole, drive to first ball and drop off that player with his club, then drive to the second ball. After both players hit, meet up farther down the hole. • When walking from your cart to your ball, take a couple clubs with you. Taking only one club, then having to return to the cart to retrieve a different club, is a huge time-waster. • Always leave the putting green as soon as your group has finished putting. |
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| And a Few More Golf
Etiquette Hints • Quiet, please! Never talk during another player's swing. This also includes dropping a Soda Can into a Metal Trash Can while someone is Teeing Off (I know from personal experience. And YES! I was thoroughly embarrassed because I know better than that.) • Do not yell out following a shot. Even if boisterous behavior doesn't bother your playing partners, there are other people on the course who may be within earshot. • Be aware of your shadow on the putting green. Don't stand in a place that causes your shadow to be cast across another player or that player's putting line. • Never walk through a playing partner's putting line. Your footprints might alter the path of a partner's putt. Step over the putting line, or walk around (behind) the partner's ball. |
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