15 Golf Etiquette Rules for Beginners | GolfNow

15 Golf Etiquette Guidelines for Newbies

June 26, 2023

Maybe no sport may be extra intimidating for novices than golf. When you’re lucky, you’ve gotten a mentor that can assist you at first, to stroll you thru among the fundamentals of golf etiquette, like how and the place to face on the tee and the inexperienced, the way to sustain tempo of play, and easily how to verify your enjoying companions are comfy enjoying with you.

Forty years in the past after I first began enjoying golf, I had such a mentor. I can nonetheless bear in mind him lastly pulling me apart after a couple of rounds and explaining to me how I always walked on different golfer’s placing strains. I wasn’t conscious that was an issue, after all, however extra on that a bit of later.

Right here, then, are a 15 tips about correct etiquette on the golf course. To not be confused with the Rules of Golfmost of that is merely understood as a courtesy to your enjoying companions and, fairly frankly, the remainder of the gamers on the course as nicely. Right here, we cowl the whole lot from the tee to the inexperienced and even the golf cart.

1. Get to the golf course early

Not like tennis, the place there’s nothing you are able to do on the courtroom earlier than your appointed courtroom time, golf doesn’t start at your tee time, it begins within the car parking zone. This implies you could arrive early, not less than a half hour or extra, relying on how a lot you need to apply, or maybe seize a snack or a beverage. It begins with dropping off your golf equipment at bag drop or taking them out of your trunk to the course, placing in your golf sneakers, and checking into the store. When you plan on hitting vary balls, you could issue that in as nicely. And try to be on the first tee not less than 10 minutes earlier than your tee time to verify in with the starter. When you wait till the final minute to indicate up, you’re not solely stressing your self out, however the remainder of the gamers in your group as nicely.

2. The place to face on the tee

So that you’ve made it to the primary tee on the golf course. The place must you stand? The higher query could be the place shouldn’t you stand. Particular person golfers have their very own quirks and pet peeves, however usually you don’t need to be wherever in entrance of the participant teeing off or within the participant’s line of imaginative and prescient. So immediately throughout from the participant (the identical line because the ball) might be not a good suggestion, and plenty of gamers don’t prefer it when somebody is immediately behind them. The one exception to the latter could be when the golfer is teeing off into the solar, so you possibly can assist the participant find the ball after it’s hit. Additionally necessary: strive to not transfer whereas the participant is swinging, and no speaking. And it doesn’t trouble each golfer, however sitting in your golf cart whereas the others are hitting tee pictures may be thought-about impolite, too, so it’s all the time greatest to observe the opposite gamers pictures and even encourage them.

3. ‘Prepared Golf’ guidelines (however birdies and eagles ought to go first)

In informal golf, Prepared Golf has definitely turn into the customized, which means that enjoying out of order is ok so long as you aren’t impeding one other participant. (Custom has all the time been that the participant farthest away from the outlet go first, however that may typically decelerate play.) When you’re able to hit, go for it. The one exception is on the tee when one of many gamers in your group has made birdie or eagle on the earlier gap. On this case, it’s all the time preferable, even when that participant isn’t prepared, to say “birdie goes first,” not less than making the provide.

4. Don’t hit a couple of ball

This may drive severe golfers nuts. Don’t use the course as a driving vary. So that you hit a nasty shot. So long as it’s findable or not out of bounds, don’t hit one other one. It slows all people down, and there’s nothing worse than having to search for two balls from one participant when it’s completely pointless.

5. Exchange or fill your divot, restore ball marks

When you make a divot (making a crater within the floor along with your membership), both change it or fill it with offered sand. Totally different programs have completely different guidelines relying on the kind of turf (change or fill). Additionally, in the event you make a pitch mark on the inexperienced along with your method shot, be sure you restore it with a tee or ball mark restore software.

6. How and when to mark your ball on the inexperienced

You don’t all the time must mark your ball on the inexperienced, however it is best to if it interferes with one other participant’s placing line, whether or not that’s on the best way to the outlet and even behind it (your ball is usually a distraction, and it’s a penalty if one other participant’s ball contacts yours. The easiest way to mark is with a coin or spherical devoted ball marker, by putting it immediately behind your ball, then elevate your ball. While you putt, attempt to change your ball in the very same location after which take away the mark. Additionally, concentrate on the place you stand on the inexperienced when one other participant is placing. Keep out of the participant’s direct line of web site in the event you can.

7. Tending the flagstick

Now that the Guidelines of Golf permit you to depart the flagstick within the cup, you don’t all the time want to drag it whereas placing. It’s turn into a choice a technique or one other for many gamers. Nonetheless, in the event you do pull it, lay it down on the inexperienced the place it doesn’t intervene with play. Additionally golf etiquette usually requires the primary participant to putt out to seize the flagstick and return it to the cup when everybody finishes on the inexperienced.

8. Don’t step on placing strains

Whereas many golf sneakers lately are spikeless (this isn’t as large a deal because it was with metallic spikes), it’s nonetheless good etiquette to keep away from strolling in your fellow opponents’ placing strains (the trail {that a} participant’s ball will use to journey to the cup). The reason being since you may trigger indentations or marks that might alter the trail of their putts. It’s additionally an excellent apply to not stroll on the through-lines, that are the doable path a participant might need again to the cup is a putt runs previous the outlet.

9. Sustain the tempo – restrict apply swings

Holding issues transferring is a typical theme to good golf etiquette, so listed below are some extra tips: Don’t take extreme apply swings. One or two ought to be loads. And be able to hit or putt when it’s your flip. Attempt to collect as a lot data as you possibly can whereas different gamers are hitting their pictures, i.e., yardages, how a putt breaks, wind, and so forth.

10. Document your scores on the subsequent tee field

By no means do that by the inexperienced you simply performed. You must clear the realm as quickly as doable so the group behind you possibly can hit their method pictures. And there might be loads of time on the subsequent tee to report scores whereas your fellow opponents are hitting their tee pictures.

11. Don’t hit into the group in entrance of you

No one likes seeing somebody ready for the group on the inexperienced to clear from 275 yards out when that golfer solely hit a 200-yard drive. However by the identical token, in the event you assume you possibly can attain the inexperienced or get close to it with an excellent shot, it is best to wait, each when it comes to security and disturbing the group on the inexperienced. The identical is very true when teeing off. Ensure that the group in entrance of you has moved out of your vary. Everybody who has performed golf for some time has skilled somebody hitting into them. It’s each scary and impolite.

12. It’s OK to choose up on a gap

Except you’re enjoying in a match the place each stroke is counted, if a gap will get out of hand, you don’t have to complete it. Making a 12 on a gap is not going to affect your handicap any greater than making a 7 or 8, so to maintain the whole lot transferring, it’s OK and preferable to place your ball in your pocket and transfer on.

13. Golf cart etiquette

The place to drive your golf cart for a newbie isn’t a given. Most programs have guidelines about how near the inexperienced (normally no nearer than 50 yards) you possibly can drive a cart, and it is best to not often depart the trail for par 3 holes. When carts are allowed within the fairways, many have a 90-degree rule, which means it is best to keep on the cart path till you’re even along with your ball or your enjoying companion’s ball, then drive over. The concept is to restrict potential injury to the course. Additionally, be cognizant about locking the break whereas another person is taking a stroke. An ill-timed noise from the cart may cause one other participant to flinch.

14. Music do’s and don’ts on the course

A newer phenomena in golf are the moveable audio system individuals prefer to take out on the course as they play. A very good rule of thumb is that music shouldn’t be performed at a quantity that will trouble different gamers on the course, and it is best to all the time ask the remainder of your group if they’re OK with it.

15. Cellular phone golf etiquette

Except you’re at Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership or the like, having cell telephones on the course is usually permitted. However please silence your ringer. And restrict your cellphone calls on the course. However cell telephones are sometimes used with golf apps that enable you navigate the course or preserve rating, so they’re a part of the sport now.