Golfing Etiquette Basics

May 12, 2010 by Rhys Jones
Filed under Beauty and Fitness

Golf is a very dignified game of rules, manners and etiquette, and it’s quite important to know the basics of golfing etiquette before you play golf for the first time.

Whether you are playing alone, in a twosome or a foursome, the first rule of golfing etiquette is that you must always wait your turn. You must stay aware of the group on the next hole and wait until they are well ahead of you before hitting your ball.

Golfing etiquette also says that it is never cool to “hurry” the group in front of you. If you are playing with others, wait your turn to hit the ball and never hit at the same time as another player.

While you wait for your turn to play, go to your ball and decide which golf club you will need to use and how you are going to hit the golf ball with it. This is called “ready golf” and keeps the game moving along, but don’t rush everybody, just be ready for your turn to play.

Another useful piece of golfing etiquette, especially for beginners is ‘playing through’. For example, if your team is holding up the players behind you, perhaps because you are playing consistently over par or taking a long time to choose your club, let them play through. You would simply wave them through, or if they are near enough to you, just ask them if they would like to play through. You will never make enemies by doing this!

When someone is making a shot, you should be behind them and you shouldn’t make any noise! It is so distracting to be ready to tee off and just as you pull back, someone decides to jingle coins in their pocket or noisily unwrap a sweet.

Replacing divots. Let’s say you are on the fairway and you strike the ball a bit thick and a clod of dirt and grass goes flying, no problem, but golfing etiquette says that you ought to repair the hole. On some courses you just put the turf back into the hole and step on it to keep it down, but on most courses, there is a sand/seed mixture on the course to put into the divot. Also, if your ball makes a deep impression when it lands on the green, you ought to use your divot tool to repair it.

As soon as you have finished a hole, replace the flag and leave the green as quickly and quietly as possible (there may be another team teeing off at the next hole) so that the next players can play that hole. Tally up your score and write it on the scorecard as soon as you get back to your cart.

There is much more to golfing etiquette of course, but these simple essentials of golfing etiquette will enable you to get through the course without upsetting anyone. If we all keep to golfing etiquette we will keep the game friendly, or not?

If you are interested in learning more about golfing etiquette, go along to our website on Golfing Tips for Beginners for loads of free tips. Don’t reprint this exact article. Instead, reprint a free unique content version of this same article.