A Genuine Code of Conduct

[Lord Tyrion]

A question or comment has been put in the Rules Section. I am not looking to divert from that but I thought that this could be interesting and by having this thread it could leave the Rules section and thread for more serious matters.

(slightly paraphrased but basically the same)

"A club can now devise its own Code of Conduct and impose golf penalties for breaches of it. I haven't got down to thinking about what to put in it other than that club throwing will be there. But that didn't need any thinking."

So, serious note, what would you put on a Code of Conduct for your club? There are some obviously frivilous answers but shall we start with some genuine points first off?

1/ Clubs should not be thrown on the course
2/ The universal warning, FORE, should be loudly called if a ball could endanger another golfer
3/ Golfers should not verbally or physically threaten other people on the course

 

[Rlburnside]

2 and 3 I agree with but not 1, you will always get the odd player getting frustrated and throwing clubs but it should only impact on the player so I don’t think it warrants being in a code of conduct.

Can’t think of any more at the moment.

 

[thesheriff]

Ready golf should be employed at all times i.e. no fannying about with the tape measure to see who is furthest from the hole or who's gonna be first to fluff their shot on the tee. If you're ready and no one else is hitting, hit!

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

Jacket and tie should be worn in the clubhouse after 6pm

 

[Colin L]

2 and 3 I agree with but not 1, you will always get the odd player getting frustrated and throwing clubs but it should only impact on the player so I don’t think it warrants being in a code of conduct.

Can’t think of any more at the moment.

I had to warn a player in a tournament last year for throwing his putter in disgust. Maybe it should have impacted only on him, but it actually nearly impacted on the skull of another player. It's more than unseemly: it's downright dangerous and an absolute no-no in my book.

If you agree with 3, you have to agree with 1, don't you think?

 

[Rlburnside]

No with 3 it would be premeditated and not as in your example a accident

The example you gave would be unacceptable, but would this cover every incident of club throwing?

I can’t recall ever throwing a club, but have seen players throw a club in frustration and not impact on anyone but themselves

 

[patricks148]

I had to warn a player in a tournament last year for throwing his putter in disgust. Maybe it should have impacted only on him, but it actually nearly impacted on the skull of another player. It's more than unseemly: it's downright dangerous and an absolute no-no in my book.

If you agree with 3, you have to agree with 1, don't you think?

i take your point;
but, at my place this happens on a reg basis.
Player goes in a deep pot bunker, Play's out, Rake in in the middle of the bunker, player chucks club back to his bag, then rakes bunker.. he's seen chucking a club!!!

 

[JollyRedDevil]

A regular PP hit his bag so hard with his club (in frustration) that he broke his hip flask that was there.On another occasion he missed another PPs on the tee by inches. So I think 1 should be in as it can be dangerous.

 

[USER1999]

But if it is dangerous, it is covered by 3. No seperate rule needed. Why is casually bunging a club up a tree worse than repeatedly slamming a club into the ground?

4/ wilful damage to the golf course. Especially the greens.

 

[Jates12]

Jacket and tie should be worn in the clubhouse after 6pm

Couldn't think of anything more detrimental to encouraging youth to play golf. I certainly wouldnt join any club that enforced that as a code of conduct. Pre-historic and short sighted.

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

Couldn't think of anything more detrimental to encouraging youth to play golf. I certainly wouldnt join any club that enforced that as a code of conduct. Pre-historic and short sighted.

Oh OK, make it 7pm then

 

[Orikoru]

Couldn't think of anything more detrimental to encouraging youth to play golf. I certainly wouldnt join any club that enforced that as a code of conduct. Pre-historic and short sighted.

I'm pretty sure he was joking, let's not start that up again.

 

[Hobbit]

No to all of them. There's too many stupid, puffed up sanctimonious rules/notices, being administered by Colonel Blimps, kicking about in the game anyway. Clubs have the authority to suspend people from comps and the club, so why not just leave it at that.

 

[rudebhoy]

Couldn't think of anything more detrimental to encouraging youth to play golf. I certainly wouldnt join any club that enforced that as a code of conduct. Pre-historic and short sighted.

Me and one my PPs got asked to remove our caps when we went in the bar at our place the other day. I never knew there was a rule to that effect, and have never been asked to do so before, and must have been in there about a hundred times since joining. Didn't bother me as such, but again, it's the sort of daft rule that will put youngsters off.

I get "no football tops" etc, but a piece of clothing which you've worn for the last 4 hours on the course, and have most likely forgotten it's on your head, just seems a bit silly and petty.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

No to all of them. There's too many stupid, puffed up sanctimonious rules/notices, being administered by Colonel Blimps, kicking about in the game anyway. Clubs have the authority to suspend people from comps and the club, so why not just leave it at that.

How do they have the authority if there is no rule stating the action is wrong? Okay, pedants corner here but you know from business that if it is not stipulated then your authority is on dodgy ground. If you are going to admonish or suspend a member then you have to have good reason and an applicable rule to show what they have done wrong.

I agree with you that there are too many rules and notices. I was in a clubhouse a couple of weeks ago, a regular, down to earth club, and they had 2, yes 2, framed lists of 'do nots' by the bar. I think they were dress code related but one could have been behaviour as well. It was a nonsense and not exactly welcoming, which actually the club and its member were. This made up list is a chance to thin out the nonsense and refine the rules to ones we genuinely think should remain.

 

[Duckster]

1. I promise to not be a dick. If at any point there is a slight chance that I may be being a dick, then in all probability I am actually being a dick and must stop being a dick immediately. Failure to stop being a dick will result in me asking myself to be excused from the golf course / clubhouse and go sit on the naughty step until I realise that I should not be a dick.
2. See point 1.

 

[Deleted member 16999]

How do they have the authority if there is no rule stating the action is wrong? Okay, pedants corner here but you know from business that if it is not stipulated then your authority is on dodgy ground. If you are going to admonish or suspend a member then you have to have good reason and an applicable rule to show what they have done wrong.

I agree with you that there are too many rules and notices. I was in a clubhouse a couple of weeks ago, a regular, down to earth club, and they had 2, yes 2, framed lists of 'do nots' by the bar. I think they were dress code related but one could have been behaviour as well. It was a nonsense and not exactly welcoming, which actually the club and its member were. This made up list is a chance to thin out the nonsense and refine the rules to ones we genuinely think should remain.

Surely the R&A only mean a code of conduct for the game itself.
I’d imagine behaviour in the clubhouse is absolutely nothing to do with them.
As for the old wearing hats indoor, why do you need to? Surely they serve no purpose indoors.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Surely the R&A only mean a code of conduct for the game itself.
I’d imagine behaviour in the clubhouse is absolutely nothing to do with them.
As for the old wearing hats indoor, why do you need to? Surely they serve no purpose indoors.

I think the point raised was that etiquette or a code has been removed from the new rules so any behaviour is down to the club alone. That is how I read the point raised in the Rules section. Clearly behaviour in the Clubhouse has always been a club matter, or so I would assume.

Hats are a fashion item. Why not wear one in a clubhouse? I don't but they don't bother me and I don't see why people can't wear them indoors. The 'respect' argument is a bit outdated for me. Wearing one indoors is not disrespectful, it is just a change in how people dress.

 

[Grant85]

I don’t have a problem with a code of conduct, but I don’t think it’s fair to bring penalties into play. Reason being, it’s not nice ask other players to enforce it and stipulate if a penalty should be taken.

 

[Colin L]

I don’t have a problem with a code of conduct, but I don’t think it’s fair to bring penalties into play. Reason being, it’s not nice ask other players to enforce it and stipulate if a penalty should be taken.

I haven't thought the matter through yet, but I'd reckon offhand that it should be the Committee's job to deal with infractions and penalties not the job of other players.