Etiquette, to a noob what are the do's & don'ts?

[Parmo]

Morning All,
Just thought I would start a thread asking for everyone opinion on the unsaid rules of golf. So far I have found the below, do you have anymore?


Consideration of others

The player who has the "honour" should be allowed to tee-off first and should do so without delay.

You should not talk, stand close or otherwise distract fellow players while they are taking their shots.

Don't play until the group in front of you is out of range.

If you lose a ball and it is obvious that it will not be found easily, signal the group behind to play through. Do not wait the five minutes allowed under the "Rules of Golf" for ball searching, before doing so. (If you believe a ball may be lost immediately after you have hit it, play a provisional ball.)

When completing a hole, move off the green immediately. Leave the marking of scorecards, etc. until you are well clear.

Please avoid the use of mobile telephones on the course, consider others and switch ring tones off.

Keep moving as quickly as you are able whilst walking between shots.

No sharing of clubs, bags or trolleys because this slows play.

Care of the course

Before leaving a bunker, make sure that you smooth over all holes and footprints with the rake.

Always replace divots on the fairways and repair pitch marks on putting surfaces. (If a pitch mark is repaired immediately it only takes 24 hours to recover. Leave it and it could take up to 15 days !).

Don't take your bag or golf trolley near the putting greens or between green and bunker and take care not to damage the hole when removing the flagstick.

Don't damage the teeing areas by taking practice swings on them.

Observe all notices regarding "Ground Under Repair" and keep to the designated paths, especially when pulling a trolley.

Avoid walking on worn areas even if this adds a few yards to your direct route.

Priority on the course

Two-ball matches take precedence over three and four-ball matches and should be invited to play through.

You should ensure that you keep pace with the group in front of you at all times. If, however, you should fall behind by more than one clear hole, you must signal the group directly behind you to play through.

A single player has no standing and should give way to a match of any kind.

9-Hole course - second rounds (when paid for) must be started from the first tee, queuing alternately with players waiting to tee off.

Safety

Shout "Fore" if your golf ball is in danger of hitting someone.

Make sure that no one is in a position to be struck by your club, ball or any other object like stones or twigs when making a stroke.

Do not stand in front or to the side of anyone taking a tee shot or other stroke. Stay well behind.

Good golfers always respect the course and other golfers

*******************************************************

Except for the highlighted one which is out of date are there anymore? Also if anyone from my club is reading this please take a print out and carry at all times, you know who you are

 

[USER1999]

I think the RandA changed the ruling on singles, and they do now have standing on the course.

 

[USER1999]

Here we go, page 28,

"Unless otherwise determined by the committee, priority on the course is determined by a group's pace of play. Any group playing a whole round is entitled to pass a group playing a shorter round. The term 'group' includes a single player."

 

[Imurg]

Agree Murph. I thought they changed it a couple of years ago so that it reads "match" or "group", implying that however many are playing if they are playing faster you should let them through.

Also, I know we don't replace divots in the rough, but why not. I get just as racked off if my ball lands in a divot in the rough as I do on the fairway - makes the rough shot even "rougher"!

 

[USER1999]

Only place you don't repair divots is in the tee box. Every where else, replace them.

 

[Parmo]

Is buying a round for the club house part of the etiquette? I mean in the sense of a pay and play golfer, do you think they would or not be treated under the same rule for a hole in one as a member of said course?

 

[USER1999]

At my club, yes. A green fee effectively makes you a member for the duration of your round. I guess our £100 bar float for hole in ones would still apply.

I think if you have to dip into your own pocket for a bunch of strangers, then it depends on you (and your budget). I would buy drinks for my 4 ball, and hope no one else saw it drop.

The old arguement that it wasn't in an official club competition could be used, as the hole in one club don't recognise Hole in 1s unless they are in a comp, so technically, although I have had 3, they don't count. Hmm.

 

[ColinR]

Do not stand directly behind a person during their putting stroke.

 

[John_Findlay]

Don't point out the trouble off the tee to your playing partner. It'll be the only thing on his mind at the top of the backswing. A good caddie will never do so, either.

 

[USER1999]

ColinR - don't stand between the person doing the putting and the hole. Way more important.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Never play with the tees in your pocket on the green or tee. That is my pet hate trying to prepare for a putt or tee shot and in the background I can hear the tees and ball markers being rattled.

 

[Troy]

Here we go, page 28,

"Unless otherwise determined by the committee, priority on the course is determined by a group's pace of play. Any group playing a whole round is entitled to pass a group playing a shorter round. The term 'group' includes a single player."

Even before this was changed, surely nobody playing in a 2, 3 or 4 ball would be so rude and ignorant as to refuse to let through a single who was playing faster than them. It's certainly not something I have ever encountered.

 

[Imurg]

Here we go, page 28,

"Unless otherwise determined by the committee, priority on the course is determined by a group's pace of play. Any group playing a whole round is entitled to pass a group playing a shorter round. The term 'group' includes a single player."

Even before this was changed, surely nobody playing in a 2, 3 or 4 ball would be so rude and ignorant as to refuse to let through a single who was playing faster than them. It's certainly not something I have ever encountered.

Hey Troy - you obviously hav'nt played anywhere that I have!!

Its a common problem. Not helped by things like at our course. They have a large sign just before the 1st tee outlining local rules and ettiquette. "2-ball matches shall have priority" - its been there since I joined in 1993!!

if clubs don't re-itterate these changes to players then its never going to get better

 

[Cernunnos]

Here we go, page 28,

"Unless otherwise determined by the committee, priority on the course is determined by a group's pace of play. Any group playing a whole round is entitled to pass a group playing a shorter round. The term 'group' includes a single player."

Even before this was changed, surely nobody playing in a 2, 3 or 4 ball would be so rude and ignorant as to refuse to let through a single who was playing faster than them. It's certainly not something I have ever encountered.

Try following a group of seniors as a single & see if you get waved through. Having had the missfortune to having had to play with a group like this at my previous club due to the odd shifts I work. I know the general attitude & no amount of pointing out that singles now have standing doesn't seem to wear to them & most wouldn't let anyone through no matter how fast they were playing.

 

[viscount17]

The player who has the "honour" should be allowed to tee-off first and should do so without delay. except when to do so would impose undue delay to following groups ?

should Ready Golf be legitimised in the Rules of Etiquette?

 

[Cernunnos]

In other words, use common sense to maintain pace4 of play etc.

 

[Imurg]

In strokeplay I can't really see the benefit of "furthest away plays first". In Matchplay - yes but strokeplay you're playing against the course so it doesn't matter who plays first. Use the current system so that we don't have balls flying all over the place at the same time until its going to hold up play and then just get on with it.

 

[Cernunnos]

In strokeplay I can't really see the benefit of "furthest away plays first". In Matchplay - yes but strokeplay you're playing against the course so it doesn't matter who plays first. Use the current system so that we don't have balls flying all over the place at the same time until its going to hold up play and then just get on with it.

I can't think of anything more annoying setting up for my shot than a playing partner walking ahead of me in my potential line of fire or simply line of sight. From a safety point of view it makes sense to let the furthest away play first except where the furthest away needs time to sort themselves out, in which case yes play the nearer first but be prepared to clear the fairway & line of sight PDQ.

There is a mate I play with I outdrive & out hit distancewise 9 times out of 10.I always wait level or slightly behind to allow him to play, but on the occasion he is infront of me, he doesn't return the same common curtacy & it annoys the hell out of me.

 

[USER1999]

Playing out of order doesn't worry me, but I do usually play with reasonable golfers (lowish h/caps). I tend to forget sometimes that higher h/caps are less consitent in the directional capabilities, and that is when walking on gets a bit exciting. I think the rule is there more for saftey than etiquet.

I like ready golf though. It keeps things moving. If you are being distracted by guys moving while you are playing (or rattling tees Homer), then you are not concentrating hard enough.

 

[Cernunnos]

Never been aware of rattling tees in a pocket, change yes, when someone is obviously trying a bit of gamesmanship, but never been aware of tee rattling. Homer must have more sensitive hearing then the master himself... The Monty.

Makes me laugh when a groundsperson stops mowing when I set up for a shot & I usually turn round & say, please carry on,the mowing isn't a distraction, its the stopping that is...rofl Silence can be deafening sometimes.