New club members and golfing etiquette

[Tashyboy]

Talking on our swarree last week and we got on about slow play and all others things re golf. I happened to mention that when I got back into golf, no one showed me how to mark a card, repair a pitch mark correctly, pace of play. Rules or anything. Safety, insurance. Nowt. I then mentioned why don't clubs have "training" days for new members to just teach them basics.

Do some clubs actually offer anything along these lines. Rubbish idea or not.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Very good idea. Not come across it but makes a lot of sense.

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

I believe they have this or something similar in Holland, makes sense.

 

[TonyN]

Great idea. Something clubs could run quarterly maybe with volunteers offering to play say 6 holes going through the basics.

Where to stand, where to leave your bag. How to mark card, basic rules re drops and O.O.B, provisional balls and most importantly how to repair PITCH MARKS.

 

[Mike07]

In Sweden you have to get your green card before being let loose on a golf course. Think of it as a driving licence for golf, with a practical test and theory.

 

[patricks148]

The club i got my first handicap, i was required to play a few holes with the club captain/vice and they asked me about etiquette and rules. taught me some valuable lessons. particularly repairing pitch marks. even now the first thing i take out of my bag and put in my pocket before a round is a pitch fork

 

[DCB]

We did it for a spell. I was on the committee at the time and remember the "new members evening" where we covered all sorts, comps, medals, KOs, course, clubhouse, everything really, and they could ask anything they wanted. Uptake was rather patchy to be honest. But at least we tried to give them a helping hand as they started out as new members.

They all get a well written new members pack now as they join.

 

[Three]

In Sweden you have to get your green card before being let loose on a golf course. Think of it as a driving licence for golf, with a practical test and theory.

Most of mainland Europe have a Green Card. Doesn't mean that someone is proficient at golf, they have to have some basic skills to hit a ball, chip and putt, but it does mean that everyone is taught on the basic rules and etiquette of golf.

Whether everyone then continues to observe what they've learnt is debatable, and a lot of places just run a production line of Green Card golfers, so the quality of what is taught is often debatable too.

Totally agree with the OP, the basics of rules and etiquette are often not taught in UK, this is mainly due to the rise of pay-and-play and nomad golf over the last couple of decades. At a members club you used to get rollicking for not repairing divots, pitchmarks etc and other crimes punishable by death, at pay and play courses who cares? They just want to cram in as many paying punters as possible.

 

[louise_a]

I don't know what the men do but in our section we give new members a mentor who will educate them in the does and don't etc

 

[cliveb]

It isn't just new members who need to be educated. There are loads of people who've been playing for donkey's years who still don't understand some of these things. And if you ever try to tell them - no matter how politely - you get the standard response of "I've been playing this game since you were in nappies, you whippersnapper!".

Chief among my concerns is how they get rules wrong but are convinced they are right, and repairing pitch marks incorrectly. Most of the old guys do seem to get etiquette right, though.

 

[Tashyboy]

It isn't just new members who need to be educated. There are loads of people who've been playing for donkey's years who still don't understand some of these things. And if you ever try to tell them - no matter how politely - you get the standard response of "I've been playing this game since you were in nappies, you whippersnapper!".

Chief among my concerns is how they get rules wrong but are convinced they are right, and repairing pitch marks incorrectly. Most of the old guys do seem to get etiquette right, though.

As daft as it may sound, I actually asked Baghead a couple of months ago how he repaired his pitch mark. In essence he did it differant to me, watched me and said that's ok no probs. But at just over 21 yr old felt a bit numpty asking.
you won't get no arguement a from me re established members needing to be educated, but that point alone is what worries me. These golfers are the ones that are educating today's newbies. The old adage is that you will only be as good as your training also applies to golf.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

We hold new member evenings but it's mainly for newbies to get to know each other and so potentially have regular PP's and explain how the comps and greedies work. I think it's assumed (probably wrongly) that most have a basic understanding of etiquette. Might be worth running it by the captain

 

[t0m]

Styal do a player pathway program for people who played before

 

[Jimaroid]

It's one of those committee things where everyone agrees it's a good idea until it requires a volunteer to give up their time to run it.

 

[SocketRocket]

In Germany they have to pass a test before playing , it's a practical and theory test. Great idea.

 

[Sats]

Talking on our swarree last week and we got on about slow play and all others things re golf. I happened to mention that when I got back into golf, no one showed me how to mark a card, repair a pitch mark correctly, pace of play. Rules or anything. Safety, insurance. Nowt. I then mentioned why don't clubs have "training" days for new members to just teach them basics.

Do some clubs actually offer anything along these lines. Rubbish idea or not.

Great Idea. It doesn't even have to be complicated - a basic how to guide

 

[Capella]

In Germany they have to pass a test before playing , it's a practical and theory test. Great idea.

I don't think it is a bad idea, either. I found it very helpfull. That said, there is also always a lot of discussion about it preventing new golfers to get into the sport.

At our club we also have a few newcomer or tiger&rabbit competitions where experienced members play with the newbies and help them marking their cards and just basically showing them the ropes of etiquette etc. While the license training does theoretically cover that, it is always different to see it in action in regulation play.

 

[ScienceBoy]

Got to offer an incentive to attend any training session. Like access to better tee times, money off annual membership fees or pro shop vouchers.

People will only attend for themselves, not for the benefit of others.

 

[Slab]

Got to offer an incentive to attend any training session. Like access to better tee times, money off annual membership fees or pro shop vouchers.

People will only attend for themselves, not for the benefit of others.

Yup its all in the presentation, I mean who still goes to the welcome/orientation meetings on 1st day of their holidays!

Hopefully not but I fear some would present it as some kind of training/tuition/induction session rather that a social thing that you happen to learn a few things while having fun

 

[Tashyboy]

Morning slab, hope Alls well in paradise.