Golf Course Etiquette: Essential Tips for Managing Yourself
Learn essential golf course etiquette tips, from beginning the match with a handshake to practicing ready golf. Discover the proper way to handle sand traps, maintain the putting surface, and mark your ball. These insights will help you navigate the golf course with confidence and respect for your fellow players.
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Etiquette Items you need to know about managing yourself and the golf course
Beginning the match Players shake hands with opponent and introduce yourself, use a strong and clear voice. Shake hands with confidence! This is the guy you need to beat today. Exchange scorecards some teams are now keeping their own cards and having players keep score for all four people Announce your score after the hole to the group. Keep track of your score and your opponents. When a player is doing poorly they tend to lose track of their own score, pay close attention when you see this. It is okay to challenge a player s score on a hole. Replay the strokes with the player to find agreement. Some players will test you to see if you are paying attention or to see if you will be brave enough to call them on a wrong score. Be assertive and get others in the group involved to get score right.
Ready Golf Be thinking as you walk to your ball. Think about your yardage, club selection, wind, and hazards you want to avoid as you come to the green. If you or others are not in the way of your next shot, please hit your shot. Take your practice swings as others are hitting or putting. Always stay caught up with the group in front of you!
Sand Traps Be sure to rake the sand trap after you are done playing. Bring the rake with you and set it outside the trap. Smooth out foot prints and fix others if you have time. Do not let your club hit the sand before you hit the ball. Two stroke penalty. You can t remove anything in your way in a hazard. Always ask if unsure about being in a hazard, the rules are different if you are in or out of the hazard.
Putting Surface Fix ball marks ask if you don t know how to do this. The person who is farthest from the hole goes first. Do not let anyone talk you into putting first out of turn, they just want to watch your putt and learn how their putt will break. Don t stand in the line while person is putting. This means you can t not stand behind them or in front of them to watch the ball break. Note: Once they strike the ball you can walk over to the line to check out the break. You should be still when others are putting and out of their site lines. Ask for the same from others if necessary.
Putting Continued Always mark your ball when on the putting green. Do this by taking a coin or marker and placing it directly behind the ball. Remove your ball and clean it off. If you are not next to putt you should be watching others putts to get a feel for break and speed of the greens. Flag for long putts ask others if they want flag tended. Remove flag as soon as they putt. Place flag off the surface. General rule first man in is the person who replaces the flag when the hole is over. Never putt while on the green to a flag that is still in the hole. If you make the putt it is a two stroke penalty.
Teeing Ground Typically in golf, the person with the best score from the previous hole has the honor of going first on the next hole. In high school golf we try to speed up play by not always abiding by this rule. (ready golf). Avoid going first on par three holes. Your opponents are wanting to learn from your shot about distance and wind. Never ask what club a person used two shot penalty. Never rush your tee shot out of anger from the previous hole. Remember: that hole is done and you can t change things. Work on the shots yet to come. Keep your cool. It is okay to ask others in your group about yardage. How far to the water? How many yards to clear the hazard. Do most people play it short here, what is the safe play?
During Match Remain professional: It is okay to say nice shot to others in your group. Avoid too much talk, you need to stay focused. Some might talk a lot to get you off task. Many that are not doing well want you to join them in their misery. They want you to become their best friend and help them through it. They talk all the time about how bad they are today. Don t fall for their tricks and negative thinking. Walk away and stay focused. This must mean you are winning! Now pour it on, play even harder!
During Match--continued Throwing clubs not allowed, ever! First time: 2 stroke penalty Second time: Disqualified from play. Suspended from the team Cheating: never allowed in a match or in practice! Player will be off team. No exceptions!! In a match DQ. Say scores and challenge opponent at the next tee, don t wait to the end. Have everyone in the group replay shots and count strokes. Always play two balls if you are in doubt of your score. Coaches can always get a ruling later if need be. This is better than a DQ or penalty strokes added to your score later. All players in the group will be given the same penalties if they do not call it on the person offending. Example: Most common is swearing.
Behavior Swearing: It is not allowed in golf. Penalties are the same process for throwing clubs. I will say I know a lot of players that swear. Ask them to stop. If excessive you need to call them on it. Don t let if change your play stay focused. Some players focus their energy on catching a kid swearing once or twice during the round instead of on their own game. Worry about your own game.
Finishing Sit in a circle and share your scores hole by hole with each player. Once everyone is done and all agree on each person s score then you sign others players card. Be CAREFUL here make sure the card you sign has the score you guys agreed on. Some players will intentionally write a lower score on the card you sign and turn in for scoring. This DQ s you once turned in to the scoring table. To prevent this you should visually compare the card you kept your score on with the card being turned in. It is rare but I have seen it a few times at Sections and Big 9 tournament and kids get disqualified. Shake hands with group and thank them for the game today. Take a moment alone to add up your stats for the round. Return your card to your coach and give him you stats.
Post Game Super Important!! As soon as you can you need to reflect on you game today. Write down some notes you can look at before practice the next day. What are two things you want to work on next practice. What are some things that went well? How was your management of the course? Did you take too many chances? Did you let others bring you down? Did you give up at any time during the round? What hole? How did you get yourself re-focused and back to playing the best you can? Did you blame the weather, the greens, the course, the other players, the opposing coach, the parents watching. In other words did you lose your focus today.
Remember You are not going to have a perfect round. There will be some bad shots and some poor decisions. You will have bad breaks, and tough kids to play with. You will also have a lot more good shots than bad. You will have puts that roll in that shouldn t have and shots that bounce out of hazards. Focus on the positive! How you learn from these things is what will make you better. How you practice will make you better. Stay coachable and positive.
