Golf Etiquitte Tips

When it comes to the game of golf, there are several golf etiquette tips that every golfer should know, understand and follow by every time they hit the course. For starters, there is the safety factor. It is important to remember not to be standing so close to the play that you may be hit by the ball, stone or twig as this can be painful as well as making sure that no one is in you line of play that could potentially be injured. Make sure that the group in front of you is far enough ahead that they are not struck by the long drive and always remember to alert those on the green if a stroke may potentially be harmful to them.  

Be considerate of those around you and anyone playing on the course. What this means is that you should not talk, move or make unnecessary noises which can cause a distraction. Don’t take electronic devices on the course and end up having a cell phone ring as someone is preparing to swing their club. It is important to stay on the rotation, this means that you do not tee-off until it is your turn and of course do not stand near or in the way of a stroke or a putt. 

Maintain a good pace on the course as it is your responsibility to keep up to the group that is playing in front of you but not so close as to cause a possible injury. In the event that your group falls behind and you end up having a clear hole in between you and the group in front of you, let the group behind you play through no matter how many people are in their group. Leave your equipment easily accessible so that when it is time to move on it can occur quickly. This means that when you are at the green, as soon as the last ball drops in the hole everyone in your group needs to clear the green to leave room for the next group and the scoring should be done while in route to the next tee.

If you have lost a ball other than that of a water hazard, you should play a provisional ball instead but if you do opt to look for the ball, signal to the next group to play through but do not spend more than 5 minutes searching. 

On any course, a group that is playing a full round of the course has the priority to the holes over someone who is playing a smaller group of holes. What this means is that if you are only playing 9 holes, the group that is playing 18 holes has priority to the hole irregardless of the circumstances. 

Above all, take care of the course and make sure that it is left in just as good of a shape as when you arrived to it. This includes the use of golf carts, smoothing out the sand traps or even taking care of divots caused by your ball.