Golf Etiquette for Beginners

[cdewispelare]

I only got to play golf on the course with my dad once (he's still here, just had shoulder and back problems that he couldn't overcome), but the biggest thing that sticks with me was on every green, fix TWO pitch marks.  Whether you made one or not, fix TWO.  I take that a little more liberally and if I'm waiting for a putt or holed out already, I'll look over the green for any big pitch marks that need fixing.  If everybody did this, just think of how pretty the greens would look!!

The other thing I find myself doing is on par 3 tee boxes, take a heaping scoop of sand/seed and fill as many divots as you can.  Takes 4 seconds longer than only filling yours, but makes the course much better in the long run.

Take care of the course and the course will take care of you!

[D. Lee]

I recommend this book by Peter Post (grandson of Emily Post, the etiquette guru) "The Unwritten Rules of Golf".  Helpful for everyone, not just beginners.

[tony@CIC]

If you're going to smoke - bring something for disposing your butts or cigars. I hate to see them anywhere on the course especially the greens. 

[oldguy819]

6 hours ago, TJ1975 said:

1.  Pace of play.  Learn ready golf.  If you are learning the game you will undoubtedly fall behind on some holes.  Talk to experienced players, it won't annoy them, they'll be happy to help you through things like when to let groups behind you play through.

2.  Greens etiquette.....Repair (properly) pitch marks.  Please pick up your feet when walking on greens.   Don't spit seed shells on the green (or dip).  Knock the sand off your shoes before walking to the green after playing out of a bunker.

3.  Jerks.....You will run into jerks on the course from time to time.  Perhaps they are members that think they own the place, perhaps they are having a bad round and let the world know it with their attitude (club throwing guy), perhaps they are sloppy drunks.......Politely apologize and ignore these folks and make a "note to self" that this is not how to act in any situation.  I used to be one of these jerks when I was younger, and it cost me a lot of friends that I enjoyed playing golf with.  Turns out they did not enjoy playing golf only when I was with them.  Recognize "the jerks" and make an oath not to be one of them (this is half the battle in regards to "golf etiquette")  

 

Play with more experienced golfers when you can.  Ask questions.  Common sense and a little respect goes a long way in golf.

OH MY GOD!  OH please Oh please.  NEVER. EVER shuck sunflower seeds or any other hulled seed type nuts and spit them on the course ANYWHERE let alone the greens. Ever try clearing the path you need to putt your ball picking up those shells?.  They don't do the green mowers any good either. HORRIBLE HORRIBLE habit.  Don't start then you won't have to quit.

[Ian Toynbee]

Soon after welcoming newbies to the great game, I take the first opportunity (usually on the walk down the first fairway) to point out 3 things that they should internalize.

Firstly, be respectful of other players and learn quickly the nuances and etiquette from them. (I point out there are too many to list, they have to learn them by observation and if unsure ask the question) Once told, don't make the mistake again!

Secondly, for any ball they hit offline they must ensure they note a line of flight or have a reference (just right of the gold leafed tree etc) I point out others will help them look for the ball, but the onus is on the hitter to find or at least provide an accurate search area. 

Thirdly, golf is a game of honesty and accuracy. Note or declare your correct score and if unsure ask for the others at a holes end to help you get to the right tally. Accept and apologize if you are corrected. Do if everything possible to get the count right next time, while a mistake from a newbie is acceptable, serial mistakes suggest an element of dishonesty - the worst crime in the game.  

[MaxEntropy]

I think an important thing for beginners to understand is communication and asking questions. Sure, they may not know exactly what questions to ask, so it's our job to help them.

We have a guy that subs in our league frequently that is very much into "proper" order of play (I guess you could call him old school). I have seen people really get under his skin by playing out of order. I fault him though. He doesn't communicate his preferences - everyone else is playing ready golf.

Most people I play with have no problem with people watching them putt directly down the line. I don't even notice when people are doing it to me. But some are sensitive to it. I always ask when I'm playing with someone I haven't played with before.

We also had a guy in a former league that was a Vietnam vet with PTSD and he really did not like people standing directly behind him, almost no matter the distance. That was one I never would have worried about if he did not tell me.

[Navart]

2 hours ago, MaxEntropy said:

I think an important thing for beginners to understand is communication and asking questions. Sure, they may not know exactly what questions to ask, so it's our job to help them.

We have a guy that subs in our league frequently that is very much into "proper" order of play (I guess you could call him old school). I have seen people really get under his skin by playing out of order. I fault him though. He doesn't communicate his preferences - everyone else is playing ready golf.

Most people I play with have no problem with people watching them putt directly down the line. I don't even notice when people are doing it to me. But some are sensitive to it. I always ask when I'm playing with someone I haven't played with before.

We also had a guy in a former league that was a Vietnam vet with PTSD and he really did not like people standing directly behind him, almost no matter the distance. That was one I never would have worried about if he did not tell me.

Agreed! Communication, communication, communication. It's insanity to expect beginners to just know everything. We don't expect people to learn the rules to any other game without teaching them.

Very grateful to my friends who were patient and taught me the rules and etiquette since I did not grow up playing the game.

Be nice and give a chance to everyone because you have no idea what someone might be going through.

[cksurfdude]

6 hours ago, Navart said:

Very grateful to my friends who were patient and taught me the rules and etiquette since I did not grow up playing the game.

Be nice and give a chance to everyone because you have no idea what someone might be going through.

Yes, same here -- and, also applicable to surfing! Lots of people buy a board, jump in the water and start paddling around .. not realizing they may be exposing themselves and others to a dangerous situation...

I was fortunate to have knowledgeable and patient friends in both golf and surfing when I was starting out .. they helped me on the way to really enjoying these activities

[Mike B]

On 2/17/2023 at 3:03 PM, Kansas King said:

Generally speaking, as long as beginners aren't pricks, I'm fine and can be relatively patient with them. The biggest thing I've noticed with beginners, especially those that are roughly 20 - 30 yo is they don't have a sense of focus on the course and I don't really fault them for that. They just simply don't know what to be aware of yet. Notably, things like having a small conversation on the green after putting out or not being ready to hit, etc. 

The other issues I see are typically cart etiquette like where you should and shouldn't drive. Some of this I put on the course though and it's something I've had an issue with for a while for many courses. Generally, courses improved over the pandemic after getting flooded with new golfers. However, I still think public courses need to clearly mark the correct path to take to the next tee box if it's not blatantly obvious. Second, courses need to clearly mark off where carts should return to the path around the greens. I tend to see newbies drive up right next to the green on poorly marked courses. Sure, it may say to stay 50 feet away from all greens on the back of the score card but not many people are going to actually read that or even know it's there. 

So overall, I don't know if there are a lot of beginner things that are really that bad if they are respectful. My biggest thing is signage. If you want new golfers to feel comfortable, make sure things are well marked out and/or communicated verbally with golfers. 

Amen to this statement. I worked as a Ranger at a public course last summer. Our course has signs directing you away from the green. You cannot imagine how many times I had to replace those signs as they were run over. Do you really need to drive around to the back of the green?