Checking in with the Pro Shop a minimum of 20-30 minutes before your tee time is recommended and allows you time to pay, purchase golf balls if necessary and maybe hit a few putts on the practice green. Most avid players will arrive 45-60 minutes early to warm up at the driving range. Being late or checking in at the exact time of your tee time is poor form and delays everybody else’s tee times for the rest of the day.
On the first Tee you can spin a tee in the air and whoever it points at when it lands can go first. During a round, the golfer with the lowest score on the prior holes gets to go first, or has the “honor,” on the next tee box.
When someone else is hitting a golf shot or a putt, never stand in their line of sight, as it will be a distraction and make it difficult for the golfer to focus on their shot. This means directly behind or ahead of them. In addition, never stand directly behind them. The best place to stand is an equal distance from their ball and several feet away.
Avoid standing in a position where your shadow will fall within the player’s line of sight. Your shadow may cause the golfer to lose focus and shank their shot and then they will blame it on you! lol.
Being Quiet while someone is preparing, setting up and swinging a golf club is the foundation of etiquette in golf. This includes hands in pockets jiggling coins, rustling thru your bag looking for a ball or tee, bodily noises like sneezing, and especially talking to others or on a cell phone. No matter how softly you think you are talking to your friend, the other golfer can hear you. Just be Quiet Please.
Respect is a core value that is displayed in golf and being quiet while someone else is hitting is a sign of respect. Pay attention to the world around you and stop driving the cart even if you are driving by a hole that is not yours and someone is about to hit a shot or putt on the green. Give others respect and the golf gods will reward you with a good bounce or two.
The brand name, model and number stamped on a golf ball are used to help identify which ball is yours while you are playing. However, adding a special marking of your choice with a sharpie, such as dots or a smiley face, personalizes your ball so you can identify which ball is yours no matter where your ball lands. This is important if you hit your ball onto another hole and someone else approaches your ball.
When you get to the green you are allowed to “mark” your ball which means you place a coin or marker directly behind your ball and then pick up your ball, likely to clean it. The coin on the ground “marks” the exact spot your golf ball was sitting. It is considered cheating if you don’t place the ball exactly where it was sitting and/or move the marker in any fashion away from the original spot.
Pay attention to other players’ golf balls and the entire path their ball must travel when rolling to the hole and avoid walking in that golf ball’s “path” or “line” to the hole. Walking in someone else’s line will stamp your footprint in the grass and may make the putting surface uneven and possibly affect their putt. When marking your ball, walk around these lines before placing your marker behind your ball.
Whether you’re marking your ball or approaching your ball on the green you MUST be aware of everyone else’s ball on or around the green and avoid walking in the “line” or path between each of their balls and the hole. This may require you walking around the outside of everyone to eventually get to your ball. With multiple golfers this may get tricky so pay attention.
Avoid walking across the green with a bag on your shoulder. Do your best to walk around to the exit point and always place your bag off the green on the fringe and never on the green.
After removing a flagstick, lay the flagstick down on the green, instead of letting it fall or throwing it, to avoid any unnecessary damage to the putting surface.
Fixing your ball mark helps repair the green, keep the grass healthy, and ensures a smooth putting surface for everyone. Begin repairing behind the highest point of the mark by inserting the repair tool and gently pulling the top of the tool towards the center. Continue working around the ball mark pulling turf towards the center of the mark. Finish the repair by gently pressing the bottom of the putter on the mark to smooth the surface.
Always pick up your feet while walking around a green. Preventing any scuffs or unnecessary damage to the green will ensure a smooth putting surface for everyone.
After you hit a shot, find your divot (the piece of turf the club removed) and put it back in place, pressing it down firmly with your foot. If the divot is in pieces, or you can’t find it, fill the hole with the sand or seed mix provided on the cart or at the tee. Replacing divots helps the grass recover and keeps the course in good shape for everyone.
First, find a rake and then enter the bunker from the low point and walk in a direct line to your ball. Place rake down and hit your shot. Then, rake the sand around impact by pushing the rake forwards and backwards smoothing out the surface. Then, rake the sand as you walk backwards out of the bunker, leaving no trace of your steps. As a courtesy, rake more than your area and leave the surface better than how you found it.
Find a rake first and enter a bunker at the low point and never walk down the steep face of the bunker, as you will take all the sand off the face.
Exit the bunker the same path you entered by raking your footprints as you walk backwards out.
When arriving at a green by walking or riding in a cart, find the exit point of the green that is closest to the next hole’s tee box and leave your bag or cart. When you finish putting, you can exit the green without backtracking for your clubs or cart, which helps speed up pace of play.
Most private golf courses require shirts with collars and no jeans. If you are unsure of the dress code call the club, or check their website, or ask the member who invited you. This will avoid the embarrassing moment of being required to purchase a shirt in order to play. Many public golf courses require the same code and some do not.
There may be a dress code for women at private clubs that may include no jeans, crop tops, halter tops, yoga pants, bikini tops, etc. If unsure, it’s best to ask your friend or call the club.
Most private clubs have a dress code requiring no jeans and collared shirts when playing. Also, no cell phones in open areas. Many ultra private clubs prefer you put your golf shoes on in the locker room instead of the parking lot. If you are unsure of etiquette ask the member who invited you or go to the club’s website to see if the rules are listed.
Many Private clubs and Resorts have a “Bag Drop” where you can drop your bags off to the attendants and then go park your car. The attendants will have your bag set up on a cart or to the side when you come back. Look for the “Bag Drop” sign when you drive in. It’s customary to tip the Bag Drop Attendants a few dollars.
Tipping cash for services provided to you at private clubs and big fancy resorts is customary. Tipping Bag Drop Attendants at drop off, Locker Room attendants who clean your shoes, Outside Crew who clean your clubs at the end of the round, the Valet, and the beverage cart person are typical services that expect a tip, ranging from $3 to $10, or go big and make your member look good by tipping $10 or $20 and up. Tip well and you’ll get good ‘mojo’ on the golf course.
If you are a new golfer, experienced golfers are not concerned about how badly you are playing golf. Golfers just care about playing golf at a pace of play that allows you to finish 9 holes in 2 hours and 18 holes in 4 hours. Learn how to play fast and play Ready Golf and you can play with just about anyone and remain friends.
Playing Ready Golf means being ready to hit your shot when it’s your turn. When riding in a cart, Ready Golf includes the driver dropping their partner off at their ball then going to their own ball instead of watching, parking cart at exit point of the green and keeping score without delay.
Playing Ready Golf means being ready to hit your shot when it’s your turn. When walking you have lots of opportunities to keep play moving even if it’s not your turn. If you get to the tee before others, go ahead and hit. Place your bag at the exit point of the green. Get your practice swing out of the way before it’s your turn.