Etiquette is a word with which long-established golfers are all too familiar, but it’s less commonly used these days in a wider sense, which is perhaps why the rulemakers decided to drop it when the major Rules of Golf revisions came in in 2019.
The principles of good ‘etiquette’ remain the same, however – the concept of playing within the spirit of the game, which is now covered by Rule 1.2 – Standards of Player Conduct. Here, the talk is now about acting with integrity, showing consideration to others and taking good care of the course.
But if you’re relatively new to the game, you may or may not instinctively know what other golfers might expect of you. In the video and article below, we focus primarily on the ‘showing consideration to others’ element as we highlight 7 ‘etiquette’ mistakes new golfers should try to avoid…
Not being ready when it’s your turn
Most golfers are keen to keep play moving at a reasonable pace, and part of that comes down to being ready to play when it’s your turn. As soon as the previous player has hit, you should be pretty much ready to go, other than when you’re on the same line so can’t be standing next to your ball.
On the tee, if it’s your turn to play, that should be your priority rather than standing there totting up your shots on the previous hole and marking your scorecard. There’s plenty of time for that after you’ve hit.
And you should always be trying to prepare for your shot in advance so you’re ready to go when it’s your turn. Getting the yardage, working out the wind and choosing a club can all be done in advance, so when it’s your turn you can just set up to the ball and play.
Try to be ready to play as soon as it’s your turn
(Image credit: Tom Miles)
Walking across line on green
The truth is that, with spikeless and cleated shoes, this is perhaps less of an issue than in the days of the old metal spikes. And yes, in firm conditions the chances of you damaging the line your playing companion is about to putt on are pretty slim.
Don’t do this on the green – walk behind the player or round the other side of the hole and not too close to it
(Image credit: Tom Miles)
But in very soft conditions, it can make a big difference when footprints are taking a while to resettle after someone has walked somewhere. So, it’s far more courteous just to avoid your playing companion’s line on the putting green completely and hope they will afford you the same courtesy.
Leaving bag on wrong side…
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