GOOD GOLF
While overall the membership of our societies has an excellent appreciation and knowledge of the rules and etiquette of golf, we thought that the following might be useful:
On the Tee
Always be on the tee before your allocated starting time.
Check the markings on your ball before driving off.
Do not damage the tee with practice swings.
Do not stand immediately behind, or in front of, any player addressing the ball.
Maintain absolute silence whilst other players shots are being played.
Do not drive from the tee whilst other players are playing to or putting out on adjacent greens.
Do not drive until the players in front are out of range.
To avoid wasting time searching for balls, always watch the flight of your partners or opponents’ ball and note its point of landing.
Do not bring golf buggies on to the tees.
On the Fairway
Once out on the course enjoy your golf, but always remember that the way you play your game will always influence the pleasure of other golfers around you.
Mobile phone conversations and beeps from messages etc can be very off-putting for your playing partners. Where possible, switch your phone off during your round or switch it to silent.
Apply ´Ready Golf´ in a safe and responsible way to keep play moving.
Take all the time you need to play shots to the best of your ability but keep play moving smoothly. Do not waste time between shots and be prepared to be called through at any time.
When searching for a lost ball and the match behind are ready to play their shots, call them through immediately. You are permitted 3 minutes to find your ball before declaring it lost. but you are not permitted to delay the match behind for 3 minutes before calling them through.
If you have a clear hole in front of you and the match behind are waiting to play their shots, call them through immediately.
If you are a four ball, and a two ball or a foursome match is behind and travelling faster than you, then call them through at the first opportunity.
It always helps to ‘spot’ every ball in a match. Any time saved searching for lost balls will improve the quality of golf all round.
Think about the shot you are about to play as you approach the ball.
Having studied your shot, select you club quickly and quietly.
Having played your shot, replace any divots, and return the club to your bag quietly.
Around the Green
It is always worth your while to check the Local Rules to clarify the conditions to apply to situations such as plugged balls, stones in bunkers, relief from staked trees and tractor marks. To understand these ‘special’ conditions will always save time and safeguard your score under competitive conditions.
Players with trolleys and golf buggies should follow the appropriate signs and should not take their ‘wheels’ on to the aprons and the surrounds of the greens.
On reaching the green it helps to leave your clubs at a point directly between the pin and the path you intend taking to the next tee. Avoid covering the same ground twice.
When two matches find themselves in close proximity it makes sense for the match ahead to play first – this keeps play moving and is less likely to cause congestion.
Before playing your shot to the green, make sure that you do not disturb, or are not disturbed by others close by. It is worth checking that they are not setting up to play as you are about to play yourself.
On the green, always repair pitch marks.