Golf Etiquette is about more than just Manners
Etiquette is a word that's often heard in relation to golf, moreso than with any other sport. But it's not just about manners.
The rules of golf etiquette are what they are for several very important reasons: Many of them relate to the safety of golfers, many relate to pace of play (which helps keep the game enjoyable), and other rules of golf etiquette relate to maintaining the quality of the golf course.
In other words, golf etiquette is an essential part of the game. And it's something that newcomers to the game often learn as they go - on the course, when playing with more experienced golfers.
If you are new to the game, or just need to brush up on your golf etiquette, here are some basic rules of the road that will help keep the game enjoyable for you and those around you.
Golf Etiquette
1. Never run on the putting green.
2. Never step on another player’s direct line (so called “putting line”) to the hole.
3. Never kick a ball on the putting green.
4. Stand still and remain quiet while another player is executing a shot.
5. Always be ready to hit when it is your turn.
6. Stay out of peripheral vision of another golfer when he or she is readying or hitting a ball.
7. Repair your ball marks and others when on a putting surface. Always leave the course in better shape than you found it.
8. Identify your ball with a distinctive marking.
9. Avoid slow play. Keep up with the group in-front of you, not in-front of the group behind you.
10. Always shake the hand of your opponents of playing companions at the end of a round of game.
11. Always yell “FORE” if your shot potentially endanger others.
12. If your hear “FORE”, cover your head and don not run.
13. In golf you have one shot, there are no “mulligans” (second shot).
14. Take one or two practice swing only.
15. Avoid lost ball by following their flight to a conclusion. Mark a ball with a landmark or natural object eg. Tree, bush or mount to make it easier to locate.
16. If you are playing slowly, allow the following group to play through.
17. Replace all divots.
18. Rake the bunker.
19. Keep all equipments off the green.
20. When all players are finished on the green, replace the flagstick carefully to avoid damages to the edge of the cup.
21. Leave the green immediately and mark your score later.
22. Never throw a club.
23. Congratulate playing companions on a shot well executed. Be a good sport and enjoy the game.
24. The person whose ball farthest from the hole plays first.
25. Always mark your ball position on the green with a coin or a suitable marker. Place the coin or marker immediately behind the ball on the part of the ball farthest from the hole.
26. The proper procedure of off-setting your ball is to mark your ball and then line your putter head up with an identifiable object on the ground. Pick up your marker or coin and move it to the other extremity of the putter head. There’s only one correct way to do this, and don’t forget to use the reverse procedure when it is your turn to putt. Never off-set from the ball, always from the marker or coin.
27. If you hit a ball in an area designed as out of bound (OB), you must play a second ball from the original spot. You incur a stroke and distance penalty, In other words, you are hitting plus two.