Etiquete... What are the dos and don'ts?

[Ogre41]

After reading another topic about etiquette I realized that I am quite ignorant about the whole topic. Or at least I think I am ignorant on the topic. So here's the crux of the question, what is good etiquette? I know that I should:

 

1) Be quiet while someone is swinging or putting. But shouldn't I be able to talk when we are in the cart moving to the next hole or next shot?

2) Be careful to not walk in someone's putting line. Or even a few feet after the hole.

3) Not take the glove off during someone's swing or putt.

4) Replace the divot. Especially if I took too much Mother Earth.

5) Fix my ballmark on the green.

6) Rake the bunker.

 

But I don't know where to stand so that I am not distracting someone AND I can help them find their ball. Do I stand on the side? Behind them? Currently I try and stay 15 feet behind them on the tee box (we are not playing from the tips) so I can still watch their ball for them.

 

So, can you all help me?

[SJFP]

Official USGA guide on etiquette.

http://www.usga.org/playing/etiquette/etiquette.html

 

Thanks for taking the time to think about etiquette.

Playing with someone who is ignorant to the rules of etiquette can ruin an enjoyable round for your own flight and others.

[MrJones]

You also might run into a few guys that have a "thing" about where you stand while they putt or swing. It gets annoying but most of the time they're the same guys that never hit a abd shot-something or someone always messes them up.

[schmatt]

I would never stand directly behind them, even if it is 15ft. I can tell you this is distracting to me to see someone in the corner of my eye while I am hitting or putting. You should stand to the side of them. The part about walking in someones line, even on the other side of the cup is about the through line. If the person misses the putt, it will go past the hole. They don't want you walking in that area. This will not always be directly behind the hole. You should just try to stay a good 5-10 ft away from the cup whenever possible. If you're not sure about where the the persons line or through line is, ask them.

 

Basically, etiquette is just about being considerate of your playing partners and other golfers that come after you. Anything else that bothers people is usually just a personal thing.

[frozen_rope]

For any golf shot , including putts, you will always be fine when facing the player striking the shot.

The player cannot see you when you stand in this position.

 

After reading another topic about etiquette I realized that I am quite ignorant about the whole topic. Or at least I think I am ignorant on the topic. So here's the crux of the question, what is good etiquette? I know that I should:

 

1) Be quiet while someone is swinging or putting. But shouldn't I be able to talk when we are in the cart moving to the next hole or next shot?

2) Be careful to not walk in someone's putting line. Or even a few feet after the hole.

3) Not take the glove off during someone's swing or putt.

4) Replace the divot. Especially if I took too much Mother Earth.

5) Fix my ballmark on the green.

6) Rake the bunker.

 

But I don't know where to stand so that I am not distracting someone AND I can help them find their ball. Do I stand on the side? Behind them? Currently I try and stay 15 feet behind them on the tee box (we are not playing from the tips) so I can still watch their ball for them.

 

So, can you all help me?

[commanderspalace24]

I think a good rule of thumb is either be able to see a persons back or chest. Stay 45 degrees withing that and you should be fine. The easiest thing to do is pay attention and everything is good. If something bothers you just politely ask the person to stop. Thats how I would want to be told. Don't let somebody keep doing something that is questionable against etipuete because you wouldn't want to be that guy and nobody wants to tell you or alteast thats how I have alwasys felt about telling something they might change this or that.

[mrconns5]

i know it can sometimes help to speed play, but i hate, HATE, it when any member of a foursome walks away from the green to a cart or elsewhere before i or anyone else has finished putting out, even if my 6 footer is gonna leave me a gimmee at worst, when you walk away it tells me you dont care about my or anyone elses play or that you think my strokes dont matter/count which is disrespectful to the spirit of the game, imho, plus it makes me feel rushed which does nothing for my putt

[SadTrombone]

i know it can sometimes help to speed play, but i hate, HATE, it when any member of a foursome walks away from the green to a cart or elsewhere before i or anyone else has finished putting out, even if my 6 footer is gonna leave me a gimmee at worst, when you walk away it tells me you dont care about my or anyone elses play or that you think my strokes dont matter/count which is disrespectful to the spirit of the game, imho, plus it makes me feel rushed which does nothing for my putt

I agree. There are very few more disrespectful things you can do.

 

-mini

[Rambler]

Don't talk to my ball

[schmatt]

i know it can sometimes help to speed play, but i hate, HATE, it when any member of a foursome walks away from the green to a cart or elsewhere before i or anyone else has finished putting out, even if my 6 footer is gonna leave me a gimmee at worst, when you walk away it tells me you dont care about my or anyone elses play or that you think my strokes dont matter/count which is disrespectful to the spirit of the game, imho, plus it makes me feel rushed which does nothing for my putt

 

Could it be that they are walking away because you are playing too slow? The best way to lead is by example.

[mrconns5]

no, when it happens its not just to me usually and is irregardless of when its my turn to put, 2nd or last, just usually sort of an "im done, off to the cart to wait" type thing or so, i always have my line decided and ready to go at the drop of the previous players ball...

[Ogre41]

Thanks for the tips guys.

[SpinMill75]

Nice post....

 

Here are the ones that come to mind for me.

 

Don'ts -

 

1. Spitting on the tee box or green. Especially sunflower seeds or tobacco.

2. Smoking on the tee box or green - burn marks on either.....Bad!!!

3. Casting a shadow on my line while I putt, watch where you are standing please.

4. Practicing your swing while I'm swinging.

5. Clanking clubs around in your bag while I'm teeing off.

6. Asking me " is that good?"

7. Not repairing pitch marks.

 

Please do -

 

1. Repair your pitch mark and one other on the green.

2. Rake the bunker with style.....its not a pile of dead leaves!

3. Show me your ball prior to teeing off.

4. Acknowledge a great shot.

5. Introduce yourself and your playing partner.

6. Have nice conversation while we play the game we love for 4.5 hours together.

7. After putting out on 18, remove your hat and sunglasses, shake my hand and say" Thanks for the nice round..." (and mean it.) Extra points if you suggest we go to the pub and have a pint together.

 

Cheers.

[Bee-Man]

What SpinMill 75 said was perfect.........make mine a cold lager please.....

 

Point to point......and very much old school.........just my two cents....:drinks:

 

1) Be quiet while someone is swinging or putting. Yes.....Once they address the ball....till they follow through....

2) But shouldn't I be able to talk when we are in the cart moving to the next hole or next shot? Talk as you will....

3) Be careful to not walk in someone's putting line. Or even a few feet after the hole. Good practice is to stay 2m off there line and a minimum distance from the hole...standing on someone's line to get a read of the putt..is considered by many to be a bit of a cheat....or not good sportsmanship.....standing at 45 degrees from them away from the hole will usually give you a good read anyway......

4) Not take the glove off during someone's swing or putt. Certainly dont rip the velcro....but not fidgeting during the swing in any way is often appreciated.

5) Replace the divot. Especially if I took too much Mother Earth. Leaving the course in as good as original condition as essential.

6) Fix my ball mark on the green. Absolutely...and others as well if in proximity....

7) Rake the bunker. Also a must..

 

Will also add being ready to play when its your turn by doing all your pre shot thinking beforehand makes for good time and rhythm.

 

Leaving the green before everyone has putted out is deliberately done to distract/annoy in most situations.....here in Asia...it is the norm because of gambling.....my response is to pick the ball up as soon as there back is turned and say i made the putt.... they don't do it again.....

[MizzyMan]

What about someone practice swinging towards you on the tee box. I had a buddy of mine do this one time, he was swinging his driver towards me (opposite direction of the hole). I asked him not to do this as he could gouge up a divot and put my eye out or his clubhead could come off. He just kinda mumbled something and acted like I was some kind of a-hole the rest of the day. Haven't seen much of him since. Has anybody ever had someone do this and what did you say to 'em?

[bermuda]

Watch your shadows so they don't get over people's balls or putting lines. And turn off or silence the cell phones. Better yet, leave them in the car.

 

From the USGA site, this is one of my pet peeves: "On the teeing ground, a player should not tee his ball until it is his turn to play."

 

I've never understood why people would tee their ball then walk away while others hit first.

 

I also dislike it when people walk away after they putt but others still have to putt. But what about if you pick up on a hole? I was in a tournament the other day with a triple-bogey limit. I hit one in a hazard and my next OB, so I picked up. Once my group got to the green, I went over to the restroom/water fountain at the next tee, then walked back to the green while the group putted. Should I have stayed at the green?

[Adk Jake]

Here's a few I try to adhere to:

 

Fix your ball mark, and at least one other

 

Replace your divot, and at least one other

 

Don't fire up and/or move your golf cart when someone

is set up over their shot.

[frozen_rope]

One hole is fine, especially if you're taking care of business. However, there are plenty of jerks on the golf courses who on most every hole putt out and then leave the green while the balance of their group is still playing.

 

I also dislike it when people walk away after they putt but others still have to putt. But what about if you pick up on a hole? I was in a tournament the other day with a triple-bogey limit. I hit one in a hazard and my next OB, so I picked up. Once my group got to the green, I went over to the restroom/water fountain at the next tee, then walked back to the green while the group putted. Should I have stayed at the green?

[schmatt]

One hole is fine, especially if you're taking care of business. However, there are plenty of jerks on the golf courses who on most every hole putt out and then leave the green while the balance of their group is still playing.

 

I also dislike it when people walk away after they putt but others still have to putt. But what about if you pick up on a hole? I was in a tournament the other day with a triple-bogey limit. I hit one in a hazard and my next OB, so I picked up. Once my group got to the green, I went over to the restroom/water fountain at the next tee, then walked back to the green while the group putted. Should I have stayed at the green?

 

 

If that's the case, I agree with you. But I walk when I play. Sometimes I play in a group where the other players are very slow. I will mention that we need to speed up a couple of times. But if that does not happen, I typically will walk towards the green before others have hit. Just to try and pull the people with me to get them moving. That's the only way I have been able to actually speed people up.

[SpinMill75]

What SpinMill 75 said was perfect.........make mine a cold lager please.....

 

Point to point......and very much old school.........just my two cents.... :drinks:

 

1) Be quiet while someone is swinging or putting. Yes.....Once they address the ball....till they follow through....

2) But shouldn't I be able to talk when we are in the cart moving to the next hole or next shot? Talk as you will....

3) Be careful to not walk in someone's putting line. Or even a few feet after the hole. Good practice is to stay 2m off there line and a minimum distance from the hole...standing on someone's line to get a read of the putt..is considered by many to be a bit of a cheat....or not good sportsmanship.....standing at 45 degrees from them away from the hole will usually give you a good read anyway......

4) Not take the glove off during someone's swing or putt. Certainly dont rip the velcro....but not fidgeting during the swing in any way is often appreciated.

5) Replace the divot. Especially if I took too much Mother Earth. Leaving the course in as good as original condition as essential.

6) Fix my ball mark on the green. Absolutely...and others as well if in proximity....

7) Rake the bunker. Also a must..

 

Will also add being ready to play when its your turn by doing all your pre shot thinking beforehand makes for good time and rhythm.

 

Leaving the green before everyone has putted out is deliberately done to distract/annoy in most situations.....here in Asia...it is the norm because of gambling.....my response is to pick the ball up as soon as there back is turned and say i made the putt.... they don't do it again.....

 

Thanks for the nice compliment Bee-man......If you ever make it to my neck of the woods, the lagers are on me.

 

Cheers.

[skinny99]

This is a tough one for me! When I walk I am always trying to get a head start,I walk slow enough that I need to get a little advantage. I walk slow but like to finish in under three and half hours.So what is worse leaving the green early or slowing everbody down? When I ride I have no issues,I even tend the flag when I have to pick up on the triple bogey rule! Todd

[mrconns5]

One hole is fine, especially if you're taking care of business. However, there are plenty of jerks on the golf courses who on most every hole putt out and then leave the green while the balance of their group is still playing.

 

I also dislike it when people walk away after they putt but others still have to putt. But what about if you pick up on a hole? I was in a tournament the other day with a triple-bogey limit. I hit one in a hazard and my next OB, so I picked up. Once my group got to the green, I went over to the restroom/water fountain at the next tee, then walked back to the green while the group putted. Should I have stayed at the green?

 

 

If that's the case, I agree with you. But I walk when I play. Sometimes I play in a group where the other players are very slow. I will mention that we need to speed up a couple of times. But if that does not happen, I typically will walk towards the green before others have hit. Just to try and pull the people with me to get them moving. That's the only way I have been able to actually speed people up.

 

i think its fine to start making your way up the fairway to the green as others continue to hit, just when consistently leaving the green early it irritates me...another poster mentionned it was common in asia, and its funny b/c i just recently played in asia (philippenes) and this is where i noticed it most and prolly struck a nerve, whats odd is the pace of play over ther seemed so much slower and less rushed to begin with...

[Mr. Herbert]

Leaving the green before everyone has putted out is deliberately done to distract/annoy in most situations.....here in Asia...it is the norm because of gambling.....my response is to pick the ball up as soon as there back is turned and say i made the putt.... they don't do it again.....

 

In general, cheating is considered bad etiquette, even if it's in response to someone else's bad etiquette.

[slim16er]

Fix your ball mark, and at least one other

 

Definite DO.

 

I fix as many as I can, as long as its not slowing up play. My home course over-books big time on the weekends and the greens get trashed. I would say that 70-75% of the players don't fix their marks and another 10% don't do it properly. They guys in my group feel the same way - so we get 8-10 marks repaired every green and it doesn't bother us one bit.

[maugust789]

I think a good rule of thumb is either be able to see a persons back or chest. Stay 45 degrees within that and you should be fine.

 

+1 picked this tip up on this forum and it helped me figure out where to stand.

[golfortennis]

Can't argue with much that has been said, but I did want to add one thing: flag placement when you are on the green.

 

I'm not sure what makes them do it, but guys who drop the flag either 3 feet from the hole, or tight along someone's putting line, or somewhere where if someone cooks their putt a little it might hit it. Some of us do play under that thing called the rules, where it's a two-stroke penalty for hitting the flagstick with a putt. When you grab it, place it somehere that no ones putt could possibly find it(it sometimes seems hard but here is always a spot), and is not in view where the person might be thinking about it.

 

I always feel like a ***** asking someone to move the flagstick, bu frankly, it shouldn't even come to that. Sometimes it even needs to be set down off the green.

 

Oh, and drop it softly, don't let it fall from anything more than a foot.

[larrybud]

After reading another topic about etiquette I realized that I am quite ignorant about the whole topic. Or at least I think I am ignorant on the topic. So here's the crux of the question, what is good etiquette? I know that I should:

 

1) Be quiet while someone is swinging or putting. But shouldn't I be able to talk when we are in the cart moving to the next hole or next shot?

2) Be careful to not walk in someone's putting line. Or even a few feet after the hole.

3) Not take the glove off during someone's swing or putt.

4) Replace the divot. Especially if I took too much Mother Earth.

5) Fix my ballmark on the green.

6) Rake the bunker.

 

But I don't know where to stand so that I am not distracting someone AND I can help them find their ball. Do I stand on the side? Behind them? Currently I try and stay 15 feet behind them on the tee box (we are not playing from the tips) so I can still watch their ball for them.

 

So, can you all help me?

 

You shouldn't be standing anywhere in which they can see you with their peripheral vision. You shouldn't stand directly behind them (to the right of them, that is) either. You can easily follow the ball if you're off to the side.

 

Sure, you can talk during the round. Just be aware of when the person is in "shot mode", and stop talking at that point. One of my main annoyances is when someone is talking when I'm lining up my shot, and when I'm getting over the ball. At that point I'm in my preshot routine and I'm trying to concentrate. If you're in a cart, figure when you're in the cart you can talk, but when the player pulls their club, stop talking (unless you're standing around waiting for the group in front of you).

 

Fix your ballmark, and while you're at it, fix another.

 

One other thing that you might not be aware of is when someone is hitting a chip or bunker shot, don't stand directly in line with the pin. I don't mind when I'm chipping, but if I'm hitting a bunker shot, I'll ask the person to move. I don't want to blade one over and hit anyone, and with that thought it mind, it may screw me up.

 

Finally, don't worry about making mistakes. Everyone does once in a while, and if you're a newbie, you'll make them more often than not. As someone who plays with a lot of strangers, it's really the effort that I care about. If someone walks in my line, but realizes they screwed up, it's no big deal. But if someone is basically tap dancing in it, and doesn't CARE, then it's annoying.

[Boomermike]

Don't talk to my ball

 

Amen. I understand that you're probably trying to be a good sport when you say "get left, get left" on a drive that starts to the right but looks like it might draw back to the middle of the fairway, or "run, run," on a thin shot that needs to keep rolling to get up to the green. But there's a fine line - when I hit a miserably bad shot (i.e. - blade a pitch or chip that goes sailing across the green) and you say "bite, bite", you're just patronizing me. We both know it was a bad shot, we both know the ball doesn't have a chance in hades of "biting" or "checking", so just let the ball roll and be quiet while I go to my next shot. Talking to my ball for a little extra encouragement on a shot that has a chance to be a good shot is fine. But talking to it when we both know it was a miserable shot isn't any good for anybody.

[wolfpackblack]

Nice post....

 

Here are the ones that come to mind for me.

 

Don'ts -

 

1. Spitting on the tee box or green. Especially sunflower seeds or tobacco.

2. Smoking on the tee box or green - burn marks on either.....Bad!!!

3. Casting a shadow on my line while I putt, watch where you are standing please.

4. Practicing your swing while I'm swinging.

5. Clanking clubs around in your bag while I'm teeing off.

6. Asking me " is that good?"

7. Not repairing pitch marks.

 

Please do -

 

1. Repair your pitch mark and one other on the green.

2. Rake the bunker with style.....its not a pile of dead leaves!

3. Show me your ball prior to teeing off.

4. Acknowledge a great shot.

5. Introduce yourself and your playing partner.

6. Have nice conversation while we play the game we love for 4.5 hours together.

7. After putting out on 18, remove your hat and sunglasses, shake my hand and say" Thanks for the nice round..." (and mean it.) Extra points if you suggest we go to the pub and have a pint together.

 

Cheers.

 

Don't forget about spitting in the cup either. I hear even some pros have a hard time with that.

[larrybud]

Don't talk to my ball

 

Amen. I understand that you're probably trying to be a good sport when you say "get left, get left" on a drive that starts to the right but looks like it might draw back to the middle of the fairway, or "run, run," on a thin shot that needs to keep rolling to get up to the green. But there's a fine line - when I hit a miserably bad shot (i.e. - blade a pitch or chip that goes sailing across the green) and you say "bite, bite", you're just patronizing me. We both know it was a bad shot, we both know the ball doesn't have a chance in hades of "biting" or "checking", so just let the ball roll and be quiet while I go to my next shot. Talking to my ball for a little extra encouragement on a shot that has a chance to be a good shot is fine. But talking to it when we both know it was a miserable shot isn't any good for anybody.

Oh man, I'm so guilty of talking to golf balls. I know it's a problem, and I try not to do it, but this is one habit I cannot break myself of! Sorry guys!

 

But think of this: At least it doesn't actually AFFECT the ball.