So you’ve been invited by a friend to play golf at the exclusive Sherwood Country Club this weekend. You’re excited but you’re also worried you might end up embarrassing yourself. You have only played golf a few times, after all.
Here’s the thing, if you are somewhat familiar with how to play golf and you know which clubs to use on various situations, then the only thing you need to concern yourself with is golf etiquette. They’re not all that complicated tbh. Here are the most important ones:
1. Don’t lag behind.
In golf it’s not how well you play, but how fast. We’re not talking about rushing your shots, not at all. What it actually means is you take no more than 1-2 practice swings before hitting the ball. If it’s a casual round of golf, putts that are 2-3 feet are a “given.” You’ll know your pace is good if you maintain a half hole distance behind the next group (in front).
2. Wait for your turn.
Knowing when it’s your turn is important. It’s generally understood that the person with the top score in the previous hole will tee off first. The person furthest from the hole hits next.
3. Don’t hurt anyone.
If you’re about to hit the ball and there are people in front, yell “Fore!” By doing this, you’re telling those people “watch out!” Don’t wait to warn them – if you think the ball will have even the slightest chance of hitting them, you have to tell them right away. Secondly, you have to SHOUT it otherwise it’ll be pointless.
4. Take good care of the course.
A golf course requires a lot of maintenance and you can do your part by taking care of it when you’re playing. If you’re in a golf cart, for example, make sure it stays on the cart path. Keep it out of the putting green. Additionally, if you take a divot place it back or replace it after.
5. Know the right place to stand.
Golf is played with blunt objects and golfers don’t want anyone to be hurt while they’re playing. Moreover they also don’t want anyone to block or distract them when trying to hit the ball. Stand to the side and try to stay out of the player’s line of sight. Also don’t step on other player’s lines (the line from the ball to the hole).
Golf Rules
The Rules of Golf is 182 pages but don’t worry, it’s not as daunting as you think. They all boil down to the following:
- Don’t move your ball under any circumstance.
- Don’t get or touch other people’s golf balls.
- If your shot lands in a different fairway (that is not out of bounds), you can play the ball.
- Take no more than 5 minutes to search for your ball lest you incur a penalty.
- Play within the course. If your shot goes out of bounds, replay the shot to where you hit and include a stroke penalty.