Basic Golf Etiquette

Golf etiquette is a highly valued pillar of the royal and ancient game. Golf considers itself a gentlemen's and ladies' sport, and those that do not follow the rules or demonstrate a lack of consideration for their playing partners are considered 'persona non grata'. Honesty and integrity are musts and are highly valued. Of course, much of the basic etiquette has been incorporated into the rules of the game:

• Play the ball where it lies
• Count every stroke
• Don’t play out of turn

Failure to observe these rules not only draws the ire of your playing partners but costs you penalty strokes (assuming you’re caught!). However, there are other expected behaviours that aren’t necessarily written into the rules of golf but demonstrate good golf manners:

• Silence when your playing partner is about to play a shot
• Not treading on your playing partner’s putting line
• Allowing ample time for the group ahead to play before hitting your shot

This last point is not only good golf etiquette but also will avoid serious injury to those sharing the golf course with you. There are too many examples of impatient golfers hitting far too soon and striking individuals in the group ahead. Of course, the converse can also hold true. It is important that golfers take their shot when the time is right and not dawdle, spending too much time analyzing the shot or looking for a lost ball an inordinate amount of time. Golf is a great game and we all love it but taking 6+ hours to play a round will quickly spoil the day.

There are numerous other rules, many of them pretty weird and often seemingly overly harsh in terms of penalty strokes. Some of these are being reviewed and occasionally revised by golf’s governing body (grounding the club while in a sand trap). But the existence of these oddities in some ways contributes to the stature and character of the game. It’s unique!

So enjoy the game, observe the rules and conduct yourself with the etiquette that the grand old game deserves - and don't forget your CADDYSACK™!

Doug Keyes (Dougie "2 Balls") is an engineer and salesman by day, avid reader and writer by night. Doug would like nothing more than to spend his days on a golf course and his nights in a comfy chair with a good book. Doug is a proud member of the CaddySack Comedy Crew and is well-known for his famous line  "CADDYSACK™ has 2 balls" in the most recent CaddySack video "What's in the Sack"