Three Things You Need to Know About Golf Etiquette
Playing your first ever round of golf can be quite intimidating. You need to be aware of how you will act or are acting on the course. Analyse your golf knowledge to see if you are confident in the rules of the game and your ability. There are also some rules of etiquette that need to be followed when on the course. These include choosing the appropriate equipment for the course you are playing on, setting a tee time, and dress the part and tip when necessary.
- Choose the appropriate equipment for the golf course you are playing on. The type of equipment you use should be related to the rules of golf and the course and golf etiquette. One of the most important rules of golf that has nothing to do with technique is that you are only allowed a total of 14 golf clubs in your bag although there is no minimum. Borrowing clubs from other golfers is considered poor etiquette except for specific situations.
- Set a time to tee off. Because the game of golf is extremely popular from early spring through late fall, you will be on courses where there may be several groups hanging around waiting to start their game. To avoid the wait time and to be respectful towards other golfers that are waiting their turn, it is advised that you reserve a tee time. Reserving your tee time is easy; you need to call the golf case at least 24 hours in advance before you plan to play and request a specific start time. Once your reserved time has been confirmed for your group you need to be on time, if not early, to meet that time as you will either have to wait for a later opening or you will be holding up other groups of golfers that were there on time. Best etiquette practice is to get to the course about a half hour early.
- The last etiquette tip is to dress the part and tip when necessary. Many golf clubs and individual golf courses have very strict dress codes. Each player should find out what the dress code is so everyone in your group will be dressed according to the golf club’s guidelines. Usually this dress code includes khaki shorts or pants with a rugby golf shirt. While this tip may somewhat unusual and trivial, there are many golf courses that will eject groups of players from the golf course for not dressing properly which will cost you money and a full day of golfing. Tipping is another important rule of etiquette that must be followed. Typically at municipal or public golf courses, tipping is not necessary. If you are playing on a private, semi-private, or a more upscale public golf course you should have some cash on hand to tip the cart jockeys and any other staff if you should feel so inclined.
While these golf etiquette tips seem minute and trivial, these “trivial” etiquette rules could get you thrown out of a golf club or golf resort hence losing a significant amount of money. Remember these etiquette tips regardless of where you play as, if some of the lower scale golf courses don’t have dress codes or tee times or even rules about tipping or how many clubs you can carry in your bag, you will be practicing for when you are prepared enough to hit more upscale golf courses.