Golf Etiquette 101

On a busy day there can be hundreds of other golfers out on the course, so please make sure all players in your group follow the following guidelines to ensure everyone has a great day!

Do:

• Play at a reasonable pace. If you’re falling behind or holding up the group behind you, take a break for 5 minutes and call them through.

• Play ready-golf when the fairway is clear, without getting in front of your playing partners.

• If you’re playing with beginners or non-golfers, decide in advance to have them pick up once they’re 3-4 over par for any hole. Better still play an Ambrose format that they’ll enjoy a whole lot more!

• If you have ANY doubts about being able to find your ball after a shot, hit a provisional before you move on.

• Call “FORE!” loudly ANY TIME your ball is headed towards another group or onto another fairway. If you can’t see where it’s going, call FORE! even louder… it’s better to be safe than sorry.

• Always carry a sand bucket and fill your divots. Repair your pitch marks on the greens.

• Rake the  bunkers once you’re out. Put the rake back inside the bunker, pointing towards the flag.

• Motorised carts must stay outside the blue line where marked. Keep well clear of all tees and greens where there is no line marked.

• When conditions are wet, use common-sense and keep motorised carts well clear of any waterlogged areas. As much as possible, please park to the side on higher ground and walk to your ball.

• Do mark your ball clearly and ALWAYS check that it is your ball before you hit it. NEVER pick up golf balls.

• Do treat the golf course, hire equipment and all facilities with respect.

• Do treat other players on the course with courtesy and respect. Be quiet when others are nearby and playing their shots, even if they’re on a different fairway or tee.

• Do turn off your mobile phone or put it on silent.

Don‘t:

• Don’t hit your shots until the group in front of you is well out of range. If in doubt, wait a little longer!

• Don’t move or talk while someone in your group is hitting the ball (or about to hit). Be aware of other players on adjacent tees and be quiet while they hit as well.

• Don’t walk across the line of another player’s putt on the green. The flattened spot from your footprint can be enough to change the roll of their putt.

• Don’t lay spare clubs on the green while you putt… it’s too easy for someone to step backwards on them and damage the green.

• Don’t ever play when lightning is in the area. If the hooter sounds… 1 long sustained blast… stop play and take cover immediately.

• Don’t hold up other players. Call faster groups through, have slower players pick up, don’t spend more than 3 minutes looking for a lost ball.

• Don’t enter the water looking for your balls… we do have crocodiles in some of the dams and golf balls are replaceable.

• Don’t pick up golf balls on the course… they will almost always belong to another golfer, and you can ruin their game if they are playing a comp.

• Don’t bring alcohol onto the course… it will be confiscated and your whole group may be asked to leave.

Mostly good golf etiquette comes down to common-sense behaviour and treating our course and other players with respect. Do that and we all have a great day out.

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