CHAMPIONSHIP COURSES
PREMIER FACILITIES
Etiquette Guidelines
Be a Silent and Still partner
Do not talk. Even whispering is distracting. Also, moving, fidgeting and worst of all making practice swings in someones field of vision as they are getting ready to hit a shot is distracting. The point is, stand still from the time a player sets himself until the ball has left the club.
Don't be the slowest player
Evaluate your pace of play honestly and often, and if you're consistently the slowest one in your group, you're a slow player, period. Encourage everyone to move quickly enough so you find yourself right behind the group in front several times, both early and late in the round.
Keep your temper under control
Repair the ground you play on
No one wants to play out of a divot or a shoe print in the sand.
Make your golf cart 'invisible'
Park the cart behind the player and out of the field of vision. Shut the cart off and be still until the player has hit.
Turn off the cell phone
Keep cell phones off or silenced. If you absolutely have to make a call, move away from the other players and keep the call brief to not disturb others.
Lend a hand when you can
It's easy to help out your fellow players, if you just pay attention. One obvious way is looking for lost balls -- better yet, watching errant shots so they don't turn into lost balls. Pick up that extra club left on the fringe or the headcover dropped next to the tee, and return it to its owner after saying, "Nice shot!". If you see a cart out of position or a provisional ball that needs picking up, don't just walk by.
Learn the little things
Some other bits of etiquette to consider; laying the flagstick down carefully, tamping down spike marks when you're walking off a green, letting faster groups play through, and so on. All of these things are learned by observing, with a sharp eye and a considerate heart. Just know that golf has a way of returning favors, and every piece of etiquette you practice will be repaid tenfold.