Golf Etiquette

1

On the Driving Range and Practice Putting Green


"Everyone has had the experience and knows how annoying it is hearing the swish of a club behind him just as he is in the midst of his swing. He has to be very fond of the culprit to restrain a desire to bash him on the head with the club, even when he knows that the guilt is only of thoughtlessness."
-- Bob Jones, Bobby Jones on Golf

To the uninitiated, golf can be as unfamiliar as a foreign country. Etiquette serves as golf's passport. Learn the game's ethical code and you'll be accepted wherever golf is played. Etiquette answers a lot of questions. It's the key to understanding and appreciating golf's rich traditions, culture, and customs. Safety remains etiquette's primary concern, never more important than on the driving range. Here, as on the golf course, accepted protocol establishes a sense of order, comfort, and rhythm that ideally carries over from practice to play.

One thing that doesn't change: people. You'll notice that those oblivious to the game's manners are the same folks who park illegally, blab away on cell phones, and cut you off in traffic. The driving range may offer a first brush with golf -- and with those blissfully unaware of convention and common sense. For those who have lives, jobs, and families, stealing four hours of daylight to play golf can be a rarity, but there are ways to creatively slip in a few minutes of practice at lunch, after work, or as a diversion on a business trip. Practice provides an evening's entertainment alone or shared with friends and family or even newly made acquaintances. Ranges may also offer a place to eat, take a lesson, or shop for clothing or equipment.


How Others Do It

Anyone paying a green fee can walk onto a public golf course in the United States and tee it up. That's not the case across the globe. Many countries have procedures that ease golfers into the game, etiquette included, and new golfers are required to make the effort.

In Sweden, for example, admittance to a golf course requires every player to first demonstrate proficiency as well as a basic understanding of the rules and etiquette. A sample quiz appears at the end of the chapter.


Buddy, Can You Spare a 5-Iron?

Clubs are not required to use the range. Manufacturer's "demos" or loaner clubs will likely be available for those without their own. Expect to leave a credit card or a driver's license as a deposit.