Golf is steeped in honour and history, but the popularity of the game is growing and the people that are playing golf are becoming less akin to the etiquette that is expected. I am all for change in golf, and to encourage younger golfers to take up the game we need to remove some of the stigma attached to it, but not to the extent that we allow rudeness and impoliteness to rule the golf courses.
Be courteous to you playing partners: one of the most annoying aspects of golf is the lack of respect that now exists between playing partners, especially when you are drawn to play in a group of people that you may not know. Being courteous is a corner stone of the golfing tradition and it is slowly disappearing from our game. Courtesy is not just about a good firm handshake on the tee, or the praising of a good shot, it is also the way we act when we are on the course.
I am amazed when I play, or marshal the course at the number of people that refuse to search for a playing partners ball, it is almost like they don’t care. This is not how golf used to be or should be now. If your playing partner has lost a ball, give them the help they need to search for the ball, it is only three minutes and shows respect to them.
Talking when close by to another tee box or green; OK talking is fine, but where did the idea of walking past a golfer teeing off, or joking out loud (and all to often too loudly) about the missed putt on the last green as you walk past another putting out. I remember a time when we would all stop until the player had played. It was what you did, you would never have considered just strolling by (it used to be the same on driving ranges).
But above all, the most disrespectful and annoying has to be buggies. Please, please please if you take a buggy and you have to share it with the person that has been tagged onto your group, make sure to at least speak with them, and beyond that actually ferry them to their ball and wait until they have played.
Golf is the only sport where you can begin as strangers but end up as friends after 18 holes, respect and courtesy were the fundamentals that golf was based upon, we can´t afford to lose them.
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