New club member - do's & don'ts?

PFiddy

Hi all,

I'm a relative newbie to the golf boards but have been an avid reader of late. I've been hacking around for a few years now & I'm fairly sure at this point that I'm going to take the plunge next month & join the club down the road from me. I've been working hard on my game lately and can't wait to have an official handicap that I can work on getting down

Anyone care to share any do's or don'ts for a newbie member?
Obvious ones that spring to mind are stuff like "Always hand in your scorecard, good or bad", "rake the bunkers after use", "fix divots, pitchmarks" etc, but what are the other blunders you see committed week in week out (either through bad manners, poor etiquette or plain ignorance) that really pi$$ you off? I guess I just want to avoid a serious faux pas that would have the existing members grumbing "who the f*~% is this guy - has he never played before!?"

No tip is too great or too trivial - thanks in advance!

Dr.Silly

Things that tick me off.

Players standing too close to you, especially on a putt.
The player marking your card asks you what you scored on the last 4 holes.

Tones69

Dr.Silly wrote: »

Things that tick me off.

Players standing too close to you, especially on a putt.
The player marking your card asks you what you scored on the last 4 holes.

..Partners standing behind you teeing off, wtf

fullstop

People repairing pitchmarks ass-ways and leaving a lump of upturned mud. Start from the back, not the front.

irish bloke

Dont do's.
Using the blue (competition) tees during a normal playing day. Only heard last week myself you can't do this.

fullstop

irish bloke wrote: »

Dont do's.
Using the blue (competition) tees during a normal playing day. Only heard last week myself you can't do this.

You can if you want. Otherwise they could just take the markers in.

irish bloke

fullstop wrote: »

irish bloke wrote: »

Dont do's.
Using the blue (competition) tees during a normal playing day. Only heard last week myself you can't do this.

You can if you want. Otherwise they could just take the markers in.

Must be just in my home club so. Was informed last week that you would be asked to leave if caught. Must admit, I did think it was a strange rule

kagni

irish bloke wrote: »

Dont do's.
Using the blue (competition) tees during a normal playing day. Only heard last week myself you can't do this.

Agreed, I see lots of people doing it wrong and sometimes making it even worse, here is how to do it -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnpN-r5SrzE

Most of the other ones relate to slow play -
Be ready to hit when it's your turn - if you are not first to play you should have your mind made up what shot you are going to hit and have your club selected.
Mark scorecards on the next tee box - not on the green.
Leave you trolley on the side of the green that is nearest the next tee box.

death1234567

Don'ts:

Play slow

Do's:

Keep up with play and let groups behind play through if you are holding them up.

GreeBo

fullstop wrote: »

People repairing pitchmarks ass-ways and leaving a lump of upturned mud. Start from the back, not the front.

I start from the front and still repair them properly. As long as you are pulling back the grass that was compressed together it doesnt matter where you start.
Its the goons who:
a) Ignore the moon craters they are leaving completely
b) Lift up and make a mud spot
c) Replace a divot

Who make a balls of it.


Blue tees are comp only in my club also. White for casual golf.

BoardsMember

GreeBo wrote: »

Blue tees are comp only in my club also. White for casual golf.

Mine too, and you must play the course of the day, so only allowed play blues in competition, or when playing an official club match. They dont take the blue markers in when there is no competition.

newport2

death1234567 wrote: »

Don'ts:

Play slow

Do's:

Keep up with play and let groups behind play through if you are holding them up.

Absolutely. And focus on trying to keep up with the group ahead, not just ahead of the group behind.

stringy

what I've noticed with newer members/players is that they're far too influenced by watching the pros on tv, e.g. taking an eternity to line up putts on normal greens, i.e. not pga tour/major style greens.

Please dont wait for other player to putt before doing the following: mark and clean your ball. Replace your ball, leave marker down. walk away, read putt, lineup putt, remark your ball, and then finally putt. Please have putt lined up and ball cleaned and marked while other players are playing out. (as best you can without disturbing others).

Please dont stand in a person line of putt, either behind or opposite.

Don't stand too close on tee box.

Leave bag/trolley on side of the green nearest next tee box.

Be friendly and have the chats.

Don't give swing advice (EVER)

Dont verbally talk about how sh!t golf is, how sh!t you are, if you're having a bad day.

Enjoy it and have fun.

slave1

Allued to in the last post but if I'm having a bad day I try to keep it to myself, golf gods not smiling on me, not my day etc. etc. etc. and not drag partners down with you.
Nothing worse than playing with a whinger, turns a round into a chore that you can't wait to get over and out of there when the opposite should be the case.

bustercherry

Don't constantly whine about slow play and point it out on every hole or every opportunity you can. Most of the time there is nothing you can do about it.

bustercherry

stringy wrote: »

what I've noticed with newer members/players is that they're far too influenced by watching the pros on tv, e.g. taking an eternity to line up putts on normal greens, i.e. not pga tour/major style greens.

Please dont wait for other player to putt before doing the following: mark and clean your ball. Replace your ball, leave marker down. walk away, read putt, lineup putt, remark your ball, and then finally putt. Please have putt lined up and ball cleaned and marked while other players are playing out. (as best you can without disturbing others).

Please dont stand in a person line of putt, either behind or opposite.

Don't stand too close on tee box.

Leave bag/trolley on side of the green nearest next tee box.

Be friendly and have the chats.

Don't give swing advice (EVER)

Dont verbally talk about how sh!t golf is, how sh!t you are, if you're having a bad day.

Enjoy it and have fun.

Don't replace you ball until you are ready to play. If you have a similar position on the green, assuming you are putting 2nd because you are closer to the hole, then it's very distracting.

cgh

the main thing to do is enjoy your game.
the rest will fall into place.
know your golf ettiqutte and happy golfing

PGF

bustercherry wrote: »

Don't replace you ball until you are ready to play. If you have a similar position on the green, assuming you are putting 2nd because you are closer to the hole, then it's very distracting.

This is something I think needs to change. I don't see any reason why a player waiting to play needs to have his ball marked unless it's very close to the person who is playing. On the fairway you wouldn't be able to move it unless it's interfering with your shot. I don't find it distracting at all.

I only mark it if it's really interfering with another player. Keeps the pace of play up.

dnjoyce

PGF wrote: »

This is something I think needs to change. I don't see any reason why a player waiting to play needs to have his ball marked unless it's very close to the person who is playing. On the fairway you wouldn't be able to move it unless it's interfering with your shot. I don't find it distracting at all.

I only mark it if it's really interfering with another player. Keeps the pace of play up.

If there is even the remotest chance of hitting your playing partner's ball on the green it should be marked. There's no penalty for hitting it off the green, but there is on it. Provides an opportunity to clean your ball as well (pet peeve of mine is dirty balls!). This doesn't need to slow play down at all if done correctly/promptly.

PGF

dnjoyce wrote: »

If there is even the remotest chance of hitting your playing partner's ball on the green it should be marked.

Definitely agree with this. But I was saying that if you're not interfering with another player why wait to replace your ball? What I don't agree with is players waiting until it's their turn and then spending an age lining up their logo with their intended line. Why not do this while their partner is doing the same. I don't see how another ball on a green is distracting.

fullstop

PGF wrote: »

This is something I think needs to change. I don't see any reason why a player waiting to play needs to have his ball marked unless it's very close to the person who is playing. On the fairway you wouldn't be able to move it unless it's interfering with your shot. I don't find it distracting at all.

I only mark it if it's really interfering with another player. Keeps the pace of play up.

On the fairway you're not looking at the fairway, you're looking at where you want to hit the next shot i.e. the green.

When on the green, you're looking at the line you want to hit it and if there's another ball on the green anywhere in your field of vision it's distracting.

ssbob

Tones69 wrote: »

..Partners standing behind you teeing off, wtf

Do you mean standing on the left side of the tee box or the back of the tee box(I often do this to watch the flight of my playing partners ball to make sure we can find it)

GreeBo

ssbob wrote: »

Do you mean standing on the left side of the tee box or the back of the tee box(I often do this to watch the flight of my playing partners ball to make sure we can find it)

Personally Id ask you to move if you did this and I could see you or your feet.
I don't see why you cant watch the ball from the side (back or front)

Tones69

ssbob wrote: »

Do you mean standing on the left side of the tee box or the back of the tee box(I often do this to watch the flight of my playing partners ball to make sure we can find it)

Yep thats exactly what i mean, always stand opposite them (right side for a righty and left side for a lefty)

BoardsMember

Its a penalty stroke against the player playing the shot if a player stands behind while striking the ball.

allybhoy

Sounds like an obvious one but always always call Fore if you loose sight of your ball, no matter if you think there is no danger. The amount of times ive been on a course where a ball has landed dangerously close to me or gone over my head, or ricocheted off a nearby tree without prior warning is ridicolous and nothing annoys me more.

Everyone plays bad shots so no need to be embarrassed.

GreeBo

BoardsMember wrote: »

Its a penalty stroke against the player playing the shot if a player stands behind while striking the ball.

Based on what rule?

stringy

BoardsMember wrote: »

Its a penalty stroke against the player playing the shot if a player stands behind while striking the ball.

only on the putting green (can't find the exact rule)

GreeBo

I think you are both confusing this with rule 14-2b
This only applies to your partner/caddy or partners caddy.
Not just the person you are playing with.

Keano

I actually got hit with a golf ball on the arse a few weeks back on our range. No fore shouted. It bloody hurt :pac:

PGF

fullstop wrote: »

When on the green, you're looking at the line you want to hit it and if there's another ball on the green anywhere in your field of vision it's distracting.

If it's distracting that's fair enough (it would have to be really close to me or my intended line to be distracting to me). Otherwise don't wait, replace your ball and be ready to play.

Let's get new golfers playing fast/ready golf from the start...

bustercherry

PGF wrote: »

If it's distracting that's fair enough (it would have to be really close to me or my intended line to be distracting to me). Otherwise don't wait, replace your ball and be ready to play.

Let's get new golfers playing fast/ready golf from the start...

Bet your one of these people that can't wait to get off the green so they can stand on the next tee box giving out about slow play :rolleyes:

In all fairness I would not consider my playing partners replacing the ball before their turn putting slow play. I would use replacing my ball as a trigger to start concentrating on the putt. As most people have read the putt already (yes there are gobsh1tes that haven't), simply reaching down to replace a ball before you putt makes zero difference. Anyone that has an issue with this is being anal and should play on their own.

PGF

bustercherry wrote: »

Bet your one of these people that can't wait to get off the green so they can stand on the next tee box giving out about slow play :rolleyes:

In all fairness I would not consider my playing partners replacing the ball before their turn putting slow play. I would use replacing my ball as a trigger to start concentrating on the putt. As most people have read the putt already (yes there are gobsh1tes that haven't), simply reaching down to replace a ball before you putt makes zero difference. Anyone that has an issue with this is being anal and should play on their own.

Coming from other sports I think it's strange that golfers can't possibly putt unless all balls apart from their own are marked. I don't see any need for this. Just because it's always been done doesn't make it the right thing to do.

And you'd have lost your bet.

fullstop

PGF wrote: »

Coming from other sports I think it's strange that golfers can't possibly putt unless all balls apart from their own are marked. I don't see any need for this. Just because it's always been done doesn't make it the right thing to do.

And you'd have lost your bet.

It hasn't always been done.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stymie

BoardsMember

stringy wrote: »

only on the putting green (can't find the exact rule)

Not correct. It is a penalty stroke if your caddy is behind you playing any shot. I'm not 100% sure if that also applies to a playing partner, but I'm almost certain it does.

BoardsMember

Rule 14.2

a. Physical Assistance and Protection from Elements
A player must not make a stroke while accepting physical assistance or protection from the elements.

b. Positioning of Caddie or Partner Behind Ball
A player must not make a stroke with his caddie, his partner or his partner’s caddie positioned on or close to an extension of the line of play or line of putt behind the ball.

Exception: There is no penalty if the player’s caddie, his partner or his partner’s caddie is inadvertently located on or close to an extension of the line of play or line of putt behind the ball.

the big question is the "inadvertent". If someone reckons that standing behind the player gives them a better chance of seeing the ball, then they are not inadvertently standing behind the player, they have intentionally stood behind the player. It does not require that the players reason for standing behind the player was to provide assistance.

Davidth88

Interestingly , I used to play a lot of early morning golf with my brother.

We always stood in line behind the stroke when driving into the sun.... it was the only way we could see the flight of the ball for each other.

We were not in competitions ( unless you could siblings taking a tenner of each other ) .

PFiddy

Some sound advice here folks, thanks.

The main theme I am picking is keep up a good pace of play and don't be a distraction while others are taking their shot. And to shout FORE when its called for!:)

One thing I always wondered regarding slow play - say the group ahead of me have just left the green but are waiting on the next tee as there is a group further ahead. Is it okay to take out a couple of balls and play some practice chips/putts once my first (real) shot has been taken? (provided of course I'm not holding up a group behind me).

I've seen people do it during non-competition rounds and wondered if it was allowed.

BoardsMember

Every course is different on this, but generally one additional ball is fine, as long as you are keeping up AND there is nobody behind. I dont think it is very respectful to the course if you hit any more than one, if everybody did that the course would take a bit of a beating over time. Also, the chances of increased unrepaired pitchmarks increases with the number of balls being hit in, I have seen a certain golfer in our place hit 15 to 20 balls into a green far from the club house, never seen her repairing that many pitchmarks.

Deep Thought

A couple of tips I got is

when you are walking up to your ball on the fairway look at markers etc and try to have in your mind what club you may play.

I feel there is nothing worse than a player who meanders up the fairway and then try's to figure out what to hit...

You have plenty of time walking to the ball to consider you options

And when playing , have a look at where the flags are position on other holes

GreeBo

BoardsMember wrote: »

Rule 14.2

a. Physical Assistance and Protection from Elements
A player must not make a stroke while accepting physical assistance or protection from the elements.

b. Positioning of Caddie or Partner Behind Ball
A player must not make a stroke with his caddie, his partner or his partner’s caddie positioned on or close to an extension of the line of play or line of putt behind the ball.

Exception: There is no penalty if the player’s caddie, his partner or his partner’s caddie is inadvertently located on or close to an extension of the line of play or line of putt behind the ball.

the big question is the "inadvertent". If someone reckons that standing behind the player gives them a better chance of seeing the ball,then they are not inadvertently standing behind the player, they have intentionally stood behind the player. It does not require that the players reason for standing behind the player was to provide assistance.

You are still misreading it.
As long as its not your caddy or your partner (foursomes, fourball, team, scramble, etc) or their caddy it doesnt matter.
A playing partner (singles comp) is not the same thing as one of the above partners.

ssbob

GreeBo wrote: »

You are still misreading it.
As long as its not your caddy or your partner (foursomes, fourball, team, scramble, etc) or their caddy it doesnt matter.
A playing partner (singles comp) is not the same thing as one of the above partners.

Yes because otherwise you could be playing a guy matchplay and on purpose he stands behind you and then calls a penalty on you for not realising he was there.................

Anyway in future I will not stand behind any player so a lesson learnt really.

BoardsMember

GreeBo wrote: »

You are still misreading it.
As long as its not your caddy or your partner (foursomes, fourball, team, scramble, etc) or their caddy it doesnt matter.
A playing partner (singles comp) is not the same thing as one of the above partners.

I understand the rule, I just didnt put the rider in that its ok for playing partners to stand behind in a singles competition.

stringy

BoardsMember wrote: »

Not correct. It is a penalty stroke if your caddy is behind you playing any shot. I'm not 100% sure if that also applies to a playing partner, but I'm almost certain it does.

Learned something new there, I've heard of a few occasions where a hole was lost (wrongly now as it has been clarified), for opposition standing behind the player's putting line.

Look up rule 14-2b and the FAQs on randa.org
http://www.randa.org/en/Rules-and-Amateur-Status/Rules-of-Golf.aspx#/rules/?ruleNum=14&subRuleNum=2

opposition can, partner/caddie can't.

cheers

slave1

Another one, on the rare occasion you miss a fairway make a good mental note of the nearest tree/bunker/bush/change of shade of green/shadow/partner's ball or ANYTHING that will allow you to quickly find your ball.
So many times I play with guys who just go a little into the rough and don't pay attention to the actual position of their ball, then we get up to our balls and yer man goes "anyone seen my ball" and he is nowhere near his ball and we all have to plod over to give him a hand back to the area his ball is in and around, slows play up!!!!!

fullstop

GreeBo wrote: »

You are still misreading it.
As long as its not your caddy or your partner (foursomes, fourball, team, scramble, etc) or their caddy it doesnt matter.
A playing partner (singles comp) is not the same thing as one of the above partners.

Agree with this. The idea of that rule is so somebody can't stand in behind you help you line up.

BoardsMember wrote: »

I understand the rule, I just didnt put the rider in that its ok for playing partners to stand behind in a singles competition.

Well why did you post this

BoardsMember wrote: »

Its a penalty stroke against the player playing the shot if a player stands behind while striking the ball.

BoardsMember

Fair question. I posted the rule, I read the rule, I know what it means. Now, when it comes to typing & explaining myself that is another matter.........I trust I will be forgiven, but if not it is a burden I will have to carry round with me.

GreeBo

BoardsMember wrote: »

Fair question. I posted the rule, I read the rule, I know what it means. Now, when it comes to typing & explaining myself that is another matter.........I trust I will be forgiven, but if not it is a burden I will have to carry round with me.

BoardsMember wrote: »

Not correct. It is a penalty stroke if your caddy is behind you playing any shot. I'm not 100% sure if that also applies to a playing partner, but I'm almost certain it does.

Hmmmm

GreeBo

PFiddy wrote: »

One thing I always wondered regarding slow play - say the group ahead of me have just left the green but are waiting on the next tee as there is a group further ahead. Is it okay to take out a couple of balls and play some practice chips/putts once my first (real) shot has been taken? (provided of course I'm not holding up a group behind me).

I've seen people do it during non-competition rounds and wondered if it was allowed.

You cannot do it in a competitive round. However, once the hole is finished you can chip and putt around/on the green or on the tee before you start the next hole.

For practice rounds its totally up to the course. We are allowed to play 2 balls if you are playing on your own.

BoardsMember

GreeBo wrote: »

Hmmmm

You have put them in the wrong order Greebo, shame on you as a Mod!!:D

BoardsMember

PFiddy wrote: »

One thing I always wondered regarding slow play - say the group ahead of me have just left the green but are waiting on the next tee as there is a group further ahead. Is it okay to take out a couple of balls and play some practice chips/putts once my first (real) shot has been taken? (provided of course I'm not holding up a group behind me).

Reluctant to post this...but, seeing as it is Friday.....in response to Greebo above, there is a situation where you would be allowed to practice putts....if your first putt went in. Of course, my confidence is shot now after all my above posts being questioned, but I think I am right in saying that even in competition, once the hole is finished, that you are entitles to hit practise putts.