Know Your Golf Etiquette And Rules Of The Game, Before Learning How To Improve Your Golf Swing!

U.S.G.A. Is The Governing Body In The United States For Golf Rules And How To Conduct Oneself On The Golf Course!

With this being my first written post I would like to tell you a little story about myself.

I started playing with my father in 1968.  There was a golf course owned by my father’s family in Northern New York along Lake Champlain.  I would spend all summer playing for close to nothing at all.

In 1973,  at the age of 17,  I had the opportunity to caddy in the W omen’s  United States Open for an amateur by the name of Janice Palmer.  I loved it and started caddying every year,  not only locally  but  when the L.P.G.A. came to Rochester, New York every year.

A good friend of mine would allow me to tag  along with him to the country club during the summer months where I was able to meet  many good  golfers my own age in the junior ranks. There was one kid who had 3 brothers who I was able to play a great deal with,  his  name is Jeff  Sluman,  who is now on the senior tour.

In the summer of 1974  there was a girl living across the street  from me who was engaged to a pro golfer by the name of Terry Diehl.  I was fortunate to caddy for him that summer in  a few tournaments where I got to meet  some  PGA players.

I would go on to  junior college and enjoyed playing collegiate golf.   My roommate during these tournament events has a brother on the senior tour now,  his name is Wayne Levi.   Playing on this level would help me establish the belief in myself that I was capable of playing good golf.  My handicap was never better than a 6 handicap,  but it never took away my passion to compete in tournaments or in regular Nassau games at my local golf club.

That’s my story, now let’s talk about Golf Etiquette!

Unlike many sports,  golf is for the most part played without the supervision of a referee,  umpire or  coach.

The game relies on the individual golfers to show consideration for other players and to abide by the rules.  New golfers are often in need of advice about  behavior and practices to follow on the golf course so that play can proceed  safely and without delay.

In order to enjoy this game like I have  for  the past 40 years everyone needs to pay closer attention not only to  improve your golf swing mechanics,  but also to the rules of the game including proper golf etiquette.  In future blog posts,  I’m  going to talk about all aspects of the game from rules and etiquette to faster play on the golf course.

I’m going to be conducting interviews with local club head professionals as well as some professionals you will recognize on both the regular and senior tours.   They will share their insights into the proper golf equipment and how to improve your golf swing mechanics.

Golf skills come in many different levels.  From the beginner just learning,  to intermediate level players who compete with their friends,  and join their local clubs,  private or public for competition. Learning or knowing the rules of fair play is essential to the principals of proper etiquette on the golf course,  so that everyone benefits in having a good time.   Some rules are very antiquated and shouldn’t even be applied to today’s standards, and some rules are very controversial.  Like the time Craig Stadler had to take a stroke penalty for improving his lie by having a towel under his knees as he attempted to make a shot  from under the pine tree.

Golf etiquette is  all about mannerisms and being polite to another person who may not even be in your group.  It’s knowing when to be quiet and when you can talk.  It’s never riding on a golf cart ahead of someone else trying to hit.  Knowing when it’s your turn to hit, and stop walking when you should have stopped in the first place.  It’s about obeying the 90 degree rule when on a golf cart during bad weather.  It’s aligning your tee behind the golf tee not in front of the tee box.  Counting and giving your correct score not cutting strokes off because you might lose the match or tourney.

It means not repeatedly hitting into the group ahead of you.  I personally will give you two warnings.  The third time I will aim for your head and hit the ball back to you.  Nor is it  getting so mad and frustrated that you throw clubs and break them.  Also taking a swing at the golf ball because you just missed a putt and just missing hurting someone. I’ve actually got into a fistfight over that one. Have you experienced anything like this as well on the golf course? At the end of this post tell me some of the stories about golf etiquette that you may have been involved in?

Rule of the day from  the USGA

Q:  A player hits his tee shot into heavy rough approximately 150 yards from the teeing ground and since his ball may be lost outside a water hazard he plays a provisional ball.  After searching briefly for his original ball he goes forward to play his provisional ball which is in a bush approximately 200 yards from the teeing ground.  He deems his provisional ball unplayable and drops it within two club-lengths of where it lay under Rule 28c. Before playing the provisional ball, the player’s original ball is found by a spectator within five minutes of the player having begun to search for it. What is the ruling? 7-2b/6.5 Player shall deem the Provisional Ball Unplayable and Drops Ball;  Original Ball Then Found.

A:   The original ball remained the ball in play since it was found within five minutes after search for it had begun and the player had not played a stroke with the provisional ball (see Rule 27-2b).  The fact that the player lifted and dropped the provisional ball under Rule 28c is irrelevant.

For more great reading about how to improve your golf swing mechanics, and abide by the official U.S.G.A. rules on governing play. Click on the following link:    Book On Fundamentals Of Golf!

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