Golf Etiquette

By Jenn Harris

• Top 10 golf etiquette tips

There are a lot of rules and ways to act on the golf course and your attendees may only know a few them. Here is a quick list of the top 10 most important etiquette rules to follow when golfing. Remember, if you don’t know, just ask. It is better to be upfront and follow good etiquette from the start. Keep in mind that not all rules will apply depending on the type of golf outing.

1. Don’t be too intense: No one cares how well you play or what you shoot. If you hit a bad shot, laugh a little, and move onto the next one.

2. Follow the rules: This is tricky because when new to the game you may not know the rules. The best solution is to tell your playing partners before the round that you are new and might need some help following the rules.

3. Don’t talk too much, especially when someone is swinging or putting: Golf is hard enough. The reason we keep quiet on the tee box and putting green is because they take the most concentration. It’s usually only for a couple of seconds, and whispering doesn’t count - it’s much worse!

4. Play fast: Keeping the pace-of-play is essential because you can get out of sync. Play worse and it can turn a four-hour round into five-and-a-half-hours. To keep up the pace, always be ready for your next shot, and pick up after you hit a max of five shots in the fairway. Then hand wedge (throw) the ball onto the green and two-putt.
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5. Never show up in jeans: Black exercise pants are acceptable. Remember the 3 C’s when getting dressed for golf; covered, conservative, and comfortable.

6. Take care of the course: Rake sand traps, fix ball marks on the green, and fill your divots in the sand.

7. Never drive the cart on the green or do wheelies: It is tedious work to get the greens rolling, so whenever you are 50 yards away from the green, take your cart back to the cart path.

8. Make conversation: It can be painful to spend four to five hours with someone and not talk, so come equipped with a short three-minute conversation you can bring up on the course!

9. Don’t walk on someone’s putting line or cast a shadow over it either: The putting line is an imaginary line between the ball and the hole. If you walk on it, you might make it more difficult for your partner to get the ball in the hole. The game is hard enough, so the solution is to walk around or step over the line.
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10. Only bring up business between the fourth and 12th holes or after a round in the clubhouse: The fi rst couple of holes you want to small talk, warm up the conversation, then after you feel comfortable you can ask qualifying questions. After the 12th hole, everyone is tired or maybe “a few drinks in,” so it’s not an ideal time to talk business. The best time is always after the round.

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Jenn Harris is on a mission to get more female executives to win respect, rewards, and sales through the game of golf. In addition to being an in-demand keynote speaker on business golf, Jenn shares how to make “more green on the greens” through her blog, bimonthly contributions to PGA.com, webinars, seminars, golf happy hours, and private corporate training. For more tips on playing golf for business, check out www.highheelgolfer.com.