Life in the Rough» Etiquette

A Slow Play Manifesto

Mike Gray — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 06:03:34 +0000

If you poll enough people, I’d bet money that they would identify slow play as the number one problem that plagues golf. In fact, maybe that will be my next sidebar poll.

Those of us living in the United States seem to be especially affected by slow play.

Some of the problem, no doubt, has to do with the design of courses. In Europe, many courses were built before the existence of motorized transportation so they were made for walking. Tees and greens are closer together, minimizing the time it takes to get from one hole to the next. I’ve heard that 3 1/2 hour rounds are common, or are even expected.

Perhaps an even bigger part of the problem is the culture of players on courses today. Many players either don’t care or just don’t know about the issue of slow play and what they can do to help the situation.

That leads me to the purpose of this post. What follows is not something I created. It was sent to me by a reader who played golf with a stranger (he believes his first name was Jim), and that man was so concerned about slow play that he took the time to create a list of a hundred ways to combat the problem. He gave the list to the reader who provided it to me.

I’d like to extend my thanks to the reader because he didn’t just mail me a paper copy of the list. He cares enough about the issue of slow play that he transcribed all 100 items electronically and e-mailed them to me. I can only imagine how time consuming that was and I’m grateful for the effort.

And now, I share that list with you. I’ve included the first 20 items here. The complete list can be found on the Slow Play Manifesto page. Since slow play is such a huge issue, I’m making this list easy to find by placing links to it in the menu bar at the top, in the page footer, and anywhere else that makes sense.

Feel free to share it in any way you see fit. Education is a big part of the solution to slow play. That doesn’t just mean educating fellow players. It also means letting courses know that we consider slow play to be an issue that they should be addressing, as well.

Without further ado, the Slow Play Manifesto…

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A Supplement to the USGA Rules of Golf to Encourage a Faster Pace of Play

“Slow Play!” is the universal complaint of golfers everywhere. Compared to other recreational activities, golf times are excessive.

Half of a football game is played in a little over an hour; a complete game in a about 3 hours. A full nine inning baseball game lasts about the same. A good movie runs about two hours. If you rent a horse, a bicycle, or a tennis court, you readily agree to a time limit, usually not longer than two hours. Why then take four-and-a-half to five hours to play a round of golf?

The answer is that slow golfers don’t realize how slow they are playing, nor would they know what to do about it if they were told they were slow.

The following rules are designed to encourage slow players (especially the high handicappers) to take less time on the course, and coincidentally, to derive more pleasure from the game without sacrificing a single stroke. To the contrary, the same rules that save time will also contribute directly or indirectly to a lower score.

Start your round on time! When the starter calls your name, have your clubs and carts in position so you can walk immediately onto the tee. Choose partners, make bets, and determine honors in advance of your tee time. If your tee time is 8:15, don’t just show up at 8:15. Your first hitter should strike his ball at 8:15.
Take warmup swings off the tee before the first hitter tees up. It is inexcusable to take a divot on the teeing groung with a practice swing.
All manmade noise and motion should cease as soon as each hitter addresses his ball. If possible, stand so that you are out of his sight until he has finished his swing.
Watch the flight of each hitter’s ball and be prepared to help him find it if it is not in the fairway.
If your drive appears to have gone out of bounds and you intend to hit a provisional ball, wait until the others have hit their drives. It will give you a chance to relax and settle down.
Watch the flight of your own ball intently so you can walk or drive directly to it. This is especially true if you have hit it poorly. Looking away and acting disgusted will not get you much sympathy, and it may cause you to lose your ball.
Be sure to know the identity of your ball before you hit it. A good reminder is to keep an identical ball in your pocket. Try to use a different trademark or number from those of others in your group, or put a personal unique mark on your ball.
Anticipate your turn to tee off. Give the previous hitter time to watch his ball until it comes to rest, and to pick up his tee. Then, move immediately to your pre-chosen position between the tee markers and tee up your ball.
It is time consuming and unnecessary to step back, set your feet, waggle, sight your target, and take a full practice swing, or worse yet, two or three full practice swings. One “loosening up” swing to get the rhythm is plenty. Many good players take no practice swing at all.
When addressing the ball, put all other things out of your mind. Conversation, or banter, is unwarranted even when you’re only talking to yourself. It isn’t wrong to ask your fellow players to stop talking when you are ready to hit.
Keep your mental checklist short. If you consistently take more than 15 seconds over the ball, you are probably confusing yourself.
After hitting, spot your ball, pick up your tee, and promptly move out of the way of the next hitter. Regardless of your exuberance over a good drive or dismay over a bad one, be considerate of the next hitter and be quiet and still while he addresses his ball and hits.
Mulligans are not sanctioned and you should not take one unless the others in your group suggest it. Even so, think of the reaction of the group waiting behind you before you tee up a second ball. You should never take a Mulligan anywhere except on the tee, preferably the first tee only. (A provisional ball is not a Mulligan).
If you have never shot bogie or better, you should not play from the championship tees. The intermediate tees (members’ tees) will provide as much challenge as you can handle.
When playing in a mixed group, it will not speed up play for all to hit from the intermediate tees. Most ladies should hit from the forward tees.
On a golf course, the rules of golf supercede the rules of gallantry. Treat ladies with the same etiquette you treat every golfer, e.g., observe honors at each tee, but hit from the intermediate tees before proceeding to the forward tees.
Cart management is a skill in itself. Cart partners should share driving duty so there is never a delay while waiting for a designated hitter to return to the cart. In general, maximum driving and minimum walking will result in the shortest time from tee to green.
If partners’ drives are reasonably close to each other, both balls should be played from the same cart position.
If carts are unrestricted, drive first to the partner’s ball farthest from the hole, making sure you don’t go farther than either opponent’s ball. It is preferable to park behind the hitter at least a comfortable two club lengths from the arc of his swing.
If carts are confined to the cart path, carry two or three clubs to your next shot so you’ll be sure to have the one you need without going back to the cart.

Click here to continue reading the other 80 ways to speed up play on the golf course.

Is Etiquette Dead?

Mike Gray — Fri, 30 May 2008 10:00:19 +0000

I’m hesitant to use this stump to complain about things, but I’m going to indulge myself for a few moments. It seems like every time I go to the golf course, I’m reminded that golf course etiquette is becoming extinct. I’m not necessarily talking about how a player interacts with his group. I’m talking about how he interacts with other players and with the course itself.

Maybe I just have expectations that are too high. I got a job at a golf course before I had ever learned the game. Before that, I think I played once and had only been to the driving range with friends here and there.

A salty old pro, Bob, taught me that there was a right way and a wrong way to do things. He let me know that two (or more) people sharing clubs is forbidden because it unduly delays play. He taught me that there was a proper way to dress on the golf course. He explained to me that waving up the next group on a par three before your group putts out speeds up play. I haven’t seen that one in years.

There were many other golf influences on me at that time, as well. I understand that I had an education in golf that a lot of people don’t get, but a lot of these things are well known and yet are still ignored by more people than you can believe.

Carts

During part of my golf course employment, I was a ranger. All I had to do was roam around the course and let people know when they got out of line.

I’ve discovered over the years that cart signs and ropes along cart paths are irrelevant. I can’t tell you how many people I’ve seen hold ropes down with their foot so they could drive over them. Then, I’d confront them, and invariably the excuse would be, “sorry, I didn’t see the ropes.”

It’s truly amazing that the cart slowed down and their foot flailed out and landed on the ropes in just such a way that let the cart pass right over. Of course, the cart doesn’t always pass right over. Sometimes it gets hooked on the rope and yanks out like 50 yards of stakes and ropes. Or, they don’t bother to hold the ropes down and instead choose to just mow down a stake at full speed.

Ropes are put up at the direction of the maintenance superintendent, not to punish golfers, but to protect sensitive (usually wet) areas.

Then there’s the less common, but exponentially worse offense: riding the carts on tees or greens. I’ve seen this one too much. Many courses have signs directing carts away or notes on the scorecard asking that players stay 30 feet away from greens. When I was a golf course ranger, I’d be showing you the exit if I saw you on a green with a cart.

My current club asks that players ride the carts in the fairway and keep them out of the rough because of the way the rough is maintained. Of course, that rarely deters anyone. Especially the people that bomb a shot onto the next hole. On one particular hole, I see players routinely ride through the rough between holes to get to the adjacent hole and even through a marked hazard that separates them.

Have we in the United States become so lazy that we can’t walk 30 feet to the putting surface, or across a semi-dry hazard? Do we need to avoid ropes or destroy them?

Course

Golf courses are extremely expensive to maintain. By the time you include labor costs, equipment, pesticides, and everything else, it gets into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, even at your local muni.

Even with all that, there are still things that the maintenance crew can’t always deal with and it’s up to us as players to do the things that are expected of us.

The biggest duty players have is repairing ball marks. Ball marks that don’t get repaired will take weeks to heal correctly. And even then, it will lead to a bumpy putting surface that won’t roll true, usually until the next time the greens are top-dressed.

I guess maybe it’s just my course, but sometimes late in the day, I can count a couple dozen unrepaired ball marks on any particular green. Those scars add up over time and lead to bumpy greens. If you don’t fix ball marks, you’re not only making life difficult for other players, but chances are you’re adding to the slow degradation of the greens that will come back to bite you later.

Another big one is dealing with divots properly. Some courses ask that they be replaced. Others want them filled with a sand mixture. You can find out your course’s policy in the pro shop. The important part is that whatever it is, you do it.

Golf course superintendents work hard to keep crab grass and other bad grasses from growing on the course. Consequently, most courses apply a pre-emergent chemical to the turf to prevent the growth of these grasses by creating a chemical barrier in the soil.

When a divot is cut from the turf, that barrier is removed. If the divot isn’t replaced or filled, then crab grass and other weeds will begin to occupy that spot very quickly.

No one wants to play on a fairway that’s covered with weeds. So why are there so many divots that don’t get dealt with? It’s one thing when a divot explodes and can’t be replaced. But if you leave a chunk of sod laying there or an unfilled divot, then you’re not doing your part.

Players

Treatment of the course is one thing, but the treatment that fellow players give to each other is the one that really disappoints me sometimes.

Golf is supposed to be a gentleman’s (and ladies’) game. It seems, however, that players seldom consider each other when on the course. How about some basic courtesy out there?

For instance, when you’re out playing with your buddies, maybe you didn’t stop for a second to think that you’re not the only group on the course? Next time your group lets out a cheer fit for a hockey game after one of you chips in to save double bogey, consider that someone on the adjacent tee is going to be steaming if he’s in the middle of his back swing when the good times start to roll.

If some stranger stood next to you and intentionally shouted during your back swing, you’d be pretty angry. Think about that next time you’re out there.

Along those lines, if you’re using a gas-powered cart, show a little consideration for nearby players. Sometimes it seems like players believe there is some sort of invisible barrier between the holes. If I’m ten yards away from you on an adjacent hole, then believe it or not, when you jump in your cart and speed off, it’s going to be a little distracting if I’m in the middle of my swing.

The same thing goes for when your group putts out and you’re on the way to the next tee. If you’re going to pass close to another tee (or a player on an adjacent hole) that has addressed the ball, then give him a few seconds to hit his shot before continuing on. The next player will wait for you to pass before addressing his shot, but for a player already in the middle of his swing, the results could be disastrous.

In my estimation, many of these breaches are alcohol fueled. Especially improper use of golf carts and excessive noise on the course. It’s disappointing that players can’t save that for the 19th hole, but I guess that’s just the way of things these days.

Thanks for letting me get these things off my chest. This isn’t meant to be a comprehensive guide to etiquette. It’s a few of the most egregious things I see just about every time I set foot on a golf course. Let’s all do our part to maintain the rich tradition of etiquette, sportsmanship, and fellowship that golf has developed over the centuries.

Click here for the USGA guidelines on golf etiquette, for a much more comprehensive guide to proper behavior on the golf course.

It’s Aeration Time: Do Your Part!

Mike Gray — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 06:42:32 +0000

Yesterday, I had a conversation with a friend who happens to be a golf course maintenance superintendent. He’s gotten so flustered with the players at his course that he asked me to help put out the word on a little bit of etiquette that too many people forget.

At the end of summer, normally in September (at least in the northern U.S.), it’s prime time for courses to do core aeration on their greens. The process is pretty straight forward. A machine comes and removes little plugs of grass and dirt, leaving putting surface full of holes. Then, the greens are top-dressed, where a layer of sand and peat is used to fill the holes and is also spread across the rest of the putting surface.

It does a few things: promotes root growth, smooths the surface of the green, and improves drainage by reducing soil compaction.

What it really does is make the greens nice to play on for the rest of the year. Sure it’s bad for players for a few weeks until the holes close up and the sand works its way in. But the payoffs for the rest of the year are worth it.

Now back to the etiquette problem: fixing ball marks.

We should always be fixing them. Always. There’s simply no excuse. If you want a nice putting surface to putt on, then do your part. If you don’t care, then play somewhere else because I don’t want to have to putt through (and fix) your mess.

It’s important the whole year, but it’s especially important during times when the greens are healing from being cored and top-dressed.

At that time, because the surfaces are soft and sandy and because of all the aeration holes, ball marks get bigger and uglier. If they’re not fixed, then they cause damage. Instead of the maintenance crew looking over the greens a few weeks later and being satisfied at a job well done, they have to look at all their hard work scarred up with ugly, bumpy ball marks.

If that doesn’t put a little guilt into you, then realize that it translates into a decline in playability, too.

Having worked on golf course maintenance for a few years in college, I can tell you that I hated this periodic ritual. Gathering and disposing of the plugs, loading and dispensing the top dressing, spreading it around the green, etc., were not things I enjoyed doing. It’s somewhat frustrating when you put in all that work and it doesn’t pay off like it should.

Please do your part and fix ball marks. Do it all year, but especially do it during these times.

Golf Etiquette, Part II

Mike Gray — Sat, 07 Jul 2007 06:06:57 +0000

Yesterday, in Part I of this two part post about golf etiquette, I covered pace of play and basic care for the course. Today, I want to focus more on safety and consideration for fellow players and course employees.

Safety

Safety on a golf course is too often overlooked. It seems like such a harmless game. However, there is the chance for serious injury if we aren’t careful. Here are some tips to help everyone stay safe.

We all hit bad shots, but when one gets away from us, it is imperative that we yell “Fore!” to alert other golfers that an errant shot may be coming their way. This includes times when it might seem like no one is in danger. Golf courses may seem wide open, but it’s easy for people to be obscured from view in wooded areas, low spots, behind mounds, or in other areas. When a golf ball leaves the face of a driver, it may be traveling upwards of 150 miles per hour and even when it lands is still moving at a decent speed. Getting hit by a ball can put someone in serious danger, and even when it’s not life threatening, it really hurts.
When you hear someone yelling”Fore!”, DO NOT look up toward the direction of the yelling. Do your best to turn away and cover your face and head.
Under no circumstance is it acceptable to hit into another group on purpose if they haven’t waved you up.
Accidents happen and at times players hit shots of a lifetime, so if it happens and you find yourself hitting into another group unintentionally, simple apologize for the mishap and move on.
Motoring around in golf carts can be fun, but be aware that sharp turns can easily roll the thing over and cause a world of hurt, even at reasonable speeds. As I mentioned yesterday, I worked at a course in my younger, not-so-smart days. I’ve rolled carts, thrown passengers from carts (unintentionally) and have been thrown from carts myself. I’ve been airborne in a golf cart. It’s hard to look back and not chuckle, but please keep your safety and the safety of others in mind when using carts because serious injury or death can really occur.
If you typically play earlier in the day, chances are you’ve had to watch out for maintenance workers who are trying to get their work done. Keep in mind that they are trying to work as fast as they can and may be playing close attention to what they are doing and not see that you’re waiting to hit. Under no circumstance should you hit in the direction of a maintenance person who may not be aware of your presence. Often times, they’ll go off to the side and wait, but sometimes as players, we just need to wait for them to finish what they’re doing. A good example is a worker mowing greens. There is no time when it is acceptable to hit up to a green that is being mowed, unless the maintenance worker waves your group up. Most times, the workers will work backward as to not make the same group wait more than one time during a round. Keep in mind that the workers are there to make the experience better for the players, but they can’t do everything they need to while the course is empty, except maybe in the case of very exclusive clubs with huge maintenance budgets.
If you choose to drink alcohol while playing, please do it responsibly. When players drink too much, especially during outings, there seems to be a much higher number of close-calls in the area of safety, and I’m betting there are more injuries as well. I know I’m going to get beat down for this, but my opinion is that alcohol should be left to the 19th hole. Unfortunately, too many players can’t just have a beer or two and save the rest for after the round and dangerous situations arise as a result.

Consideration for Fellow Players

Golf is a tough game. We all know that. Each day, there are a lot of people sharing the same acreage trying to have fun and shoot a good score. Sometimes groups cross paths and each player should be respectful of other players to make sure everyone has a good time.

Keep the noise at a reasonable level to not distract players nearby. If you’re teeing off and I’m on the adjacent green cheering my long birdie putt during your back swing, you’re going to be upset about the $4 Pro V1 you just jacked into the woods. I feel the same way when I’m on the other end.
While someone in your group is playing their shot, remain still and quiet.
Leave the cell phone in the car, or at least muted if you must bring it on the course.
Do not walk on a player’s line of putt on the green.
Try to avoid casting your shadow on someone’s ball while they’re playing their shot.
If you approach another group (on an adjacent hole for instance) and a player is preparing to hit a shot, stop your cart while he/she is hitting as to not be a distraction.
When your ball ends up on an adjacent hole (it happens to everyone sooner or later), be courteous to players on that hole and avoid barreling out of the tree line in your cart while they’re hitting. Allow the players on that hole to either finish making their tee shots or their approaches before you go out there with your cart. If possible, grab a few clubs and leave your cart with your partner, to be less of a disturbance.
It used to be considered proper etiquette to wave up the group behind on par three holes when your group gets to the green. Then your group would putt out as they were on their way to the green, and they’d do the same thing for the group behind them. I’m not sure what happened to that one. Does anyone out there still do that? I’d like to hear from you on this one.

Consideration for Course Employees

Since I’ve been both a maintenance worker and a player, I have a perspective that comes from both sides of the coin. One point that I’d like to drive home that many people don’t consider is that for every bit of damage you cause on the course, someone has to fix it.

In my years as a player and as a maintenance worker, I’ve seen players (with my own eyes):

Run down stakes with their carts
Drive over ropes into sensitive areas
Ignore signs
Disable the engine governors on their carts and blow up the engines, break steering rods, and do other damage
Drive their carts into areas where they become stuck or otherwise disabled (like into ponds)
Take divots out of greens out of anger or amusement
Fail to repair ball marks
Fail to replace divots
Drive carts on greens and tees
Play “bumper cars” with their carts
Leave litter all over the place

These are the run of the mill things that come immediately to mind. I’m sure I can come up with more.

What I beg you to realize is that when you do these things, the maintenance staff either has to let other maintenance tasks go to fix these issues, or they have to work overtime to address them. You might think, “So what? They get paid.” That’s true, but when a worker has to spend half his day fixing ball marks on greens, that’s half a day’s worth of other improvements that have to fall by the wayside because the course budget is limited. In the case where the budget is a non-issue, I can tell you from experience that the last thing I want to do after running a weed whacker for eight hours is go around and put back up the ropes and stakes you ran over for amusement.

And this ignores the monetary cost involved in these kinds of situations. Golf courses are in business to make money (usually, but not always) and something has to give when these unnecessary costs pile up.

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That about covers it. This isn’t an exhaustive list of etiquette. Entire books have been written on the subject. I’ve tried to cover some basics and some of the egregious violations that seem all too common. I’ve also listed a few of my pet peeves. Thanks for letting me get those off my chest. Feel free to drop other etiquette suggestions into the comments.

Keep these things in mind and we’ll all have a little more fun out there.

Golf Etiquette, Part I

Mike Gray — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 06:00:44 +0000

Golf is somewhat unique in that there is an entire code of etiquette to guide us. The Rules of Golf tell us how the game is played, but the rules of etiquette tell us how to go about it.

I worked at a course for about five seasons while I was in college and have been a player and fan of the game for many years. It saddens me when people who know proper etiquette refuse to do the small things that make the game fun for everyone as if their greens fee gives them ownership of the course. I’ve also come to realize that many people just don’t know many of the details about golf etiquette. I wanted to spend a little time going over the basics so that those who don’t know will get an introduction. I’m also hoping that those who know proper etiquette but ignore it will have a change of heart.

Pace of Play

Pace of play is a huge problem in the United States. It’s surprising because if you spend any time on the highways, you’d think that no one has a second to spare in their lives. On the golf course, there’s no reason for rounds to take as long as they do. A foursome should be able to play most courses in no more than 4 1/2 hours with some even faster. Here are some tips to help you keep play moving during your round.

Keep up with the group ahead of you. If there is a hole open ahead of you, you’re playing too slowly. It’s understandable that sometimes things happen like losing track of a ball in the rough. If you’re falling behind, invite the group behind to play through while you search and then do your best to increase your pace.
When it is your turn, be ready to play. You should be planning your shot and taking practice swings while your playing partners are hitting (as long as you can do so without distracting anyone).
When a ball may be lost or out of bounds, play a provisional ball to save the time of having to go back to the tee to re-hit.
When sharing a cart with another player, drop your partner off at his ball and drive to your ball so that you both will be ready to hit when it’s time.
If you do fall behind, play “ready golf” until you catch up. When playing ready golf, you hit when you are ready, as opposed to when it would normally be your turn.

Care for the Course

By it’s very nature, golf is damaging to the course. It takes a whole crew of maintenance workers to keep it in the best playing condition. Some of the wear and tear can’t be helped, but there are several things players can do to minimize the damage and keep the course in the best condition for the players who come after you.

Repair ball marks. When your ball hits the green, it usually will make a ball mark that left unfixed, will cause the putting surface to be very bumpy. To repair a ball mark, use a divot repair tool or tee to work the grass around the mark toward the center. Don’t pry up the center of the depression. When you’re done, lightly smooth out the repair with the bottom of your putter. When fixing a ball mark, try to fix a second one as well to take up the slack for the people who refuse to do it.
Repair spike marks. The Rules of Golf forbid you from repairing spike marks in your line of putt. However, after you’re finished, it’s good practice to tamp down any marks that your spikes have created to allow players behind you to have a smooth putting surface.
When using carts, always follow the rules laid out by the course. Many times, carts are not allowed in certain areas because they are sensitive to traffic or because they’re wet or pose some other hazard. Riding through these areas on purpose without some sort of authorization (like if you’re disabled) is simple laziness. For instance, there’s almost no excuse for driving into areas that are roped off. This is a pet peeve of mine after having been a course ranger for a while. You’d be amazed at how many people tell you they “didn’t see the ropes” after you watch them hold the rope down with their foot as they carefully drive over it.
When using carts, try to avoid areas that are beaten up. For instance, many times people will enter the rough in a certain spot, eventually wearing a path. Avoid areas like that and enter the rough in a different spot if you are able.
Repair divots. You should check with the pro shop about the policy for divot repair at each course. Some prefer that you not replace the original divot, but instead fill the hole with a sandy divot mix. Other courses prefer that you replace the original divot. Sometimes the divots completely blow apart and can’t be replaced. If that happens, there’s not much you can do.
Always rake bunkers. This is another one of my pet peeves. It’s staggering how many people refuse to rake bunkers. There’s nothing worse than ending up in a bunker in someone else’s foot print. It literally only takes a few seconds to rake out your divot and foot prints. There’s simply no excuse for not doing it (assuming there are rakes available).

Tomorrow, I’ll follow this up with Part II, where I’ll cover safety as well as consideration for fellow players and course employees.