Golf Etiquette

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USEFUL TIPS
• Adhere to the dress code (this can be found on the website www.bvgc.co.uk/information)
• Be punctual for scheduled tee time
• Keep pace of play-This means that you need to constantly be moving ahead towards the green or the next hole. Keeping up with the group in front of you is a good indicator of keeping pace. A typical round of 18 holes takes about 4 hours, and 2 hours approx. for 9 holes. Plan for about 15 minutes per hole, except for Par 3’s, which take less time.
• Quiet please! You must be quiet during someone’s golf shot
• ‘FORE’ If you hear this, duck and cover your head. If you hit a ball towards anyone you must shout ‘FORE’
• Order of hitting-The person furthest away on the green hits first. On the tee, it will be the golfer who had the lowest number of strokes, however you can play ‘Ready Golf’, simply whoever is ready to hit, can tee off
• Marking your ball on the green-When your ball lands on the green, you need to mark your ball with a ball marker or you can use a round coin
• Walking in Someone’s line-A footprint may have an effect on the roll of the ball. Walk around the golf ball or ball marker and hole
• Repairing the Course-If you take a divot, find the clump of grass and replace it. On the putting green, a ball mark or pitch mark can be made, if they are not fixed it can cause permanent damage to the greens. Use a repair tool to fix
• Bunkers-When your ball lands in the bunker, you cannot perform a practise shot and touch the sand with your club. If you do a penalty will be incurred. Please rake the bunkers after play
• Golf Ball Etiquette-Many golfers mark their golf balls with a permanent marker, this is t help identify their ball. The time allotted to find a lost ball is 3 minutes, this helps with the pace of play.
• Tending the flag-You are now allowed to leave the flag in and unattended whilst putting. If you do remove the flag , be sure to lay it down away from rolling putts, and don’t forget to put the flag stick back in before leaving the green.
• Where to Stand In Golf-Standing too close to a golfer whilst they are swinging is obviously not going to end well! Make sure you are standing far enough away from opponent whilst they hit their ball. It is also distracting to stand in someone’s line of sight as they are hitting the ball. Line of sight is anywhere they can see you in their backswing, peripheral vision or in front of your line like on the putting green.
• Honour & Honesty-After you start playing, you will be responsible for counting your strokes or the number of shots you hit on any given hole. You then record your score for each hole. Golf is all about honesty, this means thinking back and ensuring you count every shot.
These are just a selection of the main points to remember. No one expects you to know it all in the beginning. You will start to remember through playing and repetition and making mistakes too. Most players will help you and guide you through. Don’t forget to head to the 19th hole after your round! Spend some time socialising, and it’s a great way to meet new people.