Beginners Should Avoid These Common Etiquette Mistakes In Golf

Golf Monthly

In this video, Neil Tappin and Jezz Ellwood take a look at the topic of etiquette on the golf course. Whilst the term itself might seem a little old-fashioned, this is about making sure that you are considerate of your playing partners and the course. These are mistakes that most experienced golfers make from time-to-time but if you're new to the game, there will be a chance you don't know some of these.

Transcript

00:00Hello everyone, welcome to the London Club and this video in which we're going to take a look

00:03at the etiquette mistakes that tend to be made by new golfers. That's fair to say the word

00:08etiquette is fairly old-fashioned. What we're really talking about here are the things you

00:12need to do and things you need to avoid in order to be considerate of those around you. Now we're

00:18going to list out some of the mistakes and these are all things I think it's fair to say that

00:20myself included many golfers have made but if you're new to the game you're definitely more

00:25likely to make them. So let's head out to the golf course here at the London Club, get started.

00:39Being ready to play when it's your turn is absolutely crucial. It's one of those things

00:43that help keep the pace of play going so make sure that you've done all of your prep to play

00:48while somebody else is hitting. So understanding what the wind's doing, how far you've got, all of

00:52those things you should be making those calculations while others are playing so that when it's your

00:56turn to go, club in hand, ready to go. It's those simple things that can really help speed up the

01:01game of golf and everyone will be grateful for that.

01:10So we're on the putting green and this is where the ball is rolling on the ground rather than flying

01:14through the air. So it's important just to give a little bit of consideration to where your playing

01:18companions are going to be putting from and do not walk across their line because yes this time of

01:23year firm surfaces it's probably not going to make a lot of difference. I would say what happened just

01:28in this video no difference whatsoever but in wetter conditions it could make a bit of a difference

01:33yeah and it's one of those things that over time you just learn not to walk along the line of your

01:37playing partner's putts. Yeah or across it even so you're unlikely to walk straight up and down it but

01:41you might just absent-mindedly wander across so just be aware of where the other people in your group are going

01:46to be putting from and stay well clear of that line.

01:59Okay so I've tapped in we've finished the hole we're now ready to go to the next hole but you'll see

02:05that there is one bag on the left of the green my bag over by the camera the green to next t route is

02:12that way if I'd left my bag where Neil's is we'd be leaving this green a lot quicker and the people

02:17up on the hill they're waiting to play in would be able to do so much more quickly as it is I've now

02:22got to walk an extra 30 yards twice and then all the way back across the green and that can be

02:27infuriating to watch from up on the hill there. If you know the course reasonably well you know where

02:31you're going to need to leave your bag try and leave it at the point where you're going to be exiting that

02:35green so once you've tapped in you can be away as quickly as possible.

02:39And one other thing you'll see this quite a lot with relatively new golfers they'll have a chip

02:45shot from over there they'll have their bag over there they're obviously going to have to have a

02:50putt after the chip shot almost certainly but they will go over there with the wedge they won't take

02:55the putter with them so then they'll have to go all the way back to the bag to get the putter to then

02:59make the putt as long as it's not tipping it down there's absolutely no reason why you can't take

03:03both clubs over there with you rest one gently down play the chip and then you haven't got to do

03:09another 70-yard round trip to get the putter.

03:17Okay so this is one that I'd say used to happen an awful lot when I was a junior golfer

03:20but happens a bit less now but is well worth knowing and that is that if you are a group on

03:26the golf course that's a little bit slower and you've got a faster group behind you you should

03:30let them through Jez. Definitely especially if the course ahead is clear and you know you've

03:35effectively lost ground on the other players ahead of you just move aside let them through

03:40and I think a lot of a lot of newer golfers are actually quite good at this because they the

03:45thought of having people behind them fills them with some sort of dread they don't want people

03:48to see them while they're not that proficient at the game yet so they're happy to let people

03:53through others are maybe not quite aware of what's going on behind them.

03:56Exactly so always a good idea to try and keep play moving as quickly as you can but if you

04:00are a bit slower than the group behind think about letting them go.

04:11That I reckon that's wet, that's wet. Now halfway across.

04:18I think it's the wrong club.

04:25Oh sorry Jez, sorry sorry sorry. It's all right. So as golfers I think at times we can be a little bit

04:45oversensitive to noise Jez. What would you say? I think that's true. I think people would say you

04:50know footballers play in a cauldron of noise all the time but in football you're reacting to where

04:55the ball's going. In golf you're trying to get yourself in the right mindset to hit the shot so

05:00it's up to you when you start and if there's stuff that's distracting you.

05:03It's also a constant noise in a football stadium. Well that's true.

05:06On a golf course it's quiet and then if suddenly I'm thinking if you jangle your clubs or you're rummaging

05:11around looking for a ball or a tee in your golf bag at the wrong moment it can really be off-putting.

05:16So it's just a word of advice. If you're a beginner looking to get into the game just be careful about

05:21the noise that you're making. Make sure you don't do it when somebody's just tossing to take the club back.

05:26It could really put them off.

05:28Oh, stay there. Stay there.

05:41I lost it. You see it in the sun.

05:43Sorry, I was just sorting the scorecard out. I wasn't really watching.

05:50Yeah. Sorry. Sorry.

05:53So here's a scenario where you just need to be aware of what's going on around you.

05:57We're playing into the sun. It's never easy to follow the ball into the sun.

06:01Even harder when you've just hit it and your head is still coming up after the shot.

06:05So you're hoping that someone in your group is going to be, everyone in your group,

06:09is going to be following that ball as closely as they can.

06:12So if one or two people are not watching and you've hit it a little bit wide,

06:16your chances of finding it are going to be greatly reduced.

06:18It's very demoralizing that actually.

06:19Yeah, it can be very demoralizing. So just a little bit of courtesy and consideration.

06:25You'd want someone to try and follow the flight of your ball.

06:28So it's only right that you should also try and follow the flight of your playing companions' balls.

06:38Okay. So playing golf outside, you're often going to have shadows.

06:42And this is about being aware of where your shadow is and what it's doing just as somebody is about to play.

06:47So even if your shadow isn't over the ball of your playing partner,

06:51if it's somewhere near and then you go and scratch your head, that can be really off-putting.

06:55Yeah, it can definitely. And, you know, not just on the green.

06:58It might be the end of the day, the shadows are getting long and you're all around the T area.

07:02And you're just completely aware of where your shadow is because, again, you know,

07:06you might say we're being oversensitive, but just that little visual distraction can be enough to just throw someone.

07:11Bad shot at the wrong time and suddenly you're not talking to each other, which is a little bit unnecessary.

07:15So just be aware of what your shadow is doing.

07:18So there you have it. That's our look at the most common etiquette mistakes.

07:22Now, these are all things that, as golfers, we all make these mistakes from time to time.

07:26But it's fair to say that you are more likely to make them if you just started out.

07:29Hopefully this video will highlight what they are and help you avoid them next time you're out on the golf course

07:34and ensure that you're a real joy to play with.

07:37But that's it for now from The London Club.

07:38Thanks for watching. We'll see you next time.

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