II. On-Course Safety and Etiquette

1. Safety

Golf is a dangerous sport and if you don't believe me, consider this: Literally millions of people all over the world with absolutely no training whatsoever routinely step onto golf courses every day and attempt to propel a very hard little ball tremendous distances in the fewest number of strokes possible with implements which few people consider to be adequate for the task. Golf balls themselves are designed to travel at speeds exceeding 150 miles per hour, but rarely do so in a straight line.  Players routinely lose sight of their golf balls after striking them and are often totally oblivious as to the direction the ball is traveling and the people who may happen to be standing in the area(s) where the ball could return to earth. People have been killed by golf balls and injuries are not uncommon. Given the lack of training and relative inexperience of the vast majority of golfers, particularly in the USA, it is remarkable that so few deaths, injuries and damages are reported every year.

While it is impossible to eliminate all of the dangers and risks on a golf course, there are some things that all golfers can do that will make the golf course a safer place for everyone. Most of these suggestions are common sense and hopefully experienced players are teaching them to the newcomers they play with. This is not intended to be a comprehensive listing; that would be impossible. But if you use these suggestions as a starting point and apply a reasonable degree of intelligence, you should be relatively safe from and to others on the golf course. If you are a newcomer to golf, following these suggestions will earn you some respect from more experienced playing partners.

Always be aware of the people around you
This doesn't just mean the members of your group, but also the group in front of you, the group behind you and the groups on adjoining holes. This is your best protection against hitting someone or being hit by someone else. When playing along the perimeter of the course also be aware of the people off the course, particularly if they are not separated from the course by a high fence or net.

FORE!
The all purpose warning in golf is the word "FORE" yelled as loudly as possible. This warns all players within earshot that a golf ball has strayed from its intended target line and may pose a danger to other players. You should yell "FORE" whenever you see that your ball is traveling towards another group of people, if you lose sight of your ball or if you cannot see where your ball will land, such as the other side of a hill. Yelling "FORE" is the only warning that you can give other people on the golf course if you mis-hit your ball. In some jurisdictions you may be held liable for injuries caused by your errant shot if you did not attempt to warn the victim(s) by yelling "FORE". Even if you think your ball will not go far enough to hit anyone you should still yell if it is going to be anywhere close. Also keep an eye on your playing partner's shots. Often playing partners have a better view of where a ball is going than the player who struck the shot, particularly if it was towards the sun. A good rule of thumb: When in doubt, shout!

Duck and cover
Having everyone yell "FORE" does no good if the people for whom the warning is intended don't respond. It is utterly amazing how many people hear a warning shout and then stand up to look for the ball! This is a good way to become a nominee for a Darwin Award. When you hear a "FORE" warning shout the recommended procedure is to immediately crouch or bend over at the waist and cross your arms over your head to protect it. Do this immediately because the golf ball will not be far behind the warning shout. Maintain your protective position for 5 seconds or longer or until you see/hear the ball land. It is better to be safe than dead or injured.

Beware of practice swings
This is particularly true on the teeing ground. Never assume that other players know where you are; always stay out of range of a practice swing. Before moving forward to take your turn to tee off, ensure that the previous player is not going to swing his club again. Never take a swing without looking around your immediate area to confirm that there isn't anyone in range of your club.

Don't hit into the group ahead
While this sounds so simple and logical, it happens all the time, sometimes with deadly results. The usual cause is impatience with a slow pace of play or failure to be aware of where other players are on the course. Occasionally a player will hit an exceptional shot that is much longer than their normal distance, but this is fairly rare. But regardless of the cause, warn the group ahead by shouting "FORE".

Drive carefully
I am talking about your golf cart, not your tee shot. Don't drive golf carts across slippery or wet slopes, carts overturn easily. Don't drive golf carts along the edges of drop-offs, cliffs, bunkers or water hazards. Make sure the brakes work properly before leaving the clubhouse area. Don't drive a golf cart if you are intoxicated. Golf carts are not toys, they weigh hundreds of pounds and can easily kill someone if you run over or hit them.

On a related note, be aware that improperly operated golf carts are possibly the single biggest cause of damage to the course when the ground is soft or wet. Golf carts can easily gouge deep ruts in soft turf, especially in low areas where water has collected. Please, for everyone's sake, do not drive golf carts into areas where the ground looks soft or wet. Drive around the area or walk to your ball. If conditions are poor, keep the cart on the cartpath.

When golf carts are allowed in the fairways always use the "90 Degree Rule". What this means is to drive on the cartpath until you are even with your ball and the drive straight across the fairway at a 90* angle. After you have hit your shot, continue straight across the fairway and turn around in the rough. Whenever possible, avoid maneuvering the cart in the fairway.

Beware of wildlife
Golf courses have features which many wild animals find attractive and many rural and suburban golf courses are built adjacent to uncultivated land. Since animals don't read maps, they frequently cross over from their wild areas onto the golf course. Most of the time this is actually a pleasant occurrence, such as seeing a family of deer or wild turkeys on the course in the early morning or evening. But sometimes it is a rattlesnake hunting field mice in the rough or a snapping turtle who has made his home in the lake where you just hit that brand new ball. In some parts of the world there can be danger from alligators, big cats, poisonous snakes and insects. Know the dangers associated with the wildlife native to the area where you are playing.

 

2. Common Courtesy

Do not leave your ball in the hole when you make a putt/chip. Golfers are a superstitious lot and many think that their ball will not fit into the hole if there is already another one in there. If you putt/chip your ball near the hole and do not plan to putt out, mark your ball with a coin or ball-marker. Aside from being a distraction, other players will incur a 2 stroke penalty if they play a putt from the green and their ball hits yours. As much as it may interest you, do not stand directly behind another player's intended target line. This is a violation of the rules if the player is your partner and otherwise distracting because the player can usually see you out of the corner of his/her eye. When playing for the first time with someone, be conservative at first about complimenting or critiquing a shot. Follow the lead of his friends, pay attention to his comments, and wait until you have a good understanding of what is a good and bad shot for a particular player. Don't assume that everyone's standards are the same as yours.

Repair your ball marks and replace (or fill) your divots. I cannot emphasis this enough. I am sure that you don't enjoy playing out of a divot hole or putting across unrepaired ballmarks and you can rest assured that the players behind you don't appreciate it, either. Check with the pro shop or the scorecard to see whether the course you are playing prefers that divots be replaced of if the divot holes should be filled.  Many courses provide a bottle of "divot mix" (a sand/seed mixture) with each cart that should be used to fill divot holes. Proper care makes the course more attractive and playable for everyone. For more information on how to properly repair ball marks, divots, aeration and other information about maintaining the golf course, please go to the Golf Course Superintents Association of America website.


3. Avoid Slow Play

Unfortunately, at many courses there is a significant problem with slow play. On weekends and holidays 4, 5 and even 6 hour rounds are not uncommon. This is especially true in areas where there are a small number of golf courses relative to the population, such as the San Francisco Bay Area. Due to this problem of slow play, many courses have instituted a policy known as "Ready Golf". This essentially means exactly what it says, as soon as you are ready to play your next shot, do so. Of course this does not mean that you should compromise safety or interfere with other players. It does mean that you should limit the number of practice strokes you take and that you should be prepared to play your shot as soon as it is safe to do so. For example, the first person to the next tee box should not wait for whomever has the honor, but instead should tee off immediately, presuming the fairway is clear. On the putting green, after hitting your first putt, if you only have a tap-in remaining, finish putting instead of marking and lifting your ball, as long as you do not interfere with another player. When you have finished playing the hole do not write your scores on the scorecard until you reach the next tee.

When playing from a cart, drop one player off at his/her ball with several clubs and if it is safe, drive the cart to the second player's ball. This way, the two players sharing the cart can both prepare for their shots at the same time. If you are not allowed to take the cart off the path, drive the cart until it is roughly even with your ball and take several clubs (maybe the one you think you will need and one above and one below) with you to your ball. If you really have no idea what club you will need, pull your bag off the cart and take the whole thing with you to your ball.

Perhaps the most critical factor in avoiding slow play is maintaining your position on the golf course. In order to maintain the pace of play, your group must keep up with group ahead. Your proper position on the golf course is directly behind the preceding group, not directly ahead of the following group. This is true regardless of the pace of play being set by the preceding group. This means that if the group in front of you is on a pace for a 3 1/2 hour round, then you should also be on a pace for a 3 1/2 hour round. Early morning players often find themselves in this situation. Always remember that if you are the third group of the day and fall behind, it is impossible for the time to be made up. Every group for the rest of the day will have a slow round because you did not maintain your position. If for any reason you are not able to maintain the pace of play you must allow the faster group(s) behind you to play through.


4. Serious Offenses

If attending a pro tournament, never shout "U DA MAN!" after a drive or "IN DA HOLE!" after a putt. If you do and are publicly identified as such, your RSG posting privileges will be revoked for a period of not less than 2 years per incident. :-)
This FAQ is Copyright 1999-2002 by Daniel J. Driscoll, all rights reserved. Product and company names used in this document may be trademarked or copyrighted by the respective owners. This document may be replicated in whole or in part, without alteration. All replications must include this copyright notice.