You arrive at the first group at 7:58 a.m. for your 8 o’clock tee time. The group ahead has cleared the tee box and is now off the range. The beginner is looking at you. You’re technically on time, so why is he?
Rules of etiquette breakdowns on the course usually stem from not understanding the unwritten rules of timing and positioning that keep the game moving. A smooth four-hour round turns into a tense five-and-a-half-hour ordeal. The group behind continues to hit you. The marshal has been through three times now.
The pacing problem no one talks about
Most beginners draw the pace of the game with faster walking between strokes. This is incomplete. The actual issue: not setting up your shot while others are hitting theirs.
Ready golf (hitting when ready and not strictly from who is far) is standard in casual play. Do you wait for your playing partner to finish his pre-shot routine, walk to his ball, estimate the shot, take two practice swings and finally hit before you even consider your shot? You have added 90 seconds per hole.
A foursome must complete nine holes in about two hours. Everyone takes turns instead of preparing simultaneously? You are pushing 2:45. The front group makes the turn in two hours flat because they understand “parallel preparation”.
Same course. The same conditions. Different meaning of flow.
What actually causes it
Grabbing your club while someone else is hitting is rude to new players, so beginners stand still and watch each shot before starting their preparation.
Waiting until it’s “your turn” to start your routine creates gaps that will be felt throughout the course. Know your space, choose your club and visualize your shot while others play. of politeness the offense is not being prepared earlier. It’s making everyone wait while you start over.
The distance from the green amplifies this problem. A foursome riding together in their car, then taking turns going through full routines? That’s eight minutes for every hole that stands around. A group that gets to their balls ready to hit as soon as it’s safe? Half of that.
Three rules of etiquette govern that work
Fix 1: Cart Positioning Rule
Always park your cart in front of your ball, on the side of the fairway closest to the other fauna. Then walk back to your ball with two or three clubs.
It keeps you going. Once you’ve hit, walk back into the cart and you’re already headed for the green. No turning back.
Most beginners move straight to wherever the ball landed. If it’s on the wrong side of the freeway, they park next to it. Now, after hitting, they have to go all the way back to the fairway to the next hole. The group behind waits at the top as you make a full loop along the fairway just to get back into position.
Fix 2: Proper green reading time
Read your putt while others are putting it, not after everyone else has finished and it’s finally your turn.
Walk directly to your ball after reaching the green, mark it, and then read your drive while staying out of the sight lines of other players. When it’s your turn, you must be ready to put the ball down and shoot within 15 seconds.
This eliminates the agonizing wait where one player finishes and then the next player starts the whole green reading process all over again. Your playing partners don’t want to look at you around your ball from four different angles while they stand there holding the flag stick.
Fix 3: Know when to care for the flag
Once everyone in your group is on the green, the person closest to the hole should pull the flag and move it off the green, not stand there holding it for each putt.
The exception is when someone has a long putt and wants it taken care of. Otherwise, pull right back and eliminate the awkward dance of who wears what and when.
The rake job that everyone overlooks
After hitting from a bunker, collect your mark and the area you disturbed, then roll out of the low side of the bunker to avoid damaging the slope.
Most beginners either skip running altogether or only skim their movement leaving deep tracks behind them. The other player finds your mess and now faces an unplayable lie that shouldn’t exist.
Simple awareness control
Play a round where you consciously track one thing: how often you’re ready when it’s your turn versus how often people are waiting for you.
You should be ready right away at least eight times out of 10. Anything less means you’re not getting ready while filming others. This is your diagnosis. The above adjustments are your prescription.
Good etiquette doesn’t happen by accident. It also doesn’t mean rushing your routine. Many golfers think that being polite means expecting absolute silence. Wrong. You have to keep moving to keep up.
Stop waiting. Start preparing. Your play partners will notice.
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