RULES OF THE GAME
Many golfers take to the sport without the
basic understanding of how the game should be played. Of course,
we all know that the game requires a tee, a ball, and clubs, but few
golfers actually take the time to learn the proper etiquette of the
game. Lacking this type of fundamental knowledge can lead to
tremendously embarrassing mistakes on the green.
Golf is a great game when digested
properly and then studied correctly. It's important to take each step
as it comes and do it right. This article should help you to
understand the basics of good golf etiquette. I think that I can best
show you how the game is played by taking you through the play of one
hole with a foursome
The members of the foursome or twosome hit in
turn. The closest ball to the green hits last and so on. When on
the first tee, the order in which the players hit is decided, this
order only pertains to that first shot. The golf term for this action
is honor.
From the very beginning, it
is always good to check, before swinging, to see if the members of
your party are out of swinging distance. The ordinary swing of a golf
club can be a deadly blow. Therefore, rules of etiquette are often
rules of safety. Everyone in the group should be standing to one side
or sitting on the benches, provided by most courses, awaiting their
turns to hit, and there should be no talking on the tee or at any time
when an associate is preparing to make his shot. All clubs, bags,
carts and other essentials of the game should be left off the teeing
ground.
Don't practice your swing while other
members of your group are hitting, and don't stand behind the tee.
Stay behind the player — to his back. It is easy to see a player out
of the corner of your eye and that little thing could be distracting
and result in a missed shot.
When the entire party has completed their
first shots, walk directly in the line with your ball. But if
another player has hit short of your ball wait for him to complete his
second swing. This is another item of etiquette protecting the safety
of the players and the skill of the hitter. Like the swing of the
club, the flight of the ball can be dangerous. If players walk in
front of another who is hitting, the distraction could cause a missed
shot and the result can be injury to a companion.
Before you get going to far, one of the most
important points of golf etiquette is waving through. Never hold
up a group playing behind you. If you are slower than they are wave
them on and wait until they have safely gotten out of range before you
continue.
If you game is anything like
mine, when you take your first drive, you may have to contend with
that familiar obstacle – the rough. When your ball is in the rough,
Nothing rooted may be removed to allow an easier shot. It is all
right to remove dead wood, grass or leaves, providing the ball does
not move. Be very careful here!
When it's virtually impossible to hit your
ball, you may declare it unplayable. It is then allowable to pick
the ball up, move two club lengths away from the obstacle (not nearer
the hole) and drop the ball over your shoulder. But this isn't for
free—you have to add two strokes to your score. In winter time, and
during wet weather, it is sometimes permissible to lift your ball and
drop it again for a better position. Also, around some clubs players
move their balls to a choice spot with their hands. This always
pertains to balls in the fairway.
Once you reach your ball and prepare to
approach the green, study the lay of the land. Remember, when your
ball is hit out of the fairway nothing can be removed to improve the
lie of the ball unless it is dead matter. In rough, or woods, players
can pick up dead limbs, leaves, paper or cut grass. But growing
bushes, roots, tall grass must remain in place.
In traps or on the fringes of bunkers the
player can move only things that were, perhaps, left there by careless
course attendants. This would only include rakes, lawn mowers and
other equipment used in caring for a golf course. These technicalities
make it a 'must' to know your rules.
Your iron shots from the fairway will
often dig up the grass, roots and all. This piece of turf, called
a divot, should be picked up by you or your caddy and put back in its
place, packing it down well with your foot.
Now that the group has reached the green,
other rules of golf and etiquette will come into use. As each player
shoots the caddy faces them and lifts the stick so that the ball may
have freedom of the hole if it has the proper direction. Without
caddies, the player in the group with the ball closest to the cup has
the obligation on holding the stick for his companions. When his time
comes to hit, another member of the party holds the stick for him.
Should another player's ball be blocking
your line to the hole, then you may ask him to mark and remove it.
The marking is usually done with a coin. If your ball is in such a
position that it might interfere with a player's approach to the hole,
it is always good to ask him if he would like it marked. Don't just
walk up and grab your ball or the ball of a fellow member of your
group.
Some players make the mistake of entering
a sand trap by climbing into it from the high side, but a
following player may be penalized by having his ball come to rest in
one of the deep footprints left behind. Tearing down the sides of
traps and then leaving without repairing the damage is an inexcusable
breach of etiquette. Also, when you are in a sand trap, be careful
that your club does not touch the sand, even in your address, until
you are actually making the downward swing of the club in your stroke.
Putting on the green is handled in the
same way as is hitting from the fairway. The ball which lies the
greatest distance from the hole is putted first, and so on down the
line until the closest man plays. Then the process is repeated until
the entire group has played the hole out.
Remember, a careful study of the rules of
play and etiquette can do more to insure enjoyment than any other one
thing. Thousands of tiny, intricate situations can arise in golf.
Don't hesitate to seek the knowledge of your pro. That's part of his
job. Your aim is to be a polite as well as a skillful golfer. The two
go hand in hand. To know the rules, leads to confidence. And
confidence is the key to your quick success in this new undertaking.
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