Golfer Etiquette: It's Part of the Game

Golfer etiquette is often discussed by turf managers and other industry professionals within the golf course industry.  I believe that it's always beneficial to remind golfers that proper etiquette is in fact part of the game of golf.  So much time, money and effort goes into manicuring the golf course to meet the high expectations of golfers and this can be all for nothing if golfers aren't doing their part to ensure every golfer experiences these conditions once they are out playing the course.  Assistant Superintendent, Josh Webb, put together this great article for our Club's latest monthly newsletter to again reiterate the importance of proper golfer etiquette:

 

"Quilchena Golf & Country Club is a golf course that is located on the West Coast of Canada and considered to be a part of a temperate rainforest, which allows us to stay open year-round.  This is because temperatures stay mild throughout the winter months, November thru March, which in turn reduces the amount of freezing and snowfall we receive.  Sure, there are the odd couple of times each winter that we dipped below that zero mark for a few days and snow arrives and we close the golf course or the greens because of it, but, since we are a year round private golf facility, we need to treat and maintain the golf course the same way we would during the peak season of April thru October.

Each and every golfer who steps onto the first tee at ANY golf course should have an understanding of golf course etiquette through proper care and maintenance.  This includes things such as; fixing ball marks, filling divots, raking bunkers, adhering to traffic stakes, etc.  As Golf Course Superintendents, we don’t just ask our golfers to do these things to make our jobs easier, and we’d be lying if we said it didn’t, but we do it so that the golf course is in the same condition for every golfer who plays behind you.  How would you feel if you lipped out on the 18th hole for a birdie because the ball took a skip over a ball mark that was  not repaired or if your ball landed in a footprint inside a bunker?  These are all a part of YOUR job as a golfer on the golf course, as much as it ours on a daily basis.  We thrive to give our members the best possible playing conditions each and every day, but you can ALWAYS help as well.

Ball marks are the number one nemesis of all golfers putting on a smooth green.  These little depressions are made when the ball impacts the green from a golfer’s approach shot.  Some ball marks are worse than others depending on the shot type and trajectory of the ball, however,  NO ball mark should ever be disregarded.  If you ball landed on a green, there’s a very good chance that it left a ball mark for you to repair.  Each golfer should be responsible to fix their ball mark PLUS two others before they leave a green.  Here is a photo on how to properly repair a ball mark:

From greens to fairways, divots are the bane of golfers in these large areas on the golf course.  A golfer that takes a divot is responsible for replacing that divot with the sand/seed mix that is supplied by our Turf Care Staff.  The Golf Shop does their part by providing each setup golf bag and cart with a divot bottle filled with the sand/seed mix.  If there isn’t one provided to you, there are spare bottles located on a rack at the first tee box along with a sand/seed bin for your convenience.  These bins are also located on the golf course for you to refill your bottle at holes 4, 7, 10, 13 & 16.  There also smaller bins with sand/seed mix located on all par 3’s on the tee decks.

Believe it or not, sand bunkers are the single most looked after aspect of golf course maintenance.  More man hours are invested into maintaining bunkers than any other area on the golf course.  Even though they are considered hazards, a clean and fluffy lie is what every golfer hopes to encounter when they hit a shot into one.  During the peak season, we keep our bunkers free of debris and raked every morning before the golfers tee off so they can have that “perfect” lie.  However, our focus can’t always be towards bunkers as there are many other tasks on the golf course that need to be completed throughout each day.  This is where you, as a golfer, can do your part.  Whenever entering and exiting a bunker, ALWAYS do so at the "low point".  In other words, don't attempt to climb down or up a steep face of a bunker as you can easily damage the edge and/or disrupt the subsurface of the bunker in your attempt to do so.  There is also a chance you'll end up flat on your butt, injuring both yourself and your pride.  Please make sure that if you hit a shot out of a bunker, whether it be fairway or greenside, grab the closest rake to you before you enter, hit your shot and then smoothly rake ALL footprints and depressions as you exit for the next golfer that was just as unlucky to land there.  One last thing, please remember to tap the sand off the bottom of your shoes after you exit, so that sand from the bunker is not tracked onto the fairways, approaches and greens."