1) Maintain Appropriate Pace

One of the most common pet peeves on the golf course is when a group significantly slows down the groups behind them. If there’s nobody ahead of your group and there’s a group constantly waiting behind you, your group should almost always play faster or let the group behind you play through. The best way to improve your group’s pace is to play “ready golf” and avoid spending too much time looking for balls. Ready Golf Generally, the player farthest away from the hole is supposed to hit their next shot. However, when playing casually with friends, you can all agree to let the player who is ready to hit first do so (ready golf). Before doing so, however, check with the people in your group to make sure they’re all fine with this. Don’t Spend Too Much Time Looking for Balls particularly if there is no chance of finding them. In competition play a ball is lost if not found in three minutes after the player begins to search for it. If you think you might not be able to find your tee shot and it would demand a “retee,” go ahead and take a provisional shot so you don’t have to walk back to the tee. Help Others Find Their Ball When playing in a group with other golfers, help them find their ball if yours is further than theirs or they’re next to hit. You should also help look for where other players’ shots travel when they hit them. Two pairs of eyes are always better than one. Don’t Sacrifice Your “Pre-Shot Ritual” While it’s crucial to keep a reasonable pace, you shouldn’t need to forego your “pre-shot ritual” or otherwise hurt your golf game. Unless you have some crazy routine before every shot, you should be able to cut out enough time through the above tips.

2) Repair Your Ball Marks on Greens

Unrepaired or poorly repaired pitch marks play a significant factor in the condition of the greens and can lead to missed putts and surfaces that take weeks to recuperate. You should always find and fix your ball marks on the green. It’s incredibly easy to do at an individual level, and when everyone helps maintain the green, all golfers benefit.

3) Replace or Fill Divots

When you take divots on the tee box or fairway, you should either retrieve and replace the divot or fill the divot with sand/mix. Generally, either of these options is fine unless the course favours one option over the other.

4) Minimize Divots

You don’t need to take a divot on your practice swing and you should strive to avoid doing so. If everyone took three divots on each shot, the course will course will take longer to recover. If hitting an iron or wedge from the tee box, you can set your ball behind another divot to avoid making a new one.

5) Maintain Sand Bunkers

You should always rake the sand to fix footprints or other imprints you made in it. You should also prevent causing excessive change to bunkers in the first place. Enter a bunker to hit your ball from the shortest line.

6) Silently Stand Still and Out of the Way

When another golfer in your group is hitting their shot, make sure not to distract them. Always be silent and stand stilly out of view and out of the line of their putts. You should also avoid distracting golfer in other groups. If other golfers are close to you, stay quiet and avoid walking or driving past them.

7) Follow All Golf Cart Rules

Even under normal playing conditions, golf courses limit where you can drive a cart. You should never drive the cart on or near tee boxes, greens, bunkers, or water hazards. Please use cart paths where possible and check course updates prior to commencing your round.

8) Don’t Hit a Ball Into the Group Ahead of You

Never hit a ball when there’s a group ahead of you within your distance.

9) Always Yell “Fore” When an Errant Ball is Hit Towards Other People

“Fore” is a term commonly used in golf that essentially means “duck and get to cover.” If you or someone in your group hits a shot that could potentially hit another golfer, always yell “Fore!” Keep in mind that just because you can’t see someone, it doesn’t mean there isn’t someone in your ball’s path. For example, if you slice a ball towards another hole, be sure to yell “Fore!” even if you can’t see the other hole. It’s sometimes hard to remember to do this in the moment, so be sure to yell this if you see someone else hit a dangerous ball. While it’s rare for someone to be hit by a ball, it does happen. Depending on where the ball hits someone, they can get seriously injured or even die. If you’re ever ahead of someone in your group, be sure to be as far out of their potential ball path and pay attention to their shot.

10) Be respectful of other golfers

Always be respectful of other golfers on and off the golf course. Members are reminded that they are representatives of the golf club and should set a good example for visitors and juniors.

11) Put your phone on silent

Golf is there to be enjoyed by everyone and there is nothing worse than a phone ringing in someones backswing. Please be mindful of other golfers by switching your phone on to silent mode and use only at appropriate times.