Dealing With Slow Players

photo credit: foxypar4   Playing golf behind slow players is very annoying and can quickly ruin your round.  What is even are slow players that won’t allow you to play through.  There can only be two reasons why they won’t let you through, they are either beginners who don’t know any better, or, they are just plain obstinate.

Obstinate players can be confrontational (otherwise they would let you through), therefor, it’s best not to say anything during play.  Wait until the round is completed and then complain to the club Pro.

Shouting at slow players will only worsen the situation and ”hitting into them” can be dangerous and result in civil or criminal litigation.  What works best is a simple, polite request to play through, most of the time they will comply.

Where Do You Stand?

photo credit: foxypar4 Some golfers just don’t get it. There are two places on the golf course that are “sacred ground” where silence is golden and movement is kept at an absolute minimum, the tee box and the green. How many players are actually aware of this?

There should be a rule (I’m being fascisist) forbidding anyone from standing behind a player teeing off or putting. Being behind a player ready to hit is no big deal as long as there is silence and no movement, however, many people just cannot remain motionless.

Tournament players deal with movement all the time but they are getting paid for their forebearance. The average player, who just wants to relax and have an enjoyable day, should not have to deal with poor etiquette.

Flagstick Funnies

photo credit: Yogi The flagstick is handled, by many, with irreverence. One would think that this very helpful device, would be held in high esteem, since it is kept in constant view by every golfer. Instead, it is brutalized and manhandled.

Flagsticks are thrown everywhere. They are thrown on the green, slammed on the fringe and even bounced in the nearest sand trap. They are slung across the shoulders or held on one shoulder military fashion. They are bent in every direction and held upright or in the flag-down position. They have even been thrown in water hazards by angry golfers. These majestic symbols that represent each hole on the course, deserve the same respect they get when hung on the wall, in places of honor, signifying important tournament events; don’t they?

Golf on the Green

photo credit: mandj98 Let’s face it, the putting green is the most solemn location on the golf course, or at least it should be. It’s a place where silence should be golden so as not to interfere with the power of concentration. Since it is a place to congregate, all too often, there is too much talking, movement and fumbling amongst players.

Golf etiquette requires that extra care should be taken to keep chatter at a minimum. Players should stand in an unobtrusive location. The person putting should not be able to see any type of movement once in the address position. The field of view towards the cup should not include any players. Other players should remain motionless.

Golf Turtles

photo credit: zteamie One of the biggest contributors to an enjoyable round of golf is being able to make a smooth transition from one hole to the other. Slow players (golf turtles) disrupt the natural flow of play and can turn, what could have been an enjoyable round of golf, into a nightmare.

Golf turtles can exhibit good golf etiquette by allowing faster players to play through but in many cases this just doesn’t happen. By not allowing faster players through tempers can ignite.

One way for faster players to eliminate this problem is to simply ask to play though.
On the other hand, the players being held up will intentionally hit their shots into the slower players. This is not only bad etiquette but extremely dangerous. Common sense must prevail at all times.

Good Golf Etiquette

Cell phones have become quite controversial. People use them everywhere including at
the golf course. Most people believe that good golf etiquette requires that cell phones be
turned off during play yet, to the watchful eye, they can be seen in use everywhere on
the course.

While practicing on the range, a golfer was annoyed by someone next to him talking
loudly on his cell phone. The question is: would it have been good etiquette for the
golfer who was practicing to ask the cell user to stop talking? Most believe that silence
is not required on the practice range, therefor, asking the cell user to stop the conversation would not have been good etiquette. This is an example of one of the
“grey areas” that can arise practicing good golf etiquette.