Golf Etiqutte Tips to Stay Competitive while Respecting the “Spirit of the Game”

With the award winning 18-hole David Johnson Golf Design championship course sitting just minutes outside your door at Belmont Lake Preserve, it is not a stretch for the competitive nature of some golfers to at times get the better of oneself. However, if you always remember these Golf Etiquette Tips, it is easy for one to still enjoy the thrill of competing, while being respectful to others on the course and staying true to the “spirit of the game.”

The United States Golf Association (USGA) has offered up Golf Etiquette Tips in four different areas which anyone, regardless of skill set or experience level should abide to from the point they set foot on the first tee, until they stride off toward the clubhouse leaving the 18^th green. These categories include safety, consideration for other players, pace of play, and care for the course. The Golf Etiquette Tips are courtesy of the USGA Members Program, and are listed as follows:

Safety

• Players should not play until the players in front are out of range
• Alert greenkeepers nearby or ahead prior to making a stroke that might endanger them
• Shout a warning if your ball may hit someone

Consideration for Other Players

• Do not move, talk, or stand close to a player making a stroke
• Players should ensure that any electronic device taken onto the course will not distract others
• Players should not stand close to or directly behind the ball, or directly behind the hole when a player is about to play
• Players should remain on or close to the putting green until all other players have holed out

Pace of Play

• Always play without delay and keep up with the group in front
• If a player believes his ball may be lost outside a water hazard or is out of bounds, to save time, he should play a provisional ball
• Players searching for a ball should signal the players in the group behind them to play through as soon as it becomes apparent that the ball will not be easily found

Care for the Course

• Repair all divot holes and ball marks
• Before leaving a bunker, smooth over all holes and footprints
• Replace the flagstick carefully in an upright position
• Leave the course in the condition in which you would like to find it
• Local notices regulating the movement of golf carts should be strictly observed

By following these simple Golf Etiquette Tips, you can make both your group and those also playing the course for the day’s round much more enjoyable with very little effort and simply by displaying common courtesy for the course and those around you playing on it. For more tips and further information on the USGA, visit their website at usga.org. For more information on the spectacular Belmont Lake Golf Club, including setting up tee times and current specials, visit here.