Out on the course the other day, we were playing behind a really rude, lousily, foursome and it was truly awful. I am sure they knew better, but just did not care. That said, I thought I would quickly go through a few steps of golf etiquette and what you need to know in order to avoid being labeled as selfish out on the golf course.
When it is your turn to play, be ready. When walking to your ball, make your decision about the club to use, whether you will hit straight or with draw or fade, the line you will take and so on. That way, when you arrive at the ball, you are ready to hit. You don't have to hurry, just be ready and make your play.
The norm is that first shot on any hole goes to the player with the lowest score on the previous hole. If that hole was tied, then the tee goes to the player with the lowest score on the previous hole. If everyone is clear about this, there will be no wasting time deciding who takes the next shot at the next tee. Play it different if you want. Just make sure everyone in your group knows and agrees.
Make sure those in front of you have cleared out of range before you hit. Make sure everyone in your foursome is behind you when you hit. Common courtesy as well as sensible health and safety.
Pay attention to the group behind you. If you are holding them up, let them play through. Some of us play faster than others. Groups that are unaware of others create annoyance and eventually anger at their selfishness.
Take care of the course. Repair your divots. Repair any ball marks. Replace any loose grass or turf in the center of the hole or anywhere there is loose grass. It is the responsibility of every golfer to look after the course.
Remember to rake the sand smooth after you have used the bunkers. Leaving them in a mess for the next group is bad form and selfish.
Park your cart away from the greens, tees, and bunkers. Park on the left side of the green, nearest the next tee.
One thing I see a lot is the people in front of me, are crowding around the hole filling in their score cards, after they have finished the hole. After you have finished a hole, move out the way to mark your score card. Mark your card on the way to the next tee. How hard is that?
These are a few things that will make the game better for all of us.