Golf Tips: Etiquette on the Green

I've played a lot of golf in my lifetime, and I can honestly say that the easiest place to spot a newcomer to the game is on the green. Unless they have been properly instructed, new players don't always understand that there are specific rules of etiquette that should be observed on the putting surface. They often stand where they aren't supposed to, walk where they aren't supposed to, and fail to perform the quick ground repairs that help keep the green smooth for a true roll of the ball. The following tips are offered to those who may have just started playing golf, and to those who need a reminder about proper etiquette on the green.

1. Repair those ball marks. When those high, lofted golf shots land on the green, the impact will usually leave, at the very least, a small indention in the surface of the green. Obviously, left in this condition, the indention leaves a bumpy spot for golf balls to roll across, and can turn a putt in an unexpected manner. In addition, a ball mark that hasn't been repaired immediately will leave an unsightly brown spot on the golf green. It only takes a few seconds to lift the point of impact back to level with the surrounding surface (using a green repair tool or a long golf tee), and then lightly tap the whole area flat with the bottom of your putter.

2. Mark your ball. If your golf ball has come to rest in a position between another player's ball and the hole, make sure you mark the shot with a small coin or a ball marker (in such a way that the marker is also out of his way). Other players should not have to remind you that your ball needs to be marked.

If the marker from your golf shot will still be in his/her direct line, ask the other player which direction your mark should be moved. Then, placing the heel of your putter next to the coin, point your putter at some distant object about 90 degrees from the line to the hole, in the direction indicated by the other player. Move the marker from the heel to the toe of your putter. When it is your turn to putt, reverse the sequence, first moving the marker to the original position, and then placing the ball where it originally came to rest.

3. Be quiet when others are putting. Golf is a game of precision. Good scores generally require concentration. When a fellow player is standing over a putt, absolute silence should be observed by all others in the group. This means no talking and no whispering.

4. Get in the right location and stand still. Just as noise can be a distraction for someone preparing to make a putt, position of other players on the green can be a disturbance. While on the golf green, give the person putting a little elbow room. Unless you have been invited to do so, never stand directly behind his line of putting, and never stand in the line of sight that would extend beyond the hole. Preferably, stand somewhere out of his peripheral vision. Once in the proper location on the golf green, do not move.

5. Don't walk on other players' lines. When walking across a golf green before everyone has putted out, be aware of where all of the balls are. Never step on what could be the path of someone's ball to the hole. Your footprint will temporarily leave an indention that could cause the putt to take an unexpected turn.

6. Putt when it's your turn. Etiquette on the golf green dictates that the farthest putt from the hole, the ball that is "away," is the next putt to be attempted. Never putt out of turn, unless the other player has offered to let you to finish out the short putt that you may have left. Even then, be sure to avoid stepping on anyone's line.

When it is your turn to putt, make sure you have already assessed how you intend to hit the golf ball. Do a quick pre-shot alignment, and then strike the putt. Don't dawdle all day, and keep others waiting.

7. Record your score on the next tee. One of the mistakes a newcomer to the game of golf will make is to stand on the green after putting out, and re-count every stroke on the hole, beginning with his tee shot. Get off the green, and let the group that is following you play on in. You can count all of those strokes after you have reached the next tee box. This keeps the game moving for everyone.

Keep these rules of golf etiquette in mind, and you'll soon gain the respect of everyone that is in your golf group.