Etiquette, Efficiency and Safety
A round of golf should be a gracious, congenial and principled experience.  An 18 hole round should take about four hours.  Nine holes should take about two hours.  The customs of the game include interrelated principles of etiquette, efficiency and safety that help make a gracious and congenial experience possible.  Each of us has the responsibility to learn the customs of the game and observe them whenever she plays.
 

Respect the People You Are Playing With

1. Play ready golf.  The first player to the tee or her ball should play away, so long as this would not distract another player.
2. Prepare for you next shot while riding or walking toward your ball.  Consider yardage, check wind conditions, and whether the shot is uphill or downhill.  When you get to your ball, you should have already decided how to play your shot and chosen your club.  Then, play away.
3. Limit your practice swings.  One is plenty on full shots.
4. Complete your shot within 25 seconds after you reach the tee or your ball or after the last player has completed her shot.
5. Don't hit shots or take practice swings too close to others.  Don't hit when your shot could endanger other players or unprotected maintenance workers.
6. Let others know if you are making a risky shot, for example, from woods or stony rough.
7. Don't throw clubs.
8. Continue moving ahead toward the location of your next shot so long as this would not distract another player.
9. Do not distract a player who is in the course of playing a shot, for example, with visible movement or any noise.
10. Keep well clear of the line of the shot in play, watch the shot in play, and protect yourself, especially if the player at the ball has fallen behind or you have moved ahead.
11. Pay attention to other players' shots to assist them in locating their balls.  Don't look for a lost ball for more than 5 minutes.
12. Look for opportunities to help other players in your group speed their play.  For example, offer to bring a club, move a cart, rake a bunker or mark a ball.
13. Drive your golf cart carefully.  Keep your arms and feet inside and don't drive on unreasonable slopes.
14. When the carts-on-the-path rule is in effect, take two or three clubs from your cart to your ball if you are not sure what to hit.
15. When using a cart, wait until your next shot to put your clubs in your bag.
16. Work with your cart partner to avoid time consuming walks back and forth between the cart and your ball.  One cart partner can drive the cart ahead while the other plays and walks.
17. Avoid back tracking.  For example, take your cart or bag all the way to your ball.  At the green, park you cart or place your bag on the side nearest to the next tee.  Walk back to play shots on or around the green.
18. If you reach the green with several clubs in hand, place the extra clubs on the side of the green nearest your bag or cart.
19. As you approach the green, look at the slope to get an idea of how your putt might break.  Line up your putt when others are putting.
20. On the putting green, never step on the line of any player's putt.
21. Ensure that neither your shadow nor your ball marker are on the line of the person putting.
22. Do not stand behind the hole or behind the ball on the line of the person putting.
23. As soon as everyone has putted out, leave the green.  If you need extra time to move your cart or reach the next tee, start as soon as you have putted out, so long as you do not distract other players.
24. Mark your scorecards after you have hit your tee shot, while others are on the tee, not while at the green.
25. Don't play during lightning.  Seek proper shelter.
26. Invite golfers who are playing faster than your group to play through your group.
     

Respect the Course

1. Wear soft spikes or spikeless golf shoes.
2. Never take a divot on a practice swing.
3. Fill your divots carefully with sand/seed mix.  We do not replace Bermuda grass divots.  In any case, tramp down the lifted turf at the edges of all divots.
4. Keep your golf cart on the path around greens and tees and 10 yards from fairway bunkers.  Honor the cart control signs and posts.
5. Enter and exit bunkers from the low side.
6. Rake bunkers to a smooth surface.
7. Repair your ball mark on the putting green immediately.  Tamp down the repair to make it level with the adjacent turf, so that the next mowing will not scalp the turf.  Fix all ball marks that you see.
8. Retrieve your golf ball from the hole with your hand, not your club.
    

Respect the Game

1. Learn the USGA Rules of Golf.
2. Keep a copy of the USGA Rules of Golf in your golf bag for ready reference.
3. Hone and apply the USGA Rules of Golf whenever you play.