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Golf Etiquette that Makes a Positive Impression

By Jacque Small, Business Coach, Catalyst Business Coaching

Summer is a time for fun and with that comes plenty of opportunities to mix business and pleasure—most notably on the fairways of company and charity golfing events.

Whether you are a long time golfer or new to the game, being aware of golf etiquette can help you make a positive impression both personally and professionally.

In fact, as many will attest, one of the truths of golf is that the way you behave on the course is likely the way you will behave when you are doing business. Follow these simple tips and you’ll be sure to keep yourself on par and out of the “rough.”

• Ready Golf or Honours. Find out if you are playing ready golf or honours when you are teeing off. If it is ready golf that means whoever is ready will tee off first. Honours means the person with the lowest score will tee off first. To maintain pace of play, most people play ready golf because it is faster.
• Pace of Play. This is the speed at which we play each hole. The objective is to be half a hole behind the people in front of you. Not half a hole in front of the people behind you! If your foursome is falling behind it is up to all of you to “pick up your pace” and catch up to the group in front of you.
Five ways to pick up your pace:
- Limit your practice swings to two or three.
- After hitting your ball, try not to meander. Put your club in your bag and walk the course as quickly as possible.
· If you have hit a ball into the rough and think you may not be able to find it, hit a provisional ball. If you are unable to find your first ball after a few minutes, finish the hole with your provisional ball.
· When you get within 15 yards of your ball, fully turn your attention to planning your next shot. Generally, you do not hit until it is your turn. However, if you are really behind and there is no possibility of hitting the other person, it is acceptable to hit at the same time.
· By the time it is your turn to putt, you should already know approximately what line you want to putt your ball on.


• Putting.
The biggest thing to remember in putting etiquette is that the person farthest from the hole putts first and never walk on the line between another person’s ball and the hole. Always walk around the other person’s marker or make sure that you are stepping over the line that their ball would make.
• Silence.
Even when we are playing for fun, we need to respect the people that we are playing with. When someone is teeing off and when someone is putting, all talking should cease.
• Position. Make sure that you are positioned so that you will not distract your fellow golfer, yet are still able to see where their ball lands so you can help them find it. The best place to stand is behind and to the side of the person hitting so you are out of their view. During the early or late day, it is also important not to cast a shadow that would distract your fellow golfer.
• Weather. Hopefully you have beautiful sunshine for your golfing event. The average round of golf takes four and a half hours and a tournament can take up to six hours. Be sure to drink a lot of water and, of course, be aware of how much alcohol you consume. On hot days, dehydration can be a big factor in your ability to hit the golf ball straight down the course.
• Novices. Leave the driver in your bag and hit your 3-wood off the tee. You are more likely to hit the ball a reasonable distance. It took me two years of lessons before I hit my driver. On the fairways, hit the club that you find easiest to hit and that will give you some distance. Experienced golfers are usually very generous and happy to help you with the rules, so don’t be shy. However, the golf course is not a place for lessons so try not to fall into the trap of someone teaching you golf out on the course.
• Enjoyment. Remember to enjoy yourself. After all, it is one of the reasons you decided to go out and play. It is only a game and no one really cares how good of a golfer you are—except maybe you.

I hope these tips will make your business outing more fun and rewarding this summer. Good luck!

Through coaching and public speaking Jacque Small invokes and provokes transformation in people to make work easier resulting in fun, vibrant lives and thrilling profitable businesses. For more information visit www.catalystcoach.ca.