I’ve played with a lot of golfers who truly take the game of
golf seriously and a lot of golfers who don’t. It’s okay to have
fun out there, keeping in mind respect for other players who do
take it serious.
The tee box
Think of the tee box as a stage with a
spotlight. Everybody gets his or her turn to shine. Try to
remain quiet and out of the golfer’s view, including your shadow
that may hinder the golfer’s concentration at address. The best
position to stand when a player is addressing the golf ball
would be to the other side, opposite of his golfer’s arm
extension. You should be standing far enough back to see the
club head and golf ball of the player addressing the ball. By
taking this position, you would definitely be giving the player
room to concentrate, unless he can see your shadow or hear the
chatter of your clubs or talk. When you must stand behind or
front of a golfer addressing his or her shot, take a second to
ask if it’s okay and or are you far enough away. Act like a
caddie when another player is playing a shot. Watch the golf
ball finish rolling and mark the spot with a tree or bush. A lot
of golfers do not like to watch their ball land, if it’s a bad
shot. By doing this for your fellow golfer, it will help speed
up play. Try to refrain from yelling nice shot or great shot,
when you’re around another tee box or green. When you must tell
a joke, wait until it’s you’re stage.
The green
Around the green can be a little more complex for the new
golfer. Fix as many golf marks as you can, besides your own. A
lot of golfers do not fix their ball marks on approaches to the
green. Sometimes players get excited about their golf shot and
forget. Ask other player’s to help, if there is more than a
couple and your not holding up other players behind you.
There are typically four or three golf balls lying on the green.
The key goal here is not to walk on another’s players line to
the golf hole. When you find another player is further back from
the hole, you should mark your ball. When approaching your golf
ball, you have to be careful as to where you walk. Another
player’s line to the hole should not have a big footprint to go
over. Try stepping over the player’s line to the hole, or go
around carefully watching for other player’s golf positions to
the hole. When you’re not sure, because of a marked ball. Ask
your competitor where his ball is marked. When another golfer is
about to putt, stay still until he or she takes their putting
stroke, unless they give you the okay to walk. When you must
walk to where you want to go. Do not stop, walk, stop, and walk
again. It could be more distracting than a continuous walk.
The golfer closer to the hole should tend the pin. Ask your
competitor if they need the stick tended. When tending the pin,
be careful not to cast a shadow over the player’s line. Also
keep the flag from waving in the wind by holding it against the
flagstick. Position yourself with both feet together away from
the hole. Bend the flagstick slightly if you have to keep your
feet out of another player’s line. When the shot is taken, pull
the pin so your competitor does not get penalized for hitting
the flagstick. When it’s someone else’s turn, ask if he or she
needs the pin tended. When you think you may need it tended, ask
someone to hold it for you.
The game of golf originated out of fun. There are those that
take it quite seriously. Follow most of these tips, and it could
be quite enjoyable, and you may not have a problem finding a
foursome to tee it up with.
About the Author:
Started the game of golf as a caddie. You can find tee times at
http://www.golfanchor.net
