Guest Comment: Thirteen thoughts on golf for those who want to play better

I have a few thoughts about golf that I’ve been wanting to share with others.

1. I’ve been known on occasion to curse loudly and generally to behave badly when I mis-hit a shot. When I hear other players curse loudly following a bad shot, I am reminded about how much of a negative influence my own behavior has on others on and around the course.

2. Sometimes conditions on the course are such that a player isn’t allowed to drive their cart on the fairway. In such cases, course management will either rope off the area or post signs. In either case, courteous golfer simply doesn’t have the option of ignoring the restrictions.

If a physical handicap restricts a player’s ability to get into or onto such restricted areas, the player has several options:

a. determine whether or not the course allows exceptions (usually by way of a handicap flag affixed to the golf cart for the handicapped golfer, and advise your golfing companions that you’ve done so if you’ve received an exemption from the restriction.

b. may sound silly, but try to avoid hitting the ball into such areas

c. ask a player companion to pick up a ball from the restricted area so that it can be played from a non-restricted course.

d. don’t play when those conditions exist

3. There are rules about the course stated on almost every score card I’ve seen. Two in particular are often ignored:

a. The 90 degree rule

b. Do not exit the cart path on a par three

Golfers routinely ignore the first and there are a few who ignore the second. All of us need to check out local course rules when we play and follow them without exception. Ignoring these is as bad as not putting your shopping cart in the designated location in the grocery store parking lot.

4. How about cell phones. My friend Steve reminded me to include this when my own phone rang while I was on the tee box. There are likely circumstances where one would need to be able to be reached on the course, so I wouldn’t suggest for a minute that there shouldn’t be phones on the course. However, turn the phone ring option to a silent mode and check it occasionally to see if anyone is trying to reach you.

5. Each and every time a ball is hit from a tee box or a fairway or the rough, the first thing a courteous player should do is check to see if a divot needs to be filled or the hitting area otherwise needs repair. Consider how you feel (and most of us have had this experience) if you have to hit your own ball out of another player’s unrepaired divot. Fill the divot completely and smooth it down with your foot as close to the same level as the grass around it as possible.

6. The first thing a player should do when walking onto a putting surface is to locate his or her ball mark and repair it. Do that first, then mark your ball. Then be a good golf citizen and look for unrepaired ball marks of those with less consideration for others and repair them.

The trajectory of a ball hit onto most greens will push the grassy surface forward and up immediately ahead of where the ball landed and compress the grass and soil on the spot where the ball landed. A quality repair process will leave the damaged area in such good shape that it is almost invisible to another observer.

The official repair process is as follows:

a. Look for a golf ball mark on the green near where your ball landed.

b. Use a ball mark repair tool to fix the divot left by the ball.

c. Insert the ball repair tool into the outer edge of the ball divot, with the prongs angled at 45 degrees. Gently work the turf up and back into place by gently pushing up and forward. Be careful not to ‘twist’ the repair tool during this process. When you do so, you’re just tearing the surface loose. On many greens, you need to begin an inch or so away from the ‘front’ of the mark and move the uplifted surface back to its original position in the depressed area.

d. Repeat step 3 around the entire ball mark as necessary.

e. Pat down the ball mark with a putter until the mark is as smooth as the rest of the putting surface.

f. If the grass is completely torn from the green, carefully stretch the surrounding turf into small voids. On large holes, simply lift the depression. In cases where the ball hasn’t torn loose some of the turf on the green, a quality repair will result in other players being unable to see where the ball mark is.

7. As many of us have noticed, the bunkers on some courses in Green Valley are inferior and poorly maintained. I’ve noticed that some players are inclined to not bother raking a bunker after hitting from it — perhaps because they are irked by the fact that it’s almost impossible to hit a sand shot from these inferior bunkers. Regardless of the condition of our bunkers, take the time to rake it smooth.

8. I’ve noticed that some players will avoid marking their ball on the green if they feel their playing companions won’t object. Some even ask if their companions want the ball marked. I’d like to suggest that, unless you plan to hit your putt before anyone else hits theirs, just mark the ball. Make it a normal part of your play routine. It’s just simple, good courtesy and other players won’t be distracted by your ball when they are putting, and won’t have to decide whether or not to ask you to mark your ball.

9. General putting green etiquette requires the following:

a. Avoid walking on another player’s line of putt or casting a shadow on that line while a player is making a stroke.

b. Do not cause a distraction by standing too close to the ball or hole.

c. The first player to hole out should position himself/herself to replace the flagstick once play of the hole is completed.

d. All players should remain on or close to the putting green until every player has holed out.

e. Do not stand in or close to the line of putt (on either the hole

side or in back of the ball) as this can be very distracting to the person putting

10. First player in the hole gets the pin and replaces it when everyone is finished putting.

11. Spitting is mostly a ‘guy thing’. I am a spitter myself. When I’m on the course and feel the need to spit, I move away from other players and spit in an area that is not likely to result in another player being confronted with the result or in a player’s ball rolling into or over the result. Just think about how you would feel if your own ball had someone else’s ‘lugie’ on it.

12. Take care of your trash. There are no circumstances where it isacceptable to toss your trash wherever you feel like doing so.

13. If golf makes you angry, and if you simply can’t enjoy yourself while you’re on the course, stay home. If you feel the need to throw a golf club, do it somewhere else besides on the course.

Your efforts to make these comments a part of your game will improve the enjoyment of the round for the all of golfers around you - and for yourself.

Green Valley resident Terris N. Teale is a retired federal employee. He teaches GED and Remediation students at Pima Community College on a part-time basis.