Golf etiquette for intimidated beginners

Etiquette is not a secret club. It is mostly: be safe, be ready, and leave the course better than you found it.

Safety first

• Never swing when someone is in your path.
• Yell “fore” if a ball flies toward people — loud and early.
• Stand still and quiet when someone else is hitting.

Pace of play

• Be ready when it is your turn.
• Limit searches for lost balls; drop and move on.
• Let faster groups through if you are holding them up — that is generous, not failure.

Greens and bunkers

• Repair your ball marks.
• Rake bunkers after you play from them.
• Do not step on someone else’s putting line.

Permission

You will mess something up. Ask. Most golfers would rather help a beginner than watch someone freeze. Belonging is a practice — same as putting.

Related guides

• First clubs for beginners (the Sunday Bag)
• How to play a par-3 nine as a beginner
• Should I go to the driving range first?