Golf Etiquette in Celebration of National Golf Month

The weather is warming up, golf season is in full swing, and there’s no better time to grab your clubs than National Golf Month in August. When you’re not hitting your favorite course or watching the British Open at Royal Birkdale, National Golf Month is the perfect time to learn proper golfing etiquette.
The following list of tips can turn you into a better member at your country club or make you a more enjoyable player to golf with.
  1. Don’t be a Slow Player Try to maintain a steady flow through the course of your 18 holes. Do your best to not encroach the group in front of you and maintain enough space from the group behind you. Easy tips to follow include walking fast enough between holes and sizing up your shot as you approach the ball. 
  2. Respect the Course and Its Patrons by Being Quiet Golf is a game of grace and the loudest sound on the course should be the clink when your club makes contact with the ball. A couple steps to make sure you’re abiding by this rule is to turn your phone on silent, do not throw a tantrum when you hit a bad shot, and be sure to remain still when one of your fellow golfers is hitting. Being quiet at the right times will go a long way in enhancing your golf experience.
  3. Dress Your Best The best golfers are the best dressed golfers. This may because of all the money they receive from their sponsors and how their outfits are hand picked, but still, dress like the pros. Your appearance on the course speaks greatly to your respect for the course and the players around so be sure to dress professionally.
  4. Be helpful when you can Help pick up loose balls and club. Make sure to fix scuff marks and divots on the course. Call out wayward shots and be sure to keep track of the ball as not to lose it. If the shot is lost then help find the ball.
All in all, golf is a gentleman’s game. So as long as you follow these tips, then you’ll be respected both on the course and at the club. Enjoy your day and bring your A game. That is the recipe to a good time, especially during National Golf Month.

Sharon Schweitzer and Jonathan Roberts co-wrote this post. Sharon Schweitzer, J.D., is a cross-cultural trainer, modern manners expert, and the founder of Protocol & Etiquette Worldwide. In addition to her accreditation in intercultural management from the HOFSTEDE centre, she serves as a Chinese Ceremonial Dining Etiquette Specialist in the documentary series Confucius was a Foodie, on Nat Geo People. She is the resident etiquette expert on two popular lifestyle shows: ABC Tampa Bay’s Morning Blend and CBS Austin’s We Are Austin. She is regularly quoted by BBC Capital, Investor’s Business Daily, Fortune, and the National Business Journals. Her Amazon #1 Best Selling book in International Business,  Access to Asia: Your Multicultural Business Guide, now in its third printing, was named to Kirkus Reviews’ Best Books of 2015. She’s a winner of the British Airways International Trade Award at the 2016 Greater Austin Business Awards.

Jonathan Roberts is a Summer 2017 cross-cultural communication intern with Protocol & Etiquette Worldwide. He currently attends the University of Texas where he triple majors in Government, International Relations & Global Studies, and Asian Studies. Beyond his studies, Jonathan is a member of the University of Texas Swimming and Diving Team. You can find him on LinkedIn