Golf Fore the Good

Years ago, hooked up as a single, I once played a round of golf with a gentleman and his young son. The junior golfer held up well for a while, but four hours proved to be much too long a time on the course for his short attention span. The boy literally crawled across the thirteenth green on his hands and knees, apparently more amused with activity of that sort than with the golf game at hand. Things went downhill from there. Too say the least, his antics put me a bit off my game.

While that day pushed the issue of youths on the golf course to the extreme, I reside in the camp that advocates golf etiquette courses for everyone - new golfers, both young and old – before they are allowed to play a championship layout.

Please don’t misunderstand; I have absolutely no problem with junior golfers in general. I used to play regularly with a ten year old who’s decorum and etiquette on the golf course was far advanced beyond his years. May the golf gods bless his grandfather for that, for I am sure it was he who schooled the youth in the proper protocol of the game.

My golf course has a storied history of supporting junior golf. Unfortunately, we experienced a changing of the guard when our respected and caring PGA professional retired a few years ago and, as a result, the local youth programs have suffered greatly. Still, any given day at the course, you can find living, breathing proof of how strong those programs were in the past, evident in the games and attitudes of the myriad of long-ago grown up native sons who possess quality golf games. Both the execution of their shots and their on-course deliberations are above reproach, the result of having been properly tutored from the beginning in the ways of our great game.

The respect a true golfer has for the game can only be shaped with a full understanding of the Rules of Golf and with appreciation for the centuries of tradition and civility of the game. There is an interesting sermon written that compares golf to religion, in the vein of taking responsibility for one’s own actions and a commitment to the integrity and the spirit of the game. It’s a good read and a nice jumping off point for a discussion on golf etiquette but, unfortunately, a love for the game alone is not enough to guarantee a pleasant experience for all out on the golf course.

Although every golfer is on his/her own, shot to shot, on the golf course, our actions during and between shots affects not only the remainder of our foursome but everyone behind us on the golf course as well.

Make no mistake; slow play and lack of etiquette are not the exclusive domain of very young players. Resort areas, such as the one in which I live, suffer an influx of transients that often prove to be the very worst kind of golf miscreant. Conversely, there are plenty of members at an endless array of municipal and private courses who do not properly exercise golf etiquette. They drive golf carts like they’re running NASCAR, commonly fail to replace divots and apparently are unable to bend over to repair ball marks, among other oft repeated transgressions.

Education about the proper conduct on a golf course should begin early in a golfer’s career. If a youth is not encouraged to keep up, to pay attention, to be ready to hit; if a player has not been educated as to the basics of who’s away, of playing in turn, of marking one’s ball or tending a pin; then that young golfer is not yet ready for eighteen holes on a championship golf course - and certainly not in prime time.

Most golf communities have wonderful golf instruction available to young golfers, which will initiate a new golfer to everything from their first swing to proper conduct on the course. The MGA had been at the forefront of junior golf programs, introducing a new generation of golfers to the game. It was a therefore a sad moment when a very enthusiastic young golfer I know was put off by a crass, very unprofessional golf pro at a local clinic. She very nearly quit the game for lack of a good teacher. Thankfully, after more than one similar incident, our course has taken action to ensure that this “professional” will no longer be hosting youth events in our area.

Children need guidance. This is no different in golf than in life. Teach your children well, that we may all enjoy the challenging and so very rewarding game of golf together.