Is Golfer Etiquette a Thing of the Past? Superintendents and course officials are discouraged by the lack of course care by golfers. BY DARIN S. BEVARD M any of the questions posed during Course Consultation Service visits are similar from one golf facility to the next. Why must we aerate so much? How can we make our bunkers better? When will the rough stop growing so fast, and why can’t we just mow it lower? These common questions come up year after year; however, recently, there has been a new trend on visits. There is the perception that golfers’ responsibility in caring for the golf course is being ignored. To be fair, this is not new (see Are You Kind to Your Course? and An Appeal for the Return of Golf Course Etiquette), but many believe the prob- lem is getting worse. This has led many to question how members/ golfers can be encouraged to obey cart rules, repair ball marks, replace divots, etc. Tour almost any golf course, and you will find unraked bunkers, unrepaired ball marks, and cart damage in areas where signs clearly prohibit cart traffic. Why has this issue become more common? Several different theories exist. One belief is that golfers see the care of the golf course as someone else’s responsibility. In other words, golfers have already paid to play, so it’s not up to them to help care for the course. Another thought is that many golfers now take up the game later in life and have not been taught some of the traditions of the game. These traditions include the courtesy of cleaning up after one’s self on the golf course, e.g., divots, ball marks, and bunkers, and preserving playing conditions for others by following cart restrictions in sensitive areas. For what- ever reason, care of the golf course no longer seems to be a focus of many players. Most golfers try to adhere to the Rules of Golf, and this is critical since the Rules are really the backbone of Positive signs that remind golfers to repair damage to the golf course often are more effective than curt demands. the game. The first section in the Rules of Golf is etiquette. Important aspects of golf, such as the spirit of the game and safety, are covered. Care of the course is also covered in the etiquette section. Raking bunkers, fixing divots and ball marks, and adhering to the posted rules for golf carts are discussed. The basic tenet of the etiquette section in the Rules of Golf is that by following some simple guidelines, the enjoyment of the game can be maximized for everyone. Etiquette is an important part of golf, but it is not mandated. Thus, we come back to the question, “How can we get the golfers to do a better job of caring for the golf course?” The most important thing is to clearly define what is expected and why. DIVOTS Confusion over the repair of divots is often a reason they are not properly addressed by golfers. Generally, if the divot remains intact, it should be replaced in the interest of playability. If the replaced divot does not survive, it can be addressed at a later date by the maintenance staff. There is no hard and fast rule for divot replacement, but a good rule of thumb may be if you can pick up the divot, you should replace it. If you have to collect the pieces of a divot, other repair options should be employed, usually including filling the divot hole with sand or a sand-based mixture provided by the golf facility. Fairway divots are generally a bigger problem on creeping bentgrass fair- Green Section Record Vol. 52 (2) January 24, 2014 ©2014 by United States Golf Association. All rights reserved. Please see Policies for the Reuse of USGA Green Section Publications. Subscribe to the USGA Green Section Record. Page 1 TGIF Record Number 235013