Complete Guide to Golf Etiquette

Golf is unique in how seriously it takes its own unwritten rules. Golfers call penalties on themselves. They repair ball marks that aren't theirs. They wave through faster groups without being asked. If you're new to the game, or just new to playing on busy public courses, this stuff isn't obvious. Here's what you need to know before you tee off with strangers — and why it actually matters.

Pace of Play: The One Rule That Affects Everyone

Nothing ruins a round like slow play, and nothing makes you a bad playing partner faster than being the reason for it. Be ready to hit when it's your turn. Use ready golf — hit when you're ready, not when strict farthest-from-the-hole order says so. Leave the cart at the side of the green, not directly behind it. Walk briskly between shots. Four hours for 18 holes on a busy public course is the standard. If your group is consistently slower, let the group behind play through.

Take Care of the Course

Fix your ball marks on the green — yours and one other while you're at it. Replace your divots or use the sand mix if the course provides it. Rake the bunker after you play out of it. Don't drag your feet across the putting surface or lean on your putter. These aren't just courtesies — they preserve the course for everyone who plays it after you. A ball mark that doesn't get fixed turns into a rough bump on the green in 24 hours.

Stay Still and Quiet When Others Are Hitting

Never talk, move, or make noise when a playing partner is addressing or hitting a shot. Stand out of their line of sight. Don't stand directly behind or in front of them. On the putting green, don't stand in someone's line — not just the physical line, but the extended line beyond the hole. These things seem small until you're the one trying to concentrate while someone shuffles their feet two feet away from you.

Shout Fore Immediately

If your ball is heading toward any person — on your hole, the next tee, or an adjacent fairway — yell 'Fore!' immediately and loudly. The instinct to stay quiet because you're embarrassed about the shot is the wrong instinct. Fore is the most important safety call in golf. Shout it first, explain the shot later.

Honour and Turn Order

The player with the best score on the previous hole tees off first — that's having the honour. On the fairway, the ball farthest from the hole goes first in traditional play. In ready golf (which most courses encourage for pace of play), anyone who's ready goes. Never tee off when there's another group within range ahead of you on the hole.

Concessions in Match Play

In match play, you can concede an opponent's putt at any time — even a long one if you feel like it. Once conceded, it cannot be taken back and cannot be holed out. Concede the short ones early in the round. It builds goodwill. Strategically not conceding later in a tight match is legitimate gamesmanship, but do it sparingly and don't make it personal.

Your Phone on the Course

Using your phone for GPS and scoring is totally normal now — basically everyone does it. What's not okay: taking calls mid-hole, playing music through the cart speaker without asking everyone in the group first, or scrolling social media while your playing partners are trying to hit. The simple test: if what you're doing on your phone would distract someone in the middle of their backswing, put it away until the shot is over.

When Your Round Is Going Sideways

One etiquette situation nobody prepares you for: what to do when your game is holding everyone up. If you're struggling and falling behind pace, pick up after net double bogey and move on. Nobody benefits from watching you take a seventh swing in a bunker on hole 14. It's not quitting. It's respecting your playing partners' time. The same applies in reverse — if your partner is struggling, don't comment on it. Play your game, offer encouragement when the moment feels right, and focus forward.