*****
I started playing this game around 5 years ago at the behest of an American friend who was
stranded in Grenoble, France. He should have been a teaching pro, but he chose another means of
earning a living.
A couple of months after I started this game my American friend (let's call him Shane to
protect his reputation), invited me to play at one of the oldest and most respected courses in
France - Aix les Bains. Unfortunately it was the day after my birthday and I was suffering from
the party of the night before. After nine holes in the morning it was clear I was in trouble, so
Shane suggested we break for lunch and start again at 3 in the afternoon.
We had a truly great French lunch - delicious food, excellent wine, and magnificent cognac.
As we approached the first tee in the afternoon there were two gentlemen waiting for us. They
were extremely polite and asked if we minded if they joined us for the afternoon. So polite they
suggested I should be first up. My first attempted cleared the protective fencing to my right
and placed my white ball all on its own somewhere in the middle of all the yellow practice balls
a few yards down the practice ground. My second attempt hit the protective fencing and landed
50 yards to my left among the people on the putting practice green. My third attempt was severely
topped and spun 2 yards forward into a small area of water just in front of the tee.
In total despair and shame (there were about 30 people watching these strange attempts to
play golf) I turned to Shane and asked his advice. He was beyond speech due to hysterical
laughter. One of the guys who joined us for the afternoon was staring into the distance down
the fairway, and exclaimed "fine shot - I can see your ball - it cleared the bunker and should
be in a great position for your next shot". "Don't ask" says Shane "follow the man".
Everyone else got away well and we all walked down the first fairway. When I asked the guy
with the great vision what he had in mind, he threw me a ball and said "just drop it down there
somewhere and let's enjoy the rest of the afternoon".
Clearly this was not within the rules. But it does show what a fine sense of etiquette can
be found on some French golf courses. I discovered a year later that the guy with great vision
was the director of golf at Aix les Bains, and his guest was a famous French Olympic skiing
champion.
Best Regards
Ian Burton
Paris, France
Ah, yes, the "First Tee Blues." We have all had 'em at one time or another. You were lucky to have a kind and creative gentleman along to provide a convenient out. Golf Etiquette can come in many forms. Like Blanche DuBois, we all "rely upon the kindness of strangers."
*****
I confess, I've golfed with a number of individuals and we've been known to sneak some of our
own beverages onto the course.
Can I still get into Heaven?
John Pflaum
You may get into heaven, but you might not get to play golf there. Ahh! But then is it really heaven? Well, perhaps if you have enough of your own beverages, it will seem like it!
*****
Thank you for letting me clear my conscience. After leaving my FOURTH putt still out of the hole, I decided to "drive" the ball from where it sat into the nearby lake. It obviously was a bad ball and deserved it. However, I couldn't even do that right, and made a nice divot one foot from the hole. Apologizing doesn't repair a green divot, or a reputation, but I did grow up a little that day, and my partners knew it. It wont happen again. Thank you.
Growing up is hard to do and it is a process that takes a whole lifetime. In fact, some
people never get there. It is good that you learned about yourself and were able to use that
experience to your advantage. Thank you for sending your comments to the Golf Etiquette
Confessional, where humility is always rewarded.
By the way, Mr. Golf Etiquette has always been told that the fourth putt is the easiest, are
you saying that is not so?
*****
I was playing my first foursome and I was the least experienced player. I felt bad that my
clubs were not as nice as the other players' clubs were. In fact, my putter was not far from
being a mini-golf putter and the rest of my clubs were hand-me-downs. I think it is important
to have equipment that indicates your desire to do well in the game. Otherwise, you risk
reducing the enjoyment and healthy sense of competition that others in your group might get
from the much-anticipated outing. My skills and etiquette were also a problem. You could tell
that I just had not spent enough time playing and practicing, nor had I studied the rules of
etiquette. We have another game schedule in two months. In that time, I will be upgrading some
of my clubs and working every day on my skills. I will also be seeking out Websites like this
one to discuss golf, golf etiquette and even confess my indiscretions.
Dan from Atlanta
Well Dan, there is no sin in having crummy equipment. We all start some place. Mr. Golf Etiquette was afraid you were going to conclude by saying that in order to improve your lot in life you stole HIS equipment while he was in the pro shop. As long as you don't resort to nefarious means to improve your clubs or your game, your golf etiquette will probably be fine.
*****
This is not so much a breach of golf etiquette as it is a breach of the actual rules of golf.
As a somewhat inexperienced golfer, I find that I have a much better ball flight and higher
trajectory when I hit the ball off of the tee as opposed to hitting off the fairway. So I have
to confess that as I am preparing to take my second (or third or fourth) shot on each hole, I
step up behind the ball on the pretense of needing to identify it, and surreptitiously use my
foot to push down the ground directly behind it. This has the effect of putting the ball up on
a "tee," as it were, and allows me to hit a better shot. I had a feeling that this was not
allowed, and my suspicions were confirmed when I checked the rules - Play the ball as it lies
(13-1) and Do not press anything down (13-2). I also have to confess to using the "foot wedge"
on numerous occasions when I am stuck behind a tree, and playing by "winter rules" all year long
to improve my lie. Thank you for letting me get this off my chest.
Lady Golfer in PA
Mr. Golf Etiquette admires your courage in coming forward regarding your "depressing" practice (get it? you were pressing down the grass -- this is a little golf etiquette humor). Anyway, it is your courage and resolve to change that absolves you of this infraction. Go forth and sin no more.
*****
I am guilty of several violations. When I get angry I yell and cuss. When I get really angry
I have thrown my clubs. I talk when other people are hitting. I am so concerned about my own
game that I don't watch other people's tee shots or approach shots. I am ashamed of myself.
Andrew
Hey! Mr. Golf Etiquette thinks he played golf with you once. It was no fun. But it reminds Mr. Golf Etiquette that he has done the same on occasion. Who can claim otherwise? (Good thing Mother Teresa was not a golfer!) Let us all resolve to do better.