Sounding off on slow play, cheating, dress codes

We had questions. You had solutions. 

Two weeks in the past, in a column ordinarily given over to our personal views on golf etiquette, we turned the tables and requested for yours. Our purpose was to take your temperature on every little thing from dress-code violations and guidelines breaches to club-throwing and slow play. The questions we posed in our reader survey had been principally multiple-choice, however as a result of that format will be limiting, we additionally invited you to share tales in regards to the worst on-course conduct you might have witnessed.

You didn’t disappoint. More than 3,800 of you answered our questions and/or submitted anecdotes. The least we may do was compile your suggestions into an easy-to-digest type. 

In the approaching weeks, we’ll be diving deeper into your solutions and what they inform us in regards to the recreation. Meantime, you may try the survey outcomes right here. (Percentages have been rounded off.)  

Your greatest golf etiquette pet peeve is:

Slow play: 65.1%

Poor course upkeep (unraked bunkers, un-repaired ball marks, and so on.): 17.5%

Music on the course: 7.9%

Club throwing: 6.4%

Untucked shirts and different dress-code violations: 1.3%

Other: 1.5%

No peeves!: 0.3%

Which finest describes your emotions about music on the course? 

Fine with it if saved at low quantity: 60%

No place for it: 30%

Love it. Let it rip: 9.7%

You’ve been appointed golf czar for the day. Which dress code would you ban first?

No denim: 14.1%

No t-shirts: 9.7%

No backward caps: 7.6%

No cargo shorts: 4%

All of them: 38.7%

None of them: 25.8%

When taking part in as a visitor at a personal membership, it’s best to at all times:

Offer to cowl all prices, together with lunch: 30.2%

Offer to cowl solely your host’s caddie payment and your visitor payment: 28%

Offer to cowl solely your host’s caddie payment: 12%

Enjoy the day as a visitor with out worrying about charges: 29.4%

An inexpensive tempo for a foursome taking part in 18 holes is:

3:30-4 hours: 55.1%

4-4:30 hours: 37.6%

3-3:30 hours: 5.2%

4:30-5 hours: 1.5%

Whatever time it takes: 0.6%

You contemplate your self a:

Fast participant: 63.1%

Slow participant: 0.7%

Somewhere in between: 36.1%

If you suppose your opponent simply cheated, one of the best response is to:

Ask them if they’re conscious that they’ve simply violated the principles: 58.4%

Ignore it: 29.9%

Call them out instantly: 11.6%

Storm off the course and vow by no means to play with them once more: 0.1%

What is your personal method to the principles?

Take small liberties (first-tee mulligan, roll ball over in unhealthy lies, and so on.): 57.8%

Follow the principles to a tee: 34.7%

Anything goes. I’m simply taking part in for enjoyable: 7.5%

If a participant from one other group hits into yours, your response is to:

Raise your palms in frustration: 52.2%

Ignore it: 35.3%

Tee the ball as much as ship a message: 6.2%

Step on the ball: 4.25%

Hit the ball again to them: 2.1%

How usually do you throw golf equipment in frustration?

Never: 73.4%

Once in my life. I used to be so embarrassed, I by no means did it once more: 20.6%

Once per spherical: 5.9%

Multiple occasions per spherical: 0.2%

Which finest describes your feeling about telephone utilization on the course?

Emails and calls are advantageous. Just be discreet: 51.9%

Leave it in your bag. Golf is meant to be an escape: 41%

C’mon, it’s 2024. You ought to be capable of use your telephone how and if you please: 7.1%

What’s the worst etiquette breach you’ve ever witnessed?

I noticed a man throw his putter after lacking a putt and almost hitting a taking part in accomplice. That actually strained the connection, and he by no means performed with us once more.

Spitting sunflower seeds on the greens across the gap.

A participant forward took 5-6 apply swings, taking a divot after every one, and didn’t substitute any of them, nor did he substitute the divot when he hit the shot. Couldn’t let that go with out calling him on it.

Raking in 3-footers as gimmes.

Six gamers in six separate carts.

A man driving a golf cart on the inexperienced. Like, he didn’t know you couldn’t do it. Lots of time and money goes into inexperienced upkeep, and I can solely think about if the tremendous had witnessed it. Dude received an earful from us after.

Waiting for inexperienced to clear 300 yards out.

Cigar ashes on inexperienced.

Group in entrance of us taking part in actually slow. When we approached par-3 ninth gap tee field subsequent to clubhouse, one participant sat on tee field to “hold” their place whereas the opposite three went into clubhouse to get sizzling canine.

Member filling her bag with vary balls.

Much extra to return in future installments of The Etiquetteist!