Don't walk across anyone's putt line.

Keep pace and don’t hesitate to pick up the ball admitting defeat.

Yeah, don’t just skip ahead of the course pro and architect without asking. Or, you’ll be the AH

We need a pinned post or something for this stuff.

Keep pace with the group in front of you, treat the course with respect (replace divots and ball marks you make and rake traps you hit into), and have fun would be the absolute basics, IMO.

And don’t play the blue tees until you get more experience. I’d suggest the forward tees until you can get around the course in 100 shots or less.

stand to the side of golf shots - out of hat view---be mindful of your shadow as well

fix any ball marks

dont step in someones line (on the green)

rake the bunker

This video covers it pretty well: 

https://youtu.be/M9hnm_61lrc?si=yxKscH5fe044dKs3

I always say play bad fast, but don't rush. You have plenty of time on the hole, but also pick up if you need to. Since you are new, you will probably be behind others, but for general safety don't get ahead of others on approach shots. Make sure to yell fore even if you think it probably wont hit them. Also try to spot for your partner hitting. It can be hard for the hitter to follow the ball off the tee. Unless your group doesn't care, it is best to do honors on the tee box, lowest score on the last hole goes first. Make sure to mark your ball if you are even close to someone else's putt line.

Stay off the par 3s with your cart- an unwritten rule. Be aware of those behind you. You don’t want to cause a logjam. Letting a group through does nothing to help this. Don’t log your score, or linger on the greens. Please replace your divots. Quiet when someone else is addressing their ball. Don’t cheat. Carry an extra ball in your pocket so you don’t waste time going back and forth to your gear bag. Properly repair ball marks on the green. You’ll be addicted in no time!

When you reach the greens park your cart on the path somewhere between the hole and the next teebox. The reason is so that the group behind you doesn’t have to watch and wait while you walk back to your cart. You can put your clubs away and write down your scores on the next teebox.

Just ask if the course is cart path only. Make sure you don’t park in line with someone’s shot. Don’t drive on the green. Other than that you should be good

If you want less stress play late in the day when your course is likely to be less crowded. You will likely not be paired up with anyone.

A far as pace of play, if a faster playing group comes up behind, you can and should allow rhem to play through. If the course is crowded, that is not an option, cuz there will be another group immediately behind that group. You will have to keep up with the group ahead of you on a crowded course.

If you like to play 9, try going out so you finish comfortably before sunset, perhaps earlier if where you live is not as densely populated as where I am.

Some random etiquette rules:

• Be quiet when others are swinging

• The person who is furthest from the hole goes first after the tee shot (but many play “ready golf” so you shouldn’t be waiting for them either if for example they’re looking for their ball)

• you generally shouldn’t start putting until everyone is on the green.

• The best score on the last hole tees off first, but a lot of people ignore that

• When someone is putting on the green don’t walk in “their line” which is the pathway between their ball and the hole.

• it’s okay to be bad but be bad fast. Don’t spend more than a minute or 2 looking for your ball. Be prepared to just take a drop of a new ball if you can’t find yours.

• on a par 3 course you usually can’t drive the cart on the fairways. On normal courses just make sure your cart isn’t in the way of someone’s shot

• make sure you show up with time to spare before your tee time. You need to be at the starter at hole 1 ready to go before your tee time.

• you don’t need to dress fancy but a polo shirt is definitely encouraged

There’s lot of other stuff but this is what I remember wasn’t the most intuitive. Some golfers are insufferable pricks no matter how perfectly you observe the etiquette. Just have a good attitude and try your best and you’ll have a blast. Good luck!

Unless it's a competition, you don't need to follow all the rules, if you've already hit 6 shots on a par3 and are still stuck in a bunker, throw the ball on the green and have a putt, enjoy the game, don't let it frustrate you for no reason.

Did you happen to be playing in upstate SC with me yesterday? We had a 5some of three guys (two of whom were first timers or close) and then two of their wives who had never held a club before. Did not let us or the following twosome play through for the entire 9 holes.

It's 100% this. Even experienced golfers somehow don't get this.

I have noticed a lot of courses, particularly in heavy tourist areas that have Ready Golf as a ground rule. That should be universal.

Except you can end up losing your ball if you hit a bad shot and then lose track of where exactly it went because you went looking for someone else's ball. This happened to me after hitting my third shot on a par 5. Seemed like I'd be able to find it not far from the green but after driving across the fairway looking for someone else's ball I came toward my ball from a different angle and was baffled when I couldn't find mine.

You don’t always have to wait for the person who’s furthest away to hit, you’re not in a tournament. If he is looking for his ball in the left rough and your in the right rough a few yards ahead, hit your shot while he’s looking. Ready golf.

The caveat is to repair your pitch marks properly. So many people shove their pitch mark tool in and just lift, tearing the roots of the grass so that it dies. I'd rather have unrepaired pitchmarks that I fix properly than greens full of bare deadspots because people lift instead of push.

It's called "ready golf" and it requires you to prioritize awareness and pace of play over replying to texts or otherwise dicking around. Park the cart behind the green, leave your wedges between the hole and your cart so you don't forget them, etc. It's about situational awareness and common (and some not so common) sense.

Just keep up and you'll be fine.

Walk up hit the ball.

Played with some friends that are just picking up the game and they kept moving, talking, making noise, etc. while I was standing over the ball. Be silent when others are hitting.

If you need to throw a club, throw it toward where you need to be walking.

If you’ve already taken 8 shots and aren’t near the green, pick your ball up. 

Don’t spend more than 2 or 3 minutes searching for your lost ball. Don’t apologize or try and make excuses why you’re not as good as them(assuming they play better than you). Don’t talk during someone’s swing. Have fun!

To start off tee your ball up from the furthest back tees and say “we’re playing the tips, right?”

I have found in more business type settings is this:

DO NOT FLUFF YOUR LIES!! Even if your ball is plugged, wait for your playing group to tell you something to the effect of "hey buddy we arent pros, you can give yourself a better ball position"

while I may be over thinking it, at the end of the day these are people you work with, and at least in my line of work it is fairly common that people who cheat in golf are likely to cut corners in their work life.

Other than that, just stay positive and try not to get frustrated! Everyone loves to be around ppl who are fun and have a positive attitude - nobody likes being around a hot head or someone that sulks all the time. Extending this to the workplace, it shows you are not easily frustrated and can overcome hardships when lacking in success.

My final thoughts are this: remember that this is still your boss and his circle the end of the day. As much as it may be casual , your actions on and off course will have SOME bearing on your workplace. BUT with that being said, you obviously did something positive such that he wanted to invite you out again - just keep that up.

ENJOY!

As far as pace of play goes i’d just say try not to overthink it. Swing how you’d usually swing to make good contact and just take it swing by swing.

Some of the best players in the world will play how their swing is going that day, for example, if they’re hitting a draw that day then they play the draw. in your case if you’re hitting a slice or your usual miss just play the slice or usual miss.

if you’re on the green and waiting for someone else to putt then take that time to make your read and line up your ball. it’s the little things that will save time.

Play smart, don’t take hero shots over the trees, hit it back to the fairway etc etc. be realistic with your yardages, that one good shot u hit on the range doesn’t mean that it’s gonna do that every single time! which just wraps back around to playing smart.

Have an amazing round and good luck :)

Basic etiquette:

On the tee box lowest score from previous hole goes first tho this is pretty outdated and most don’t follow it. Some people will only observe it for a birdie on previous hole so at least offer before stepping in front a birdie to be safe. Pick up your tee when you’re done and don’t throw it on the course.

In the fairway fill your divot with sand if available. Also farthest from the hole goes first so ask if ok to hit if you break that pattern, it is typically observed. Make sure you’re not standing in the way of somebody hitting behind you.

Around the green rake the bunker after you’re done. Again off the green goes first then farthest from the hole if everyone is on the green. Repair any pitch marks from ball hitting the green. Use a ball marker to mark your ball on the green especially if in someone else’s line. Don’t step in someone else’s line.

For extra bonus points pay attention to the pin and ask if others are ok to remove it and take care of replacing it when everyone is done. Look out for other people’s wedges and pick them up for them before leaving the green. Be considerate where you park your cart, pull off the path a bit if someone is coming up behind you.

Overall compliment nice shots and stay positive. Pick up your ball once it’s triple bogey or more. Generally be respectful of the course and other players and you will be fine!

Get comfortable shouting fore, don’t be a bitch about it

Practice putting and chipping. You'll be doing it way more than just hitting it.

Hitting it straight-ish and forward is better than aiming for the green in 1 and ending up in water/tall grass. Use the club your the most comfortable with the most often, even if it's short.

Leave the driver st home

If there is a group behind you or if you are playing with people you don't know, pick up at double par (6) & mark down that score.

I swear I post this weekly… get the book 5 rules for golf by Ben Hogan. You will find no better guide to the fundamentals of a good repeatable swing. I think it’s less than $20 bucks, less than 100 pages, and has illustrations.

there’s lots of mechanical changes you’ll make along the way as you improve your game, but you need a solid foundation to build on. That book will give it to you.

If you're a brand newy, recommend getting a lesson and just tell the pro you've never swung a club before.

They can help you get set up with everything you listed above.

Honestly, the key to golf is hitting less bad shots, not hitting more good ones. The better you get, the tighter your definition of a bad shot becomes.

Ball position, body movement and bad habits are all personal. I hit a naturally high fade, where as a friend hits a lower draw, and yet we have the same ball position? So go to the pro, have a laugh at how hard golf us and get set up with one or two things to practice for a while

The same issues you will find on YouTube you will find here. I’d watch a few videos on proper setup and grip and start and go from there. Even better get a lesson after you hit the driving range and decide you like it or not

Update

Update

Just returned from the driving range, where I primarily practiced with an 8 iron focusing on how to hold a golf club. I watched this YouTube video:

https://youtu.be/hhnhHgvOaB0?si=EUbHQR4B3XXzvd4e

Although I will pursue my courses, I was eager to hit the driving range and was pleased with my performance.

8 Iron: My shots ranged between 100 and 130 yards.

I was quite impressive.

At the driving range, I only bought one basket of balls, taking approximately two minutes per shot to adjust my hand position. I focused on taking long, slow breaths and prioritizing contact over speed or force.

I’m very satisfied with my day at the driving range.

Thank you, everyone, for your feedback.

Buckle up