. . .it's that time of year when
I sit back and consider the changes that I've seen on the course this
year. . . I come up to the same answer as last year, the year before
and every year before that. . . NOTHING NEW. . .there still aren't
enough players that know how to use a rake, fix a ball mark,
repair a divot, keep pace or show respect for other players. . .maybe
the rest of the world has the right approach. . .golfers must
pass tests about proper etiquette before being permitted to set foot
on a course. . .dress codes(?) are swept aside for one reason
or another and enforced randomly. . .recently a course marshal
ordered Michael Jordan off of a course because he was wearing a pair
of Cargo Shorts
. . .a rules infraction, for sure, on
most courses, but why did he get all the way to 13 before anyone
realized the crime? Where was the clerk who checked him in, where was
the marshal for the first 12 holes? This is a confrontation that
needs to happen before a player leaves the first tee. But, on most
public courses enforcing the “rules of etiquette” is not a high
priority.
. . .seven things that will help you
win friends on a golf course.
- repair all divots with either the the sod that was ripped out by your swing or sand and seed
- always enter & exit bunkers from the low side
- use a rake, not your foot or a club, to smooth the surface of the sand
- replace the rake parallel to the line of play
- be sure to check the surface of the green for ball marks and repair them before you leave the green
- park carts or place clubs so you they are between the green you are playing and the next tee.
- follow the dress code of the course
. .
.For as long as I have been around golf there has
always been a difference of opinion about where the rakes belong . .
.in the bunker. . .out of the bunker. . .half in and half out. . .who
knows what is best.
Until recently I always believed that
the USGA recommendation that rakes be left outside of the bunkers, on
the away aide and parallel to the line of play. Lately I have
thought, “all players, or at least most of them, don't actually use
the rakes . .just get rid of then altogether. . .after all Bunkers
are HAZARDS.”
.
