WEST PALM BEACH, FL -- Golf was introduced in Scotland about 250 years ago. As you canimagine, quite a few rules of golfing behavior have developed over theyears.
Many of the rules of golf are based on a common sense principle: don't hurtanybody. Whenever you have lots of people swinging clubs and sendingballs flying, there's a chance of injury.
Paying attention to where youare in relation to others is important. Don't take practice swings whenanybody else is nearby, and don't hit your ball in the direction ofother players.
The next set of etiquette rules concerns respecting yourfellow players. Concentration is an important part of anybody's golfgame, and you should try to be considerate of others. That meanscomplete silence when somebody else is shooting. It also means keepingstill. If a player sees movement, it could be distracting enough toruin the shot.
Next, help the greenskeeper out by repairing any damageto the course; replace any divots and tap them back in place. The proshop should have an inexpensive tool for fixing up ball marks on thegreens. If your ball is in a bunker, always enter it from the low side.
In play, there are other rules of etiquette. The player with the lowestscore on the previous hole has 'honors,' which means that player getsto shoot first on the next hole. Once off the tee, the player farthestfrom the pin gets the first shot. Finally, don't hold up other groupson the course. A foursome takes longer to play a hole than a group oftwo or three, so the smaller party should be allowed to play through.Once you finish a hole, get off the green immediately to clear the wayfor the next group.
