Is golf etiquette being adhered to?

Is golf etiquette being adhered to?


Austin Garvin

ALL golfers can remember the early days when we were admitted to a club as a member for the first time. First and foremost, candidates were proposed and seconded by long-standing members or officers. Then they went through a period of initiation and informed of the rules and regulations, with a heavy emphasis on golf etiquette.
What is etiquette? Etiquette has to do with manners, courtesy and respect we show to each other, in life or on the golf course.
Nowadays, it could be argued that there has been a certain slippage in this area. For some reason, golfers seem less courteous and respectful than they were in the past. Has the Celtic Tiger era altered people’s outlook? Is it that people are primarily concerned with their own welfare without thinking of others? Perhaps there has been less emphasis on the importance of etiquette and respect at the initial stages of gaining membership?
Many of us have overheard loud noise, laughing and the rattling of clubs as we try to concentrate on the first tee or line up a putt on a green. How often do we hear people greeting fellow golfers with a raised voice from adjacent fairways, with little thought for the many people this affects? The recent phenomenon whereby full-scale conversations are conducted on mobile phones is another wholly unwelcome diversion. 
Why do golfers not replace divots or pitch marks on greens with the same regularity or diligence as before? How many of us have landed a ball in a bunker compounded by the discovery of an unraked surface caused by an inconsiderate fellow golfer?
Breaches of safety are commonplace, with golfers taking practice swings perilously close to other players. We regularly witness impatient golfers hitting into a group ahead of them in an attempt to get them to speed up. Certainly slow play is a scourge in the game at present, but there is no excuse for this disrespectful behaviour.
However, there’s a responsibility on all of us to try and play the game at a reasonable pace. Parking caddy cars and golf carts judiciously with the next tee in mind can help to speed up play. One should also walk briskly between shots, be ready to play when required, and only take one practice swing.
The game of golf is built on a strong sense of etiquette and respect for the rules and regulations. Failure to uphold those proud traditions threatens to alter the uniqueness and very essence of the game.
Irish at Augusta
MANY of us can hardly wait for the Masters to arrive. The ‘Tiger factor’ seems to have overshadowed the tournament itself because of the attendant expectation of his entry after self-imposed exile.
The organisers of the event have been keen to emphasise that the tournament itself is bigger than any one player. This is as it should be with so many great players well capable of winning the coveted green jacket.
The Emerald Isle is well represented with PΡdraig Harrington, Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell all in the field. But can any of them win? On recent form, we may have to wait at least another year before an Irish victory.
McIlroy has suffered a sudden dip in form which undoubtedly stems from his back problems. His form has dipped recently, and he missed the cut at the Shell Houston Open. McDowell may lack the real consistency required to win the competition, though on a given day he can beat anyone.
Harrington has played quite well in the past few weeks. He has been in contention to win at least two tournaments but was unable to close the deal. Has has found consistency a problem at Augusta in the past, recording a nine at a hole last year. However, one can never say never where PΡdraig is concerned. Hopefully we are totally wrong and all three will figure prominently.

Enniscrone golfer is Munster Girls champion
CONGRATULATIONS to Sarah Helly (Enniscrone Golf Club), who has won the Munster Girls’ Championship at Ballybunion Golf Club.
She led the field after round one with a 77, the best score of the day. She followed this up with an 84 and a 78 in very difficult weather conditions to finish fifth overall in the Senior Championship and win the Girls’ Championship.

Respect for the dead
A PARTY of golfers notice a funeral passing by on a road adjacent to the course. “Why don’t we pause a moment and show some respect for the dead,” says Ralph. So they remove their caps and stand in silence as car after car goes by.
Finally, Ralph remarks, “There sure are a lot of cars. That person must have been well loved.” Bill replies: “Yes, she was. We would have been married 25 years tomorrow.”