Golf Etiquette 101

Hey there! I am going to start this post with a story. However, I recommend that you go watch a movie on Amazon called The Greatest Game Ever Played first. It’s a amazing story about Francis Quimet, who almost no one has ever heard of. You see, golf is a game that was only accessible by the wealthy in the early 1900s. Why? Well, I am not going to steal the story from you. It’s shown on the Golf Channel every year as a homage to golf, and where its roots stem from. Just like the video I shared with you in Start Here, golf originated in Scotland. The The Royal and Ancient Golf Club is the oldest governing body for the game of golf. The R&A was established in 1754, and Old Tom Morris is still referenced with his 4 wins to this day in 1861, 1862, 1864, and 1867. I won’t even go down the Young Tom Morris path just yet.

The reason I want you to watch Shia LaBeouf’s interpretation of Francis Quimet winning the 1913 US Open, is because it’s a turning point. Probably the first of 4 major turning points in the game of golf thus far. Why? Because Francis Quimet was not a Gentlemen. He wasn’t accepted by the social class who played golf at that time. This was due to his financial, cultural class and humble beginnings. He was never expected to excel at a game that only the rich could afford.. The rich not only excluded him, they never conceived that a caddy who carried their clubs, could win the American crown jewel of golf (pre-Bobby Jones) the US Open.

Why is this important? Well, remember when I told you about the Dress Code? Well, where do you think it came from? The definition of gentleman during the early 1900’s has changed over the years. What remains the same is the generally accepted definitions today. Let’s accept I propose, that society has changed vastly, and that ALL can afford the definition of gentleman behavior on the golf course.

Gentleman Today

• Respectful, caring, and considerate.
• Someone you can count on to lift you up.
• He, she, they would NEVER forget your birthday or major milestone in your life.
• He, she, they would never tear you down, minimize you, or diminish you.
• He, she, they would never speak negatively about you.

Gentleman in 1900

• A man born of noble birth.
• Men of high rank justified by their superiorty by their gracious and courteous bearing.
• Well born man, man of good family or birth.

Let’s assume you accepted my request. You watched the movie and have come back to this post to see where I go now? There is so much that I have left out, but that is outside of the context I wish to address for now. The USGA created a short video below I recommend viewing. It mentions Harry Vardon, who till this very day, holds the record for Open Championships at 6. Harry Vardon had a huge impact on Francis Quimet, and he also was not a Gentleman. Despite not fitting the ideal of a Gentleman he is immortalized in the game today and is honored each year. He also has a golf grip named after him (Vardon Grip) which I will talk about later in a future post. In addition, every year from the PGA of America, there is an award named after Harry Vardon for the lowest scoring average. It reflects and shows one of the key metrics afforded the best golfer on the planet.

What I request you focus on right now is, what does being a Gentleman mean in golf right now? If you are stuck on the word Man or Woman, please let me direct you back to the topic which is about golf etiquette. You won’t find me indulging in today’s social challenges. This blog is ALL about the game of golf. Fair enough?

So, let’s get down to it. What does Golf Etiquette look like on and off the golf course for the “Beginner”?

The reason I say “On” and “Off” the course is because the values you act with on the course, look awfully like the values we live our lives by in every day life. Sounds deep and metaphysical, but I promise these are basic rules of behavior that will serve you in golf. They will also also serve you life, I promise. Remember what I said about golf changing your life and making you a better person? To be proficient at Golf, it requires a strategy of play and a set of tactics to win. Like Golf, Go also can take a life time to master

Go has been played for 4000 years with very simple rules. It’s a game of two colors of stones. One player with black stones, one player with white stones, and a 19X19 line board made of wood. The rules are very simple. Win by one stone by accumulating more territory on the board. Golf also is measured by strokes. The winner just needs one stroke to win. Go is a game that is older than the game of golf by a almost 3750 years. Like the game of Chess and Go, Golf takes a lifetime to master. Really? Does it really take a lifetime to Master? Look at all the 20 year old pros winning millions of dollars on the PGA, LPGA, and Senior PGA Tours today. Looks like they have mastered it don’t you think?

Well,, maybe so in relation to their score, and all the money and championships they have won. If you had the opportunity to talk to Arnold Palmer just before he passed away in 2016, I suspect he would give you a surprising answer. Arnold Palmer? Isn’t a Tea drink named after him? What does he have to do with Golf? Oh boy! Them, is some fight words! I will explain below. Add Vodka, and you will have to contend with John Daly as well. I digress.

You see, it is my contention that Golf like “Go”, does take a lifetime to master in all facets relative to your age, mindset, and experienced earned through repetition and hard work. Arnold Palmer represents in action, to be golf’s most respected and admired example of what being a Gentleman means. Even in today’s game.

Remember, I said this is a 101 course? Etiquette has many layers to it. This is only the beginning of your journey to golf mastership. If you are lucky, and that is my greatest hope for you and me! When our turn comes, to walk through the Pearly Gates, we will earn a “Gimme” like Arnold Palmer from Saint Peter. If you are not a Christian, do a google search to look up the significance of judgment at death. when your time comes. If you are a atheist, there is no replay green fees for you. Buddhists, get to play their second 18 without the benefit of course knowledge in their quest to burn off past life karma. Those are the breaks in second, third, or many lives, and golf.

Golf like any sport has rules. Written rules that change over time that don’t make it in the rule book. Yep, even the USGA and R&A have to succumb to the passage of time. That is what happens when you play a sport that has been around for 268 years.

So, let’s talk about this young man from Brookline, Massachusetts. Francis Quimet did an amazing thing by winning the US Open in 1913. What he did was open up the game to the public. Golf never lost its country club roots even to this day. Francis Quimet along with his 10 year old caddie Eddie Lowery, changed the game in the US by opening the game to the public. Young kids were not always permitted on a golf course. My Dad took me with him back in the 70s and even then, it was not a common occurrence. It took many years and a paradigm shift in thinking about the place of children on the golf course. Francis and Eddie were well ahead of their time.

Remember when I said in my post Dress that you needed to be mindful of attire for Private, Public, and Municipal golf courses? Well, you can thank Francis Quimet for breaking the barrier for Public and Municipal barrier access to golf course for the average American. Before Francis Quimet, most Americans had no access to the game of Golf. After the 1913 US Open victory by Francis Quimet, public golf courses now had a place in American society. Who was going to be the next Francis Quimet? If you weren’t a member of a private country club, your dream of US Open glory was non-existent. Well, that might be some sensationalist talk, unless you were an upper middle class American.

Fast forward in time to the arrival of “The King”. Look, all credit should be given to Francis Quimet for what he did for the game. If it were not for Francis, it may not have been possible for Arnold Palmer to take his well deserved title as “The King”. Now, we move down the eastern seaboard to Latrobe, PA and slightly inland. You see, Arnie’s farther was a greens keeper and was from lower middle class America. Not so far form the humble beginnings of Francis. I will save the details of the parallels between Francis and Arnie for another post.

What I will say in this moment, Arnold Palmer was the 2nd person to have a major impact on the game of golf in the United States. Many would argue, that other names could be considered for this influential status, but I suspect they would be rebuffed with the many stories of Arnie’s abundance.

Arnie, took his working mans persona and incredible talent to change the game….well, forever. There is not a golfer including myself, who has not been impacted by his influence. You could even say that professional sports today in the US, owes a debit of gratitude to Arnold Palmer for the trails he blazed. I promise I will touch on why in future posts.

Finally, let’s touch on the the Top 10 Etiquette rules articulated by “The King” himself.

10 Rules for Golf Etiquette

1. Don’t be the slowest player
2. Keep your temper under control
3. Respect other people’s time
4. Repair the ground you play on
5. Be a silent partner
6. Make your golf cart “invisible”
7. Always look your best
8. Turn off your cell phone
9. Lend a hand when you can
10. Learn the little things

The list above needs concrete examples, illustrated explanations, as well as the meaningful stories behind the “Why”. Any golfer who has been playing the game for 20+ years or more, understands why I say that being a “Gentlemen” has it’s roots in the actions of Arnold Palmer. There is a reason that he is known as “The King”. He set the bar for the greatest golfers after him, who give him credit for changing the game for the better. Arnie was a hero for the Greatest and Baby Boom generation.

Arnold Palmer gives credit to two of his Heroes for teaching him what being a Gentleman means. His father, and the great amateur and founder of Augusta National, Bobby Jones.

The current elder statesmen of golf today who competed against Arnie such as Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Lee Trevino, and many others give him unabashed credit for giving them the opportunity for their success. Without Arnold Palmer, the game of golf may never had progressed. It may not have ended up being universally accepted, as well as popular and respected sport world-wide.

Summary

In Summary, I am gonna break down additional layers to Etiquette in a future post called Golf Etiquette 202. I will walk you through what the 10 rules outlined by Arnold above mean in practice, and why you need to learn them, practice them, and appreciate them on your golf journey.

I can promise you, that what you learn about being respectful, considerate, kind, and forgiving while playing a round of golf will serve you in creating a meaningful life.

Remember what I said above about the game of “Go”. It’s a game that has been played for 4000 years. It’s all about Strategy and Tactics to win by 1 Stone. Executives of some of the largest companies in the world use the game of “Go” to learn about other executives they do business with. “Go” reflects who you are now, how you think, how you handle adversity, what your strengths and weaknesses are strategically and tactically, and how you win or lose.

Imagine, playing naked in a foursome of golf. There is nothing to hide behind but your words and your game. The truth of your game will be played out over 4 and half hours. How will you choose to be? How do you want to show up for your friends, complete strangers, or business customers? Is your goal to crush everyone with your score? Is your intent to perform like a pro? Perhaps, you just want to have fun and improve your game? Maybe, Golf for you is all about having connection with others, while you observe who they are in 18 holes of golf. Maybe, it will give you clues to how they are in life and business?