In a recent survey on golf etiquette, not all golfers play by the same rules. The survey gathered responses from over 3,800 golfers on topics ranging from dress-code violations to slow play and club-throwing. The most common golf etiquette pet peeve among respondents was slow play, followed by poor course maintenance, music on the course, and club-throwing. Only a small percentage had no peeves at all.
When it comes to music on the course, opinions were divided, with 60% of respondents stating that they were fine with it if kept at a low volume, while 30% believed there was no place for it. As for dress codes, the majority of respondents said they would ban all dress codes if appointed golf czar for a day. However, there were varying opinions on specific dress codes such as denim, t-shirts, backward caps, and cargo shorts.
When playing as a guest at a private club, opinions varied on how much to offer in terms of covering costs. Some respondents felt that guests should cover all costs, including lunch, while others believed that guests should only cover their host’s caddie fee. The survey also revealed that the average pace for a foursome playing 18 holes was between 3:30-4 hours, with the majority of respondents considering themselves fast players.
In scenarios where cheating was suspected, the best response according to respondents was to ask the player if they were aware that they had violated the rules. When it comes to personal approaches to the rules, the majority of respondents admitted to taking small liberties such as first-tee mulligans or rolling the ball over in bad lies. However, there were still a significant number who claimed to follow the rules to a tee.
On the topic of phone usage on the golf course, over half of respondents believed that emails and calls were fine as long as they were discreet. The survey also revealed that the majority of respondents never threw clubs in frustration, while others admitted to doing so once per round or multiple times per round. The worst etiquette breaches witnessed by respondents included throwing putters, spitting sunflower seeds on greens, and driving golf carts on the green.
Overall, the survey highlighted the varying opinions and behaviors of golfers when it comes to etiquette on the course. Future installments of The Etiquetteist will delve deeper into the survey results and explore what they reveal about the game of golf. Stay tuned for more insights and analysis on golf etiquette in the coming weeks.
