NWO Golf Links August 2016

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Nearly every golfer has been told,
and knows, to be quiet on the
course when others are playing.
But how many timeshave you
broken this ruleor seen others
act without courtesy?
While at the LPGA
last month, I
witnessed the ultimate
etiquette faux pau. An older
gentleman, apparently hard
of hearing, was talking on
his cell phone quite loudly
about thirty yards from the
putting green, while
was attempting to
putt. The conversation was
so loud that Anna backed off
and her caddie yelled to the
man to stop talking. I couldn’t
believe my eyes or ears.
Later that round, her playing
companion, ,
also requested a couple to
stop loud whispering.
Throughout the day I heard
loud conversations, infrequent
noises, and several various
ringtones. Last year, at the
same tournament, my son was
scolded for walking, while
someone was playing out of
a greenside bunker, in spite of
the fact the golfer was facing
the opposite direction and
twenty yards away. There are
even signs on the inside of the
port-o-lets that request closing
the door gently upon leaving.
This begs the question, at
what distance or decibel
level is any activity or sound
acceptable on the course?
I asked , of the
, how
much noise throws off his
game. Matt responded that
he can generally block out
background sounds that he
can’t control, such as that
from the Goodyear Blimp,
generators, or the hospitality
tents; but over-powering or
awkward noises, such as
spectators talking, phones
ringing, or passing traffic,
can cause him to step away
from his shot. He is normally
comfortable with the sound
of cameras, but in a recent
tournament, he was caught
off-guard by a shutter click,
which caused him to chunk
an approach shot.
If golfers with great ability are
bothered by the slightest sound
it’s no wonder these noises
and movements impact the
recreational golfer regularly.
So the next time you’re on the
course, whether in a friendly
round or at a professional
tournament, keep your voice
down, your phone turned off,
and your movements slight
whenever near a player.
If you’d like information on over
200 more etiquette items check
out my humorous book,
!
QUIET
PLEASE!
By Richard Todd
NWO Golf Links