The 10 Commandments of Golf Etiquette
Duluth News Tribune

Golf, unlike almost any of the trash-talking sports you can watch on TV, is a game where sportsmanship is paramount. Golf has its own code of etiquette. Listed below are 10 simple rules compiled from lists provided by local golf pros and national studies:
  1. Thou shalt maintain a good pace. Be ready to play when it's your turn and pay attention to the group behind and in front of you to make sure your group is not holding things up.
  2. Thou shalt pay attention. Make sure everyone in your foursome or in your group is behind you when you hit.
  3. Thou shalt obey all dress codes.
  4. Thou shalt help the greens keeper by repairing ball marks and divots and properly raking bunkers.
  5. Thou shalt not talk when someone is playing a stroke.
  6. Thou shalt keep it safe: golf balls and golf clubs can do a lot of damage to a human body and a golf course.
  7. Thou shalt not step in a golfer's putting line on the green.
  8. Thou shalt use common sense when driving a golf cart, paying particular attention to the posted cart rules.
  9. Thou shalt keep the swearing to a minimum. Sound carries on a golf course.
  10. Thou shalt not leave your sunflower seeds, chewing tobacco or trash on the course for others to deal with.
Additional Etiquette Tips
  1. Do not leave your ball in the hole when you make a putt/chip. Golfers are a superstitious lot and many think that their ball will not fit in the hole if there is already another one in there.
  2. If you putt/chip your ball near the hole and do not plan to putt out, mark your ball with a coin or ball-marker. Aside from being a distraction, other players will incur a 2 stroke penalty if they play a putt from the green and their ball hits yours.
  3. As much as it may interest you, do not stand directly behind another player's intended target line. This is a violation of the rules if the player is your partner and otherwise distracting because the player can usually see you out of the corner of his/her eye.
  4. When playing for the first time with someone, be conservative at first about complimenting or critiquing a shot. Follow the lead of his friends, pay attention to his comments, and wait until you have a good understanding of what is a good and bad shot for a particular player. Don't assume that everyone's standards are the same as yours.
  5. Invite faster groups to play through.
  6. Be ready to play when it is your turn. Proceed to your ball as soon as it is safe and begin preparing for your shot. On the green, survey the contours and grain while other players are putting if you can do so without being distracting.
  7. Write your scores on the scorecard when you reach the next tee.
  8. When playing from a cart, drop one player off at his/her ball with several clubs and, if it is safe, drive the cart to the second players ball. This way, the two players sharing the cart can both prepare for their shots at the same time.
  9. If you take a cart and you are not allowed to leave the cart path, drive the cart until it is roughly even with your ball and take several clubs (maybe the one you think you will need and one above and one below) with you to your ball. If you really have no idea what club you will need, pull your bag off the cart and take the whole thing with you to your ball