Etiquette and Safety

Order of Play and Pace of Play

• Players must be ready to start at their scheduled tee time.

• If you arrive within 5 minutes late, you get the General Penalty (2 strokes).
• If you are more than 5 minutes late, you are disqualified.

• Keep up a good pace of play:

1. In tournaments, slow groups may receive a warning and then a penalty for slow play.
2. To help keep pace, it’s okay to play “ready golf” (playing when you’re ready, even if it’s not your turn).
3. If there’s no delay, play in the proper order:
4. The player furthest from the hole plays first.

• On the tee box, the player with “honors” (lowest score on the previous hole) tees off first.
• This order stays the same until someone else has the lowest score on a hole.

Expected Conduct

Golf is built on honesty, respect, and safety:

• Follow the rules and apply any penalties to yourself.
• Keep pace and avoid distracting other players.
• Think about safety:
  • Never hit if someone is in danger.
  • If your ball might hit someone, shout “Fore!” immediately.
• Care for the course:
  • Replace divots.
  • Rake bunkers.
  • Repair ball marks.
  • Avoid causing unnecessary damage.

Note: There are no penalties for minor etiquette mistakes, but serious misconduct, such as intentional damage to the course, can lead to disqualification.