[PHOTO: PhotoTalk]
It’s easy to spot when a golfer commits an obvious breach of course-maintenance etiquette, such as not fixing or filling a divot, not repairing a ball mark or not raking the sand. These are the basics, and thankfully, most golfers know them well.
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But what are some less obvious things that we frequently do on the course that can have a negative impact on course conditions? That was the premise of the question we put to three golf course superintendents:
What’s a seemingly innocuous thing that golfers often do that has a negative impact on the course?
Chad Allen, director of agronomy, The Club at Chatham Hills in Westfield, Indiana:
Golfers don’t pick up broken tees. They just throw them around and throw them in the rough. I mean, they stick in tyres. They do damage. Two or three times a year, we have to replace a tyre because a tee got stuck in it. Also, if you get a tee stuck in a reel mower, it can lock it up, and you might not even know that it’s locked up, so you’re dragging this thing across the course.
We really prefer you to just put the broken tee back in your pocket or talk to the pro shop and see if you can get the little tee trash cans. Then when you break your tee, you put it in there. But even then, we’ve gotten them, and some golfers will put their tees beside them. It’s just one of those etiquette things.
Photo: Tom Shaw/R&A
Some might say to throw broken tees in the rough, but there’s still a pointy tip on it that could harm equipment. You should leave the course like you found it, so view this is as just like raking a bunker. It’s not about you; it’s about the person behind you.
Darren Davis, superintendent, Olde Florida Golf Club in Naples, Florida:
The way that people drive carts. They’re just focused on getting from the tee to the fairway to the green. The issue is the way golfers drive, driving in the same spots as their buddies and driving too close to the greens. If you look at some of the tour courses on TV, they often have a lack of traffic leading up to the events. My team and I can produce an incredible facility on a reasonable budget that is as good as anything you’ll see on TV if you didn’t have golf-cart traffic.
Chad Blank, former assistant superintendent, Hazeltine National Golf Club in Minnesota; currently working for a turfgrass management company:
The care golfers take around the hole. It’s important to not use your putter to get the ball out of the hole, first and foremost. Even the things that go onto the grips to get the ball out, I know there’s some mobility issues and we certainly encourage people if they have to use them, but try to avoid that if possible. We hosted a recent championship, and the cups were perfect because the players were carefully taking the ball out and ultimately leaving the course better for the next person.
It really helps to be careful around the hole and not jamming stuff in there or jamming your hand in there. It helps visually, for the product that we’re putting out, and also the integrity of the putt. If you had 100 people shoving their fist in, it’s going to impact some guy or gal who’s playing at 5pm, and they want the same opportunity to make a putt.
