I’ll be starting a little series of posts called “Between the Swings”. Unlike so many other sports, in Golf what you are doing when it’s not your turn to act can be as important as the rest of the game. These tips will help cover some of the common things that happen between the swings. This first post in the series covers some things to keep in mind around the green.

Maneuvering around the green can be tricky business on the golf course – especially if you’re not quite sure what to do or where to stand. The truth is that stepping on another player’s putting line or neglecting to tend the pin when it’s your turn are two things that can be very distracting and frustrating to deal with for experienced players, and reveal your inexperience more than your swing or your score ever will.

Here’s what you need to know – and with some practice, these things will become second nature in no time.

When you’re on the course, as you approach the green, pay attention to where all of the other golf balls are located. If you’re not sure where a player’s ball is, then ask by saying “where is everyone?” Believe me, they’ll tell you. Now draw an imaginary line from each ball or ball marker to the hole, and walk over, or more preferably, around, but never on, those lines.

The reason for this is simple. Your footprint or spike marks might make a depression or damage to the surface of the green, and ultimately, could cause a player to miss a putt.

If your ball is nearest the hole when all the players in your group arrive at the green, then it’s your responsibility to tend the pin. Simply ask all of the players if they can see the hole. If the answer is yes, pull the pin and lay it on the side of the green. If not, then stand so your shadow doesn’t cover the hole and you’re not in another player’s putting line, and hold the flagstick until that player strikes their putt.

The first person to finish putting should assume the final flag tending responsibilities by retrieving it and replacing it. The last player to putt out should never have to get the pin.

Trust me, it’s the effortless management of these nuances that will matter to your playing partners much more than your ability.

One of the most frustrating things for golf pros everywhere to deal with is the damage caused to the surface of a green by pitch marks. Well, actually, it isn’t the damage that’s frustrating. The damage is inevitable. What’s frustrating is when players are too lazy to repair those pitch marks.

I mean seriously, all you have to do is bend over and stick your pitchfork in the ground a few times, then tap the mound down with the bottom of your putter. It really isn’t a whole lot of work.

The long and short of it is this:

1. An unfixed pitch mark damages the greens mowers – which are expensive pieces of equipment, and

2. An unfixed pitch mark leaves ugly dead spots on the green – and the greens are expensive to maintain.

Here’s what we ask.

Please just have enough respect for your fellow players and for the golf course where you’re playing to bend over a repair your damage. If you feel like it, fix an extra one or two on each green, because someone playing ahead of you will have no doubt left their pitch marks un-fixed. There’s not much more too it than that.

There’s a lot more to bunker etiquette than simply raking your footprints before you leave.  The next time you ball ends up on the ‘beach,’ consider these following customs:

Try to enter the bunker from a spot as near as possible to your ball, but never from the ‘front’ of the bunker (greenside), always from the rear (opposite the green).  The reason for this is twofold.  One, it’s bad form.  Two, should you hit a lousy shot, you really don’t want your ball to end up in one of your footprints.

Don’t enter a bunker by walking up or down a steep slope.  Try to enter from a spot that is level.  By doing this, you won’t cause an avalanche of sand to fall from the slopes to the bottom.  Again, doing so, is just bad form.

Unless you are playing in a tournament, bring a rake with you into the bunker so you can rake your footprints on your way out.

Walk out of the bunker along the same line that you entered so you will only have to rake one trail of tracks.

Rake the bunker with purpose – don’t just go through the motions.  The objective is to smooth the sand so there aren’t any bumps or troughs that might cause the next player additional stress.

Replace the rake where it was when you found it.  Some course prefer to place the rakes in the bunkers, others prefer to keep them out.  Just follow the local custom.

Always lay the rake with the teeth down.

Just like most things in golf, there’s a lot more to the custom than you might think at first glance.  Getting those little things right is what demonstrates your respect for the game and the other players on the course.

There’s a certain protocol that should be thoroughly understood and effortlessly executed on the first tee. Although this list might seem like a lot to remember, it’s all worth it. Done right, all these habits will go unnoticed. Done wrong, you’ll be the center of attention for reasons you’d rather not be.

Here are some things to think about:

Be quick, but don’t hurry:   Be ready to take the tee when it’s your turn – but don’t hover.  This could make the group in front of you feel rushed.

Introductions:   If you’re playing with strangers, quickly write down their names and a brief description of each person, so you won’t forget.  If you do happen to forget, try to sneak a peek at their scorecard or bag tag, rather than asking them again.

Mark your ball:   You should get into the habit of marking your golf balls with a permanent marker exactly the same way every time. Once your group takes the tee, tell the other players what type of ball you’ll be starting with and how it’s marked. This shows that you’ve done this before, that you intend to abide by the rules, and that you expect the same from them.

Prepare your pockets:   Good golfers are precise—sometimes to the point of superstition—about what, and how many of each, is in their pockets. I use a 3-2-1 method: three tees, two ball marks, and one divot tool. Having too much crammed into a pocket is distracting and makes it difficult to find things efficiently. Since I’m right-handed, I keep that stuff in my front right pocket to avoid having to fish it out with my glove-wearing left hand.

Tee it up properly:    First, always tee it between and up to two club-lengths behind the markers. Next, tee the ball with just one hand, and in one swift, graceful motion to the turf by positioning the tee between your first two fingers, cigarette style and holding the ball in the cup at the top of the tee in place with your thumb. Then, while leaning on your golf club for balance, bend down and push the tee into the ground.

 These are perfect examples of things that, when done properly, go totally unnoticed. When they aren’t, you’ll look like a moron.