The Etiquette Of Golf for the Pros
Posted by Melissa Q-100 at 5/26/2008 6:31 PM and is filed under uncategorized 
I played my first 18 holes of golf this weekend. Granted, it was best ball, so there was no score kept and I really didn't hit and stay with my shots the whole time. But I do have a sense of accomplishment since my intimidation level of the game has decreased.
But my ease of the game has nothing to do with the people in the pro shop.
Some friends of mine were kind enough to invite me and Katie Jo up to the North Georgia mountains for Memorial Day weekend that would include a round of golf. We both jumped at the chance, since neither of us has played a full round of golf like that before, and didn't have a complete sense of what to have/wear/or do.
What you have is a set of clubs for each person, or the course will charge you for a rental set. I had the rental set.
What you wear is a collared shirt, no denim, and appropriate shoes (tennis or running shoes will do). I at least knew this, but still had to buy a few more things at the shop, during which one staff member whispered to me, "Are you playing?" When I said I was not going to until the next day, he responded, "Good," and pointed to my t-shirt to make sure I knew it was inappropriate.
What you do is feel lesser-than those that have played the game for awhile, since it seems golf pros don't want a newbie like Katie or myself to feel welcomed to the game.
I have to be fair, since my friends are frequent visitors to this particular resort and enjoy their experience every time, but I have to be honest since I am not a frequent visitor and did not feel welcomed in the golf shop by anyone other than my friends.
One thing I admired about my father, who was a star basketball player in his youth, is his sense that if you are a fan of a sport then you are a fan of everyone playing that sport. It was as if basketball was something special he wanted everyone to experience. So he would watch and cheer on any men or women that would play the game. I guess I had come across plenty of men who had made fun of women in sports that my old-school jock father's admiration for women like Pat Summitt was something I was impressed by. And it taught me what being a true sports fan was all about.
This has nothing to do with gender bias, just stranger bias. It seems one has to prove oneself before being deemed worthy to play on a golf course. Before I even get there I have to buy or rent expensive clubs, get expensive clothes, and pay an expensive membership fee or know someone who has. Katie said to me as we left the pro shop (with a suspicious escort carrying our rental clubs), "We have to pay to be treated like this."
I was fortunate as a kid to live near a country club where my elementary school friends and I played tennis as often as we could. Having grown up around the game, I have never felt intimidated by it or the people that play it. But I do recognize the tendency by tennis players to behave in this same condescending manner. But at least with tennis you have the opportunity to play anywhere from the country clubs to apartment complexes. With golf, you almost always have to enter into the realm of athletic classism.
Maybe I hit up people for my golf game fee and accessories on a busy holiday weekend and they were just in a bad mood. I hope so, since once I was out on the course I fell in love. Katie and I had such a great time being out in nature, learning from our very generous friends on technique and how to improve each hole, and seeing our game actually get better, we now are the proud owners of a....golf storage rack. Yes, since we still have to learn what to get, and how much a novice should actually spend on equipment, we simply have the space to be golfers. Someday we'll fill it with plaid-laden goodness.
But I do think those who are indeed golf snobs should respect their own game more, and like my father and friends, excite other people into joining in on the fun.
You are too funny! I hate golf!! My father always put golf before me and therefore I hate it since I can't hate him!
Sorry to go into that rant.
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Melissa...keep on trucking! I just fell in love with golf, too. Been whacking at balls for about a month now. I was lucky to be given a set of clubs from my ex...funny, eh? Having them cut down now at PGA superstore. My experience has shown the other golfers want me to succeed, so I've had that lucky support. I would go to a local driving range...get to know the people there...you will build confidence. Good luck!
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Well, at least you "looked" like you knew what you were doing.
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I wish to apologize for the treatment you received regarding your first outing into our lovely sport. I have been in love with golf for about 6 years now, but only get to play sporadically. Welcome Melissa and Katie. You are now proud members (and addicts) of a game that will piss you off, make you cry, and make you swear more than Melissa in traffic! Email me if you want a proper introdution to the game as we know it. Till then, keep your head down and follow through!
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Melissa - I love golf and started playing to see what my husband was so darn interested in. I too was amazed at the 'snob' mentality. My first experience at a pro course was my husband and I being paired with an older couple we did not know. They knew I was a newbie and I was still chastised for "moving around" to my amazement. I still love golf - I now only play with people I know and just want to have fun!!!! Who wants to climb through the underbrush in their country club best anyway??
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Melissa,
I can't agree with you more!! I am a life long golf FAN (all of 36 years!) but I can completely understand where you are coming from. There are many people out there that just take the game too seriously - and you know, they aren't even really that good at it! They just want to feel "better" than others - especially the women and newbies that "take up space on their course."
Well, glad you and Katie got to go play and I am glad you enjoyed the course and the game! It's certainly not an easy game so keep at it and hopefully you will find some really good people who can help you enjoy the whole experience next time!
Keep up the AWESOME work on Q100 and Twist! Love listening to you!!
S
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I have enjoyed golf for about 15 years and now a 10 handicap, which means I usually shoot in the 80's. Even as an experienced golfer, I have run into the same problem as you at different pro shops. You learn to ignore it. It is a game of mental challenge, more than physical. I think that's why I like it. If you learn to enjoy the outdoors and the scenery that most golf courses offer, then it will become a very enjoyable game. The most important aspect of golf is honesty. Thouh not followed by many. So if you ever feel the need to visit another North Georgia Mountain course, to which I am a member, feel free to accept the invitation.
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My partner, Carrie and I have been playing for about a year. One of our biggest fears was that first day out on the course. Since that morning we have been hooked. I must admit that we have not ventured from the short Par 58 course in Smyrna, but we are ready and should be pushing ourselves over that threshold any time now. We would really love to find a home golf course that is accepting and not so stuffy.
Golf has been a wonderful addition to our relationship - and we look forward to enjoying it together for years to come.
Congratulations on your first trip out and to the beginning of your golf addiction!
Sheri and Carrie - Marietta
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Melissa,
Glad you got to enjoy the game over Memorial Day. As for the "golf snobs," there are snobs everywhere in life. For the ones in the pro shop, I view that just like the people in the shops on Rodeo Drive who looked my husband and I up and down when we went through a few years ago... they're working on a Saturday when I'm out playing... what do THEY have to be so snobby about???
I look for the good... and the fun... ignore the rest... they only make themselves miserable!
So are you and Katie Jo going to buy clubs??
~Jill
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