Should a test be required before playing public course?

[slimeberry]

Amen Norm66!!!

Welcome to this wonderful game. It will be the most challenging, rewarding, frustrating, and fulfilling game you will ever take up.

Stick with it. Don't give up.

As for the misguided elitists who think you should be tested first, well we all know that each and every one of them were born with God given tallent and have never played a bad round of golf in their lives. They have never had to work at golf, right?

Practice? ON THE GOLF COURSE??? GOD NO!!! That's just RUDE. Trying to improve your game by ... GASP ... actually playing a round of golf? Why you selfish little man, how tastelss.

PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE!!!

Norm66... sounds like you are on the right track. Keep it up. Keep going out and playing. There is no range in the world that will give you the experience of playing an actual round. Even on the same track, every swing of the club brings a new challenge.

A lesson or two wouldn't hurt, but only when you feel comfortable and ready for that. In the mean time...

Golf is a gentleman's game and as long as you keep playing like a gentleman other golfers, though they may snicker under their breath when you duff that 7 iron from the rough, will always respect you for being courteous and polite.

It may take a year or two (it took me two years to go from 120+ to shooting in the high 70's ((still not that good, I know))), but the day you break 100 will be a great day. Until then, have fun. That is, after all, the most important thing to remember.

[muskegman]

Golf is a gentleman's game and as long as you keep playing like a gentleman other golfers, though they may snicker under their breath when you duff that 7 iron from the rough, will always respect you for being courteous and polite.

Slimeberry, I think the spirit of what you said is right on track. I think anyone taking up the game should some short courses on which to hit the ball all over the place. Look for executive courses and courses with short par-4's and -5's. There is nothing like getting out and enjoying a round on an actual course.

I would encourage anyone who plays to remember to keep up with the group in front of you and even pick up your ball if necessary. There are some general rules of etiquitte to remember that are quite imporatant. It might be nice if those in the pro-shop would teach some of these rules to beginners.

[Norm66]

Thanks for the welcome folks. Good article Rick, have you others?

[zoot2012]

I really don't think that a test is necessary, however, anyone who wants to play the game SHOULD know the rules, etiquette and proper course behavior. I find that ignorance and lack of respect for the game is about the same whether playing on private or public courses. Just because someone pays more or less to play does not mean they are entitled to a vacation from the rules. Public or private, I have followed more than my share of idiots and repaired more than my share of ball marks, divots, scuff marks, etc. If someone cannot demonstrate at least a basic working knowlege of the rules and etiquette, perhaps they should find another hobby.

Having said all that, how would you make certain that a player knows? Maybe the course(s) could offer classes so that people could LEARN.

[MdGolfer1982]

If there was a test.. especially for ability.. how would anyone learn the game? While I think that beginners should choose their course carefully- and respect others... it is absolutely rediculous to think there should be a test before letting them on a PUBLIC course.

[670forged]

I wish some local public courses would create blocks of tee times - again perhaps the first two hours of each day - for the better players and leave the rest of the morning/afternoon/evening for the hacks and scrabble. But that may not be economically feasible.

Do you really believe that. What about a foursome in Arizona, mid July that could not get an early tee time because you are 2 strokes better than them? Sorry but that is total BS. Is the course going to pro rate the cost to players with less than perfect tee times? What about your best friend that is 10 strokes higher than yours, are you going to miss playing golf with him cause he's not good enough? How about telling your wife she has to play golf with 3 other young , drunk guys at a later tee time cause she's not good enough? Don't know about you but I enjoy playing golf with my wife, family members and friends more than all the tournaments I play in combined. Someone here stated that golf is fun and that's what it should be.

As far as testing goes, NO WAY. That is the responsibility of golfers that have played before to help them out. This is not college, we don't need no stinken tests! Mike

[iacas]

Do you really believe that.

Yes.

What about a foursome in Arizona, mid July that could not get an early tee time because you are 2 strokes better than them?

You've missed the point of what I said, then. I said that at certain times, a course might choose to set aside a block of tee times if it was economically feasible. For example, I avoid a certain decent public course around here because I don't want to take 5 hours to play golf with a bunch of hacks. If, every Tuesday from 8-10am, I could play with better players, I may visit the course more often.

Sorry but that is total BS. Is the course going to pro rate the cost to players with less than perfect tee times? What about your best friend that is 10 strokes higher than yours, are you going to miss playing golf with him cause he's not good enough? How about telling your wife she has to play golf with 3 other young , drunk guys at a later tee time cause she's not good enough? Don't know about you but I enjoy playing golf with my wife, family members and friends more than all the tournaments I play in combined. Someone here stated that golf is fun and that's what it should be.

Still missing the point. I didn't say every day. If I wanted to play with my wife, I wouldn't play during the "single digit hours" or whatever you'd want to call them.

[670forged]

iacas, maybe I misunderstood. I thought you were saying all the time. My bad. I understand about the 5 hour rounds and totally agree with you on that. The problem that I have seen is there are not that many single digit players to hook up with. I think that the percentage of low handicap players has to be around 1-2% as for most it's just a game. For the rest of us it is eat, sleep, play golf and dream of being on the big stage someday.

Mike

[Fourputt]

By instituting a restrictive policy even on public courses, they are no longer completely "public". And I'm not talking political correctness, I'm talking legality. Most such courses (meaning public municipal) are partly or totally tax funded, and as such you simply can't block access to a taxpayer just because he is a beginner. You have given him instant grounds for a lawsuit.

If it's a privately owned public access course, you can do as you wish, but a restrictive policy is going to make it very hard for the enterprise to be profitable. Private courses (and courses in general) are going under at an alarming rate in some parts of the country, and that with out any restrictions. Requiring testing (and in essence, licensing) for a player to "qualify" for playing privileges just makes it that much harder for a course to survive. You just aren't going to find enough golfers willing to pay the premium to play on such a course when there are other, less expensive options open.

[lamebums]

up for discussion - should everybody be tested for basic education in rules / etiquette / proper behavior on a golf course before he/she is allowed to play?

Getting everyone to take a test would do wonders for course etiquette and slow play, but at the cost of tagging golf as an elitist sport again.

I think basic etiquette and local rules (including pace of play) should be printed clearly on the scorecard. And, we need to put an end to the pussification of the modern ranger. He needs to be able to get out there and kick a few butts, which he can't do these days for fear of "customer satisfaction" or something like that. Also, tee times should be reserved, like, two hours out of each morning, for members only. I'm tired of calling the place looking for a tee time and finding out it's jammed, when I know there aren't that many members there.

[Chilidipper]

I believe that golfers should be able to shoot under 120 to play any course. If you cannot shoot under that then you need lessons. Why in the hell would anybody want to play golf and shoot a 120 or worse.

[lamebums]

I believe that golfers should be able to shoot under 120 to play any course. If you cannot shoot under that then you need lessons. Why in the hell would anybody want to play golf and shoot a 120 or worse.

I have a hunch that would be impossible to enforce. How the hell would you know what someone shoots before they play? Even if you could, it would encourage more cheating and stroke-shaving - like golf needs any more of

that .

[lamebums]

Imagine a scorecard that says the following on the back.

Repair pitchmarks and divots.
Allow faster players through.
Pace of play is enforced at a maximum of 4 hours per round.
(And so on... until you're satisfied.)

[erniebanks]

That's a tough question. I have been playing for 30+ years and there are things I don't know yet. I try to be a good "neighbor" and respect other golfers on the course, but there are times that I am totally perplexed by the actions of my fellow golfers. (ever have your ball in a bunker three inches deep in a heel print?)
Maybe a 9 iron to the throat is better than a test.


How many people know how to properly repair a ball mark?
[URL="http://golf.about.com/cs/tipslessons/ht/repairballmark.htm"]

check it out, you might learn something. READ IT ALL PLEASE

It won't help with those who don't fix marks. but marks that aren't properly repaired aren't any better.

[Philfest]

up for discussion - should everybody be tested for basic education in rules / etiquette / proper behavior on a golf course before he/she is allowed to play?

You should have added another option:

Should Rafcin find/join a perfect course/club where everyone shoots 80 or better so his complaining could sound less arragant.

[illmadden]

This is a great question. Even though I saw many had valid arguments, I said no to the test. I voted for the booklet. I think many of the mistakes aren't only made by beginners, but also by those who don't feel the need to follow the rules and etiquette. For example, I was behind a group that looked to be pretty good. On one hole, two of the four hit the green. Not one single player bent down to fix their ball mark. By assumption, do I think they know about fixing ball marks? I would safely assume so...

But I believe in leading by example. I was taught by my father to fix at least one ball mark on each green, even if I didn't leave one. So now while I'm waiting, I just fix ball marks. I do it by habit now. Doing this, I noticed my partner doing the same. It's contagious. And if you see someone doing something, just comment on it. I was paired with one guy who was just beginning. I could tell he was trying to follow the etiquettes of golf. One thing he was doing was stepping on everyones lines on the green. I politely asked him not to do so and he complied.

[sandtrap]

You have to learn the game some where and pamphlet with your score card sure would help.

how about enforceing the dress code and anyone with Patty Bergs and wood woods should not be allowed on the course.

[bcp]

I think the test or the concept of testing contradicts the public course philosophy; however, education is always good (such as fliers, pamplets, etc.)