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Our Bold & Weird Predictions for the 2022 Season

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Our Predictions for the 2022 Season

If you’d told me at the beginning of 2021 that Phil Mickelson would win more majors than Justin Thomas, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Rory McIlroy and Brooks Koepka (as well as roughly 7.9 billion other people) combined, I’d have waved you off. Same if you’d told me that Tiger Woods wouldn’t play a single PGA Tour event, Bryson DeChambeau would contend in a Long Drive Championship, Patrick Reed wouldn’t make the U.S. Ryder Cup Team or that yelling “Brooksy” could get you ejected from East Lake.

What’s the point? The point is that plenty of weird stuff is going to happen this golf year. Some we’ve got a solid handle on. The rest we can only hope surprises us. So here are 22 predictions for the 2022 PGA Tour season, beginning with our safest, most concrete bets and then get increasingly more absurd.

1. The U.S. Team will win the Presidents Cup.

Let’s start on an extremely sturdy limb: Team USA will beat their International opponents in the Presidents Cup because they basically always do. And although their 2019 victory in Australia required a Sunday comeback, a burnt-out Royal Melbourne was decidedly unfriendly to the visiting American side. This year’s event at Quail Hollow should be better-suited for their big-stadium styles of play. Plus the U.S. has 12 players in the top 16 in the world. The International team has one.

That’s not to diminish the intriguing possibilities for the International side, though. Here’s how that team could look:

Louis Oosthuizen

Abraham Ancer

Hideki Matsuyama

Cameron Smith

Sungjae Im

Joaquin Niemann

Corey Conners

Mackenzie Hughes

Lucas Herbert

Adam Scott

Min Woo Lee

Carlos Ortiz

And that ignores plenty of intriguing candidates like Cameron Davis, Sebastian Munoz, Si Woo Kim, Garrick Higgo, Mito Pereira, Erik van Rooyen and others. But when you’re staring down a super-side on the U.S. Team, it’s tough to keep up regardless.

2. Tiger Woods will play a PGA Tour event.

Other than occasional paparazzi shots from doctors’ appointments, we’ll likely next see Woods in public at the Genesis Invitational in February, where he could return to the scene of his crash and turn the page, one year later. After that we should see Woods at the Players Championship for his World Golf Hall of Fame induction.

I doubt he’ll play before Augusta National, and even that could be a long shot. But if he continues to progress on his current schedule, we’re going to see Tiger Woods tee it up on the PGA Tour in 2022. Count on it.

3a. Tiger Woods will win the PIP.

Do we even know for sure that Woods hasn’t won the 2021 PIP, for that matter? Sure, Phil Mickelson has been talking a big game, but still…

Regardless, even if we see another Mickelson major run in 2022 (crosses fingers), if Woods plays even one event on the PGA Tour plus the new-fan-favorite PNC Championship, he’s got this one in the bag.

3b. You’ll start listening to the Drop Zone podcast more frequently.

Good news: Drop Zone stock is still available for a reasonable price. There’s room on the bandwagon. Check out the embedded pod below or on Apple or on Spotify to listen to our extremely fun gameified season preview, which includes several bold predictions and an all-new stock market golf game. We’re delighted to have you aboard!

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4. We’re destined for some delicious hot-mic moments.

We’re approaching the one-year anniversary of Justin Thomas’ unfortunate hot-mic moment from last Tournament of Champions. We’ve just passed the two-year anniversary of Patrick Cantlay’s extremely entertaining hot-mic moment at the 2020 TOC. But this year? We’re getting more. That’s because we’re getting much more golf, period, thanks to the new ESPN+ deal which is revolutionizing PGA Tour Live, basically quadrupling the amount of streaming coverage and getting more cameras — and more microphones — on players when they might not quite expect it.

5. ESPN+ is going to rule.

It’s cheaper than the old PGA Tour Live. When you sign up, you get every other piece of ESPN+ content, too. The streams will show more groups, more players, more hours, and they’ll be synthesized like a broadcast, which should help pacing. Look, nobody is going to argue that Thursdays and Fridays on the PGA Tour are edge-of-your-seat television. But the core demographic of “yeah, lemme throw this on in the background at work and maybe bet on a few matchups while I’m at it” should find this change extremely satisfying.

6. The Genesis Scottish Open will be the schedule’s best addition.

It’s always been a joy to get a taste of ‘cross-the-pond golf in the lead-up to the Open Championship, but the crescendo will feel even better now that it’s official. The PGA Tour-European Tour (DP World Tour, we should say) Strategic Alliance has yielded something great: The Genesis Scottish Open, a PGA Tour event the week before the Open at St. Andrews. The final rounds will be broadcast on CBS and everything! Everybody loves to watch Scottish golf. Now we have more of it. Sure, next year we can get greedy about holding this event at a linksier course, but let’s take this step by step and celebrate the wins where they come.

7. Patrick Cantlay is going to win a major championship

We haven’t seen Cantlay play a round of stroke-play golf since the Tour Championship, and he hasn’t finished better than T15 in any of his last nine majors, but we’re assuming he has been doing a little practicing and is otherwise the same stone-cold killer that showed up in the playoffs and Ryder Cup. As such, I like his chances to bag a big one more than anybody else on Tour this year.

8. Mito Pereira is going to win PGA Tour Rookie of the Year.

After a bizarre 2021 with basically zero actual PGA Tour “rookies” we have a healthy crop of 27 this season! It’s going to be a crowded field filled with talented Korn Ferry Tour graduates but the best of ’em all will be Mito Pereira — this season, at least. He’s already logged six made cuts in seven starts and is going to edge out Taylor Pendrith and Cameron Young to finish in the top spot. Then he can celebrate with an all-Chilean pairing alongside Joaquin Niemann at the Presidents Cup.

9. Tiger and Charlie Woods will win the PNC Championship.

They nearly won this one, after all, and in another year they should be that much better.

10. Martin Trainer is going to retain his PGA Tour card

It’s put-up-or-shut-up time for my former employer Martin Trainer. He won the 2019 Puerto Rico Open and rode out his winner’s exemption for the rest of the ’18-’19 season, plus the ’19-’20 and ’20-’21 seasons, and then took advantage of a Covid extension to keep status this year. But in the 70 starts following that victory he recorded exactly zero top-25 finishes on Tour. He missed roughly a zillion cuts. He endured the questioning that comes with being a struggling full-time professional golfer. But at the end of this season, that winner’s exemption will expire, which means he’ll need to retain his Tour card on the basis of his play.

Good news! In that 71st start since his victory, Trainer looked like a golfer reborn. He held the 54-hole lead and even owned the lead on the back nine on Sunday before several Jason Kokrak birdies (plus a couple Trainer bogeys) left him T5 for the week, his second-best PGA Tour start ever. A few more showings like that and our embattled Tour pro will be playoff-bound with a 2022-23 card under his belt.

11. Viktor Hovland will win the Mexico Open.

Take a look at Viktor Hovland’s professional wins: Two at Mayakoba, a seaside town in Mexico. One in Puerto Rico. Another at this year’s Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas. He’s golf’s Resort King. So when the Tour announced the addition of this year’s Mexico Open, and when it became clear that event would be held at Vidanta Vallarta, an oceanside course in Vallarta, Mexico, an immediate favorite emerged. They can get a head start inscribing Hovland’s name on the trophy.

As long as he actually plays the event.

12. The Saudi Golf League will continue to be more smoke than fire.

Until a rival league siphons off several big names from the PGA Tour, they just won’t find much traction. And thus far, they haven’t siphoned off several big names. The Tour seems to have ceded ground in certain battles, like approving waivers for pros to head to this year’s Saudi International, but they seem in good position to win the war — or at least this iteration.

13. Bryson vs. Brooks will continue, just not so overtly.

There was a notion that this fall’s Match between Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka would put the whole thing to bed. And maybe it did in like, a branding sense. But a close watch of the proceedings suggests that nothing actually got resolved. These two didn’t really communicate in any meaningful way. They certainly didn’t connect. With Koepka’s continued surliness and DeChambeau’s expanded influencer/vlogger/Long Drive status, their gap in personalities only seems to be getting wider. As a result I don’t think we’ll get any Mich Ultra ads on the subject — but there’s going to be spiciness nonetheless. Especially if we finally get the tournament pairing in contention we’ve been wishing for.

14. The Tour’s Netflix show is going to be a game-changer.

The effect of Netflix’s Drive to Survive series on Formula 1 fandom has been well-documented. Can the PGA Tour replicate some percentage of that success with its upcoming behind-the-scenes show? I think so.

Sure, the PGA Tour is better established on American soil than F1, but there’s a whole lot of room for golf’s audience to grow. Netflix, as I understand it, commands a hefty audience. And so whenever the Tour show — which has already begun filming interviews with a high-powered cast — is actually released, I think golf should expect to see significant positive effects across the board. PIP points for everyone!

15. Bones Mackay is going to win the MVC.

That’s “Most Valuable Caddie,” if you’re voting at home. Mackay had filled in on Justin Thomas’ bag for a few starts in the past, but this fall he took over from Jimmy Johnson full time. Why the MVC award? Because Thomas, for the first time in his career, looked off in 2021. Yes, he won the Players Championship. Yes, he was No. 2 in the world as recently as June. But he was off on the greens and looked more frustrated than we’re used to seeing him. Those both *seem* like areas where a confident, experienced, self-assured caddie could help.

But that brings us to the other reason Bones will win the MVC: We don’t actually have any idea how to measure a caddie’s effectiveness! Because he’s a household name (in golf nerd households, at least) Mackay is more likely to get credit with fictitious voters for this fictitious award. Many congratulations headed his way.

16. This is the year we stop comparing golfers to football players.

While Bryson DeChambeau has been bulking up and introducing us to new semi-mythic characters from the long drive world like golfer-slash-Viking Martin Borgmeier or Thor-lookalike Kyle Berkshire, each of whom can carry driver about the length of your average par-4, something has quietly been happening: the best golfers in the world are still pretty small.

Six of the top nine golfers in the world are 5’10 or less. Six of the top nine golfers in the world weigh 170 pounds or less. If you gathered them in an elevator you would have no worries about capacity nor structural integrity. These are athletes, for sure! But they’re skilled athletes with incredible balance, hand-eye coordination and flexibility.

Why is this a bold prediction? Because we’re probably going to forget about it pretty soon. The big-fella golf prospects always garner a disproportionate amount of attention, and there’s no doubt that crops of 130 mph-swingers are on the way. But when it comes to winning golf tournaments, for every Finau, DeChambeau and Koepka there’s a lithe sniper like Morikawa, Schauffele or Ancer shooting up the leaderboard.

17. Max Homa is going to make the U.S. Presidents Cup team.

He was reasonably close to making last year’s Ryder Cup, and when he didn’t it only took Homa about a week to go out and win the Fortinet Championship. Homa’s season was decidedly uneven but 2022 will bring much-needed consistency, pleasing Homa’s Twitter fans. Here’s who will join him on the team:

Collin Morikawa

Justin Thomas

Bryson DeChambeau

Patrick Cantlay

Xander Schauffele

Sam Burns

Dustin Johnson

Jordan Spieth

Matthew Wolff

Tony Finau

Brooks Koepka

As I reach the end of that list I realize I’ve left off Scottie Scheffler, but I don’t know who I can boot. Luckily I’ll be wrong in more ways that just that one.

18. Someone’s going to win the Career Grand Slam.

Only five pros have done it: Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan, Gary Player and Gene Sarazen. But a few more are close, and this is the year. Maybe it will be Rory McIlroy at Augusta National. The idea of Jordan Spieth winning at Southern Hills sounds plausible. Phil Mickelson winning the U.S. Open at Brookline seems only marginally more likely than Koepka winning both the Masters and the Open Championship, or Morikawa winning the Masters and the U.S. Open. Maybe J.T. will win three of ’em. Maybe Schauffele will do ’em all in one year. One way or another, it’s happening.

19. Viktor Hovland AND Matthew Wolff will have better seasons than Collin Morikawa.

What did we decide to call these guys again — the Big Three? The Little Three? The Young Three? Either way, Morikawa has jumped out to a seemingly insurmountable career lead, claiming two majors, five Tour wins, a European Tour title, Ryder Cup heroics and likely soon the title of World No. 1. It’s going to be impressive, then, to watch his compatriots battle back with some stellar play of their own. Matthew Wolff is decidedly back, and even if he plays a limited schedule of events I expect that he’ll contend as often as not and plow his way back towards the top 10 in the world.

Hovland finished 2021 better than anyone, winning in Mayakoba and the Bahamas in his final two starts, so all he has to do is more of [gestures vaguely] that.

This isn’t me hating on Morikawa, who is obviously a terrific player and owns the most important and durable of all golf skills: elite iron play. But as they tiptoe towards their mid-20s the back-and-forth between the Three Musketeers will continue.

20. By year’s end, the top three players in the world will be Europeans.

While we’re buying Hovland stock, let’s unleash a proper prediction: At the end of the year, despite the grousing about a Ryder Cup blowout and American dominance, the OWGR will look like this:

1. Jon Rahm

2. Viktor Hovland

3. Rory McIlroy

Plot twist: There won’t be another Euro inside the top 20. Still, that elite squad will fly the flag for the continent. That’s pretty good, right?

21. Xander Schauffele’s dad will fill up an entire bathtub with dollar bills, set it up behind the 18th green at East Lake and watch contentedly from the tub, lighting a cigar with a bill while his son hits his approach shot, sealing a Tour Championship victory and that sweet FedEx Cup money.

The prize fund has jacked up to $75 million now, which includes an $18 million payday for the winner. Hey, you’re telling me you can’t picture it?

22. Tiger Woods will win the Open Championship.

We’re done doubting this guy.

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The 19th Hole: A Philosophical Approach to Post-Round Debauchery

It is here, amidst the clinking of glasses and the murmur of exaggerated tales, that the real game begins.

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They say golf is a gentleman’s game, a test of skill and character, played on manicured greens under the benevolent gaze of the sun. And while all that may be true, for me, Ty Webb, the true essence of golf, its very soul, lies not on the fairways or the greens, but in the hallowed halls of the 19th hole. It is here, amidst the clinking of glasses and the murmur of exaggerated tales, that the real game begins.

The 19th hole is more than just a bar; it’s a sanctuary, a confessional, a crucible where the triumphs and tragedies of the day are replayed, dissected, and, more often than not, embellished beyond all recognition. It’s where a triple bogey becomes a heroic struggle against impossible odds, where a shank becomes a strategic maneuver, and where a lost ball becomes a philosophical inquiry into the nature of existence.

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Here, the masks come off. The stoic golfer, who maintained an air of unflappable composure throughout 18 holes of torment, suddenly transforms into a garrulous storyteller, eager to recount every missed putt, every lucky bounce, every near-death experience with a rogue golf cart. The quiet observer becomes a boisterous critic, offering unsolicited advice on swings they barely witnessed. And the perpetually frustrated hacker, who spent the entire round cursing the heavens, finds solace in the shared misery of his equally inept companions.

There’s a certain ritual to the 19th hole, a sacred dance of drinks and declarations. The first round is for commiseration, for the collective sigh of relief that another round has been survived. The second is for exaggeration, for the weaving of fantastical narratives that bear only a passing resemblance to reality. And the third, well, the third is for profound philosophical insights, for the sudden realization that the meaning of life can be found in the perfect arc of a well-struck drive, or the subtle nuances of a perfectly poured scotch.

So, the next time you finish a round, don’t rush home. Don’t let the mundane realities of life intrude upon the sacred space of the 19th hole. Instead, pull up a chair, order a drink, and immerse yourself in the glorious debauchery that awaits. For in the laughter, the camaraderie, and the increasingly improbable tales, you will find not only a fitting end to your golfing day, but a deeper, more profound understanding of the human condition. Or at least, a really good buzz.

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Sweating It Out: Guide to Playing Golf in the Summer Heat Without Melting Into the Fairway

Learn from Ty Webb on how to play in the heat of the summer without melting into the fairway.

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Hey there, sun-soaked swingers of the sticks. Ty Webb here, and today we’re talking about summer golf — you know, that magical time of year when your golf ball flies farther, your shirt clings tighter, and your sunscreen budget could bankrupt a small country.

Playing golf in extreme heat isn’t for the faint of heart… or the faint of hydration. Once the temperature climbs above 90°F, the fairway turns into a frying pan, your putter grip feels like it’s been left in the oven, and you start questioning whether that hazy mirage in the distance is the green or just your sanity evaporating.

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The key to summer golf survival? Hydration, shade, and pacing yourself like you’re in a pro-am with a three-hour lunch break. Don’t just drink water — drown in it. Wear light, moisture-wicking clothes (unless you enjoy the sensation of golfing in a wet wool sweater). And for the love of Arnie, apply SPF like you’re frosting a cake.

Now, I know what you’re thinking — “But Ty, won’t all this caution kill my competitive edge?” Not at all. Summer heat golf is all about strategy. Tee off early to beat the worst of the sun, embrace a slower swing to conserve energy, and always, always pick the cart with the best cup holder-to-seat ratio.

And when the last putt drops and you’re peeling yourself off your shirt like a human fruit roll-up, remember: every blister, every sunburn, every suspicious tan line is just proof that you survived the ultimate challenge — golf in summer heat.

So, keep your cool, keep your game sharp, and I’ll see you out there… probably hiding in the cart’s shadow between shots.

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The Unwritten Rules Every Golfer Should Know About Etiquette

Learn the essential golf etiquette rules that will make you a welcome playing partner on any course. Master these unwritten rules of golf.

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There’s an old saying in golf that the game reveals character, and nowhere is this more evident than in how a golfer conducts themselves on the course. Golf etiquette isn’t just about following rules – it’s about respect, consideration, and preserving the traditions that make golf the gentleman’s (and gentlewoman’s) game it has always been.

I learned this lesson early in my golf journey during a round at a prestigious private club where I was a guest. I was so focused on trying to play well and impress my host that I completely forgot about basic etiquette. I walked across putting lines, failed to repair ball marks, and generally acted like someone who had never set foot on a golf course before. My host was gracious about it, but I could tell I had embarrassed both of us. That experience taught me that how you play golf is just as important as how well you play golf.

Golf etiquette exists for practical reasons. It keeps the game moving at a reasonable pace, protects the course conditions for everyone who follows, and ensures that all players can enjoy their round without unnecessary distractions or frustrations. But beyond the practical aspects, etiquette is what separates golf from other sports and maintains the unique culture and traditions that make the game special.

The beauty of golf etiquette is that it’s largely based on common sense and consideration for others. If you approach each situation by asking yourself, “What would I want other golfers to do in this situation?” you’ll usually arrive at the correct etiquette choice. However, there are specific guidelines and traditions that every golfer should know, whether you’re playing your first round or your thousandth.

Understanding and following proper golf etiquette will make you a welcome playing partner at any course, from your local municipal track to the most exclusive private clubs. It shows respect for the game, the course, and your fellow golfers. More importantly, it helps ensure that everyone can enjoy their round and that the course remains in good condition for those who follow.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the essential elements of golf etiquette, from the moment you arrive at the course until you shake hands on the 18th green. These aren’t arbitrary rules designed to make golf stuffy or intimidating – they’re time-tested guidelines that help everyone enjoy the game more fully.

Starting Your Round Right

The first tee sets the tone for your entire round, and proper tee box etiquette establishes you as a considerate golfer from the very beginning. Arriving at your tee time is the foundation of good golf etiquette. Being late doesn’t just affect you – it can throw off the entire day’s schedule for the golf course and create delays that ripple through every group behind you.

Plan to arrive at the course at least 30 minutes before your tee time. This gives you time to check in, warm up, and be ready to play when your time comes. If you’re running late due to circumstances beyond your control, call the pro shop immediately to let them know. Most courses will try to accommodate you if they have advance notice, but showing up 10 minutes late without warning is inconsiderate to everyone involved.

The honor system on the first tee is traditionally determined by handicap, with the lowest handicap player teeing off first. However, many casual groups simply decide among themselves or use a random method like flipping a tee. What matters most is that everyone agrees on the order before anyone hits.

Once the teeing order is established, maintain it throughout the round unless the group decides to play “ready golf” to speed up pace. The player with the lowest score on the previous hole has the honor on the next tee. In case of ties, the player who had the honor on the previous tee retains it.

Silence during others’ shots is perhaps the most fundamental rule of golf etiquette. When someone is preparing to hit or is in their swing, everyone else should be quiet and still. This means no talking, no practice swings, no rattling of clubs or tees, and no movement in the player’s peripheral vision. The concentration required for golf is intense, and even small distractions can significantly affect performance.

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Position yourself appropriately when others are hitting. Stand where you can see the shot but are not in the player’s line of sight or directly behind them. Generally, this means standing to the side and slightly behind the person hitting. Never stand directly in front of someone who is hitting, even if you’re well out of range – it’s distracting and potentially dangerous.

Be ready to play when it’s your turn. This means having your club selected, your ball teed up, and your pre-shot routine ready to begin as soon as the previous player has finished and moved away from the tee. Waiting until it’s your turn to start thinking about club selection or to begin looking for your ball is a sure way to slow down the group.

Keep your practice swings to a minimum and take them in an appropriate location. One or two practice swings are usually sufficient, and they should be taken to the side of the tee box, not directly behind the ball where they might damage the tee area. Some golfers take so many practice swings that they’re tired before they actually hit the ball.

Keeping the Game Moving

Pace of play is perhaps the most critical aspect of golf etiquette, and it’s where many golfers unknowingly create problems for themselves and others. A round of golf should take approximately four hours for a foursome, though this can vary depending on course conditions, difficulty, and the skill level of the players.

The key to good pace of play is being ready to hit when it’s your turn. This preparation begins while others are playing their shots. Use the time while others are hitting to assess your lie, select your club, determine yardage, and plan your shot. By the time it’s your turn to play, you should be ready to step up and execute.

Walking or riding efficiently between shots is crucial for maintaining pace. If you’re walking, move at a brisk pace between shots. If you’re riding in a cart, follow cart path rules and position the cart so you can quickly access your clubs and continue to the next shot. Don’t drive the cart to one player’s ball, wait for them to hit, then drive to the other player’s ball – this wastes valuable time.

The “ready golf” concept has become increasingly popular as a way to speed up play without sacrificing the traditional honor system. Ready golf means that the player who is ready to hit goes ahead and plays, regardless of who technically has the honor. This is particularly useful on par-3s where everyone is hitting from the same tee, or when one player is significantly delayed in getting ready.

Lost ball procedures can significantly slow down pace of play if not handled properly. The rules allow five minutes to search for a lost ball, but in the interest of pace of play, many golfers limit their search to two or three minutes. If you think your ball might be lost or out of bounds, play a provisional ball to save time. This allows you to continue play without having to return to the tee if your original ball isn’t found.

Be aware of the group behind you and let them play through if you’re holding them up. If the group behind you is consistently waiting for you to clear before they can hit, and there’s a gap between your group and the group ahead of you, it’s courteous to invite the faster group to play through. This is especially important if there’s a significant skill difference between the groups.

When playing through, do so efficiently and courteously. Thank the group that’s letting you through, play quickly, and don’t hold up their play any more than necessary. Once you’ve played through, maintain an appropriate pace so you don’t create the same problem with the next group ahead.

Respecting the Most Delicate Areas

The area around the green requires special attention to etiquette because it’s where the course is most delicate and where small inconsiderations can have the biggest impact on other players’ experiences. The putting green is the most carefully maintained part of any golf course, and it deserves special respect and care.

Never walk across another player’s putting line. The line between a player’s ball and the hole is sacred territory in golf. Walking on this line can leave footprints or create small depressions that can affect the roll of the ball. Always walk around putting lines, even if it means taking a longer route to your ball or the flagstick.

Repairing ball marks is not just good etiquette – it’s essential for course maintenance. When your ball lands on the green, it often creates a small depression called a ball mark. Use a ball mark repair tool or a tee to gently lift the depressed area back to surface level, then smooth it with your putter. A properly repaired ball mark will heal within 24 hours, while an unrepaired mark can take weeks to recover and may leave a permanent scar.

The general rule is to repair your own ball mark plus one other that you find on the green. This helps ensure that the greens remain smooth and true for everyone. Some golfers make it a habit to repair several ball marks on each green, which is greatly appreciated by course maintenance staff and fellow golfers.

Flagstick etiquette has evolved with recent rule changes, but courtesy remains important. Players can now leave the flagstick in while putting, but if someone requests that it be removed, honor that request. When tending the flagstick for another player, hold it firmly to prevent it from rattling in the wind, and remove it promptly once the ball is struck.

When removing the flagstick, place it gently on the green where it won’t interfere with anyone’s line or be in the way of foot traffic. Don’t drop it or throw it, as this can damage the green. Replace the flagstick carefully when everyone has finished putting, ensuring it’s straight and properly seated in the hole.

Be mindful of where you place your golf bag or cart around the green. Keep them off the putting surface and away from the next tee to avoid interfering with other groups. Many courses have designated areas for bags and carts near each green – use these when available.

Being the Golfer Others Want to Play With

Golf etiquette isn’t about being stuffy or overly formal – it’s about being considerate, respectful, and helping everyone enjoy their round. When you follow proper etiquette, you’re contributing to the positive atmosphere that makes golf special and ensuring that the traditions of the game continue for future generations.

The golfers who are most welcome on any course are those who understand that golf is as much about how you conduct yourself as it is about how well you play. You don’t need to be a scratch golfer to be a great playing partner, but you do need to be someone who respects the game, the course, and your fellow players.

Remember that golf etiquette is learned through experience and observation. Don’t be afraid to ask questions if you’re unsure about proper protocol in a particular situation. Most golfers are happy to help newcomers learn the ropes, and showing that you care about doing things correctly is always appreciated.

The next time you’re on the course, pay attention to how your actions affect others and how you can contribute to everyone’s enjoyment of the round. Good etiquette becomes second nature with practice, and once it does, you’ll find that you enjoy the game even more because you’re playing it the way it was meant to be played.

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