The Morgan Golf Academy

On the golf course how one conducts their actions is important to both the honor of the game and the enjoyment of the game. How you behave affects those around you, even people in different groups, and it can have a negative affect on your game as well.

First is slow play. A foursome of golfers is expected to play 18 holes of golf in under 4 hours and 30 minutes. Four hours and 15 minutes is even better. Keeping the flow round the golf course going helps everyone enjoy the day and play better. The proper thing to do if your group is playing slower is to allow the faster groups to play through. This allows the whole course to move along and keeps everyone enjoying this wonderful game. Playing through can happen on any hole at any time, but with some thought, there will be better places on each course you play to allow those faster players to pass. Waving golfers through is the honorable thing to do. Pease do not be tempted to hit into the group ahead of you to make your desire to play through known. Fortunately, the majority of golfers are honorable people and will let you play through when it is time.

As you play you will find golf balls that are not yours. Some of those will still belong to a golfer from another hole and please leave them alone. Checking to be sure you can identify your golf ball with a unique marking will help you be sure it is not your golf ball. If there is any doubt leave sleeping golf balls lie.

Please do not go fishing for golf balls without a fishing license. We have all seen those folks that hate to see a golf ball drown. If you hit into the water you have every right to retrieve your ball but please take a short time to do this. Getting other golf balls while there is not necessary and causes a back up in the play on the golf course.

Taking youngsters on the golf course is a great thing. Check with your course to see if they have an age limit as some do. Remember that a golf course does have some potential dangers for young golfers and try to shield them from those dangers such as errant shots, drop offs into bunkers and golf carts. When getting in some golf with a younger player you will play slower so be very aware of letting others play through often.

Divots and ball marks are two different things but both need to be repaired on the golf course as a matter of good stewardship. A divot is the piece of turf that is taken with a golf shot. Please replace or fill the area of damage with a sand seed mix per the course requirements. A ball mark is the damage a golf ball does on the green. Some of the areas are small and hard to find. To repair one please use a repair tool and lift the damaged area carefully, level the high part and then carefully tamp the area flat with a putter or other flat object. A properly repaired ball mark will heal in 24 hours and leaves the course in good condition for the next player. A good habit to get into is to fix more than one ball mark on every green. If everyone did this, the greens would always be in great condition!