Golf is a sport of traditions. Those who play the game love many of them and, equally, detest many of the others.
And it is fair to say that it is many of those selfsame traditions that put people off, that prevent them from playing the game the rest of us love so much.
We recently asked on Facebook: "What golf tradition would you never want to see disappear?" By and large, the responses were pretty predictable and the thing you demonstrated above all else is that most of you are traditionalists, that you love this game the way it is and do not want to see it change.
You addressed seven clear areas:
Handshakes and removing hats at the 18th green
(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)
No matter how competitive, no matter what may have been at stake (50p, a prestigious club trophy, a sleeve of golf balls) it is a game played in the company of like-minded people. And win, lose or draw, one of the best aspects of our sport is shaking hands on the 18th and then heading to the clubhouse for a good old chinwag.
Etiquette, respect and sportsmanship
This is something of a thorny issue and covers a great many parts of the game. In my experience there is less awareness of etiquette and the part it should play in the game. I am also frequently astonished by how little knowledge of the basic rules so many club golfers seem to have. Etiquette covers an awareness of what is going on around you, waving through quicker players, taking no longer than three minutes to look for a ball, hitting a provisional if you miss a fairway, replacing divots, raking bunkers, fixing pitchmarks. Say no more!
The 19th hole
The measure of any club is the atmosphere at the 19th hole. It is all about chatter and good-natured banter. It is about people coming in and having their leg pulled after an outrageously good (or bad) round. It is about friendships, new and old. It’s about enjoying a pint and a sandwich without feeling you are being ripped off.
Dress codes
I totally get this one. Sadly, too many golfers seem to believe that it is acceptable not to tuck in tops and to wear clothes most of us would not be seen decorating our homes in. I also struggle to get my head around why it is fine for pros to wear collarless tops while many golf clubs ban them. Let’s have some consistency here please.
For the record, I believe that the "no jeans" rules is absurd. I can play 18 holes in a pair of garish pink trousers with green and yellow stripes that cost me £15 but I am not allowed to step out onto the course wearing a pair of jeans that cost me £100. It’s nonsense (in my opinion). I would also like somebody to explain to me why it is fine for women to play the game without wearing socks while men cannot.
Honesty and integrity
More than any other sport, golf depends on the integrity and honesty of those who play it. We all hope that our playing partners will follow the rules and that they won’t cheat! We call penalties upon ourselves - can you imagine a Premier League footballer telling a referee he deserves a red card? It’s one of the things that makes golf special. Don’t get me wrong - of course there are cheats but, thankfully, they are a tiny minority.
Hole-in-one celebrations
If you get a hole-in-one you are expected to buy a drink for everybody in the clubhouse. If you have insurance, that is fair enough. But what if you don’t and the clubhouse is heaving? Increasing numbers of golf clubs are now encouraging people to buy a bottle of whiskey and put it behind the bar and I believe that is the best solution. Mind you, I do speak as somebody who had to dig very deep after recording an ace at an open day!
Golfing banter
I believe that as you get older the banter with your playing partners becomes even more important. The thing we all need to remember is that this is a game that should be played for fun. There is no room for temper tantrums and refusing to talk to playing partners when things go awry. I enjoy being teased after hitting a dreadful shot - and that, surely, is the way it should be? And if you are somebody who has a high-pressure Monday-Friday job then your weekend round of golf is the ideal time to unwind, decompress and have a laugh. Having had a serious health scare this year I can assure you, a nightmare round of golf remains far preferable to the alternative!
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