Friday, March 09, 2007 Garcia: Golf etiquette: Please keep quiet! By Imee Garcia
GOLF can get so intense. A player who is very much into his game wants full concentration, and any extra movement or any unnecessary sound made by any of his playing partners tends to bother him.
That is why, as much as possible, please keep quiet. Never talk while a golfer is making his swing. Don't ask him or the other players questions like--what his score in the previous hole was, or what the yardage is. Do not joke around or make him laugh when he is about to make a swing.
It may be funny to you, but to the player, he gets distracted and he loses focus, and he has to do his practice routine again in order to hit a good shot, and that's not funny to him at all.
Have some respect for your playing partners.
There are a lot of golfers who take the game of golf seriously and there are a lot of those who don't. It's okay to have fun out there, to joke around, laugh and "bad mouth" each other's shots. Golf can get boring too, so it's nice to liven things up a bit, but keep in mind that you have to respect others who DO take the game seriously.
"Players should ensure that any electronic device taken onto the course does not distract other players." Cellular phones must be kept on silent or turned off. Wait for the player to finish his swing before using it.
If you really want to bring your mp3 player along, please use a headset. When the player is about to hit he ball, please, don't sing, especially when you're out of tune. It is painful enough to hear someone sing out of tune at a karaoke bar. Just imagine how agonizing and unbearable it is to hear someone sing like that when you're about to swing!
When you have made a great shot, or do the opposite, don't scream out loud. It may not bother your playing partners, however, if it is too loud, the other people on the course may be able to hear you and they may get distracted.
A message to the golf widows-- at home, when watching a live golf tournament on TV, that rule still applies. Do not make unnecessary sounds, do not turn the vacuum cleaner on, and, do not nag your husband when Tiger Woods is about to putt.
Just for kicks, ladies, try to distract your hubby when he is watching a PGA tournament on TV. When Tiger is about to putt, ask your hubby a question. You will notice a mean and distracted look on his face. He might even say "shhh" (...as if Tiger could hear you speak or hear you eat your popcorn!). And he will answer your question ONLY after Tiger has made his putt. Talk about golf fanatics, some of you guys probably even hold a putter and wear your favorite golf cap when you're watching golf on TV. So again, may I remind you, as much as possible, try to follow the rules of etiquette, and be respectful of others.
Congratulations to the Seniors' team of Lanang Golf & Country Club for winning 2nd runner-up in the Friendship Division during the PAL Interclub Golf Tournament. The players were Oscar Lopez (team captain), Manny Tan, Jojo Grandeza, Jimmy Testado, Butch Santillan, Boy Gonzalez, Lucio Castillo, and Willy Diaz. Congratulations also to Doc. Manny Tan for winning 1st runner-up in the Seniors individual competition in Flight D.
Here's a question for you. In 30 words or less, tell me who your favorite golfer is and why. Send to garcia_imee@yahoo.com I will post your answers in next week's article.
