Navigating the etiquette of modern golf clubs.
A golfer warms up at Independence Golf Club in Midlothian.
An afternoon on the driving range can be fun and relaxing, but if you’re a beginner, the golf traditions can be intimidating. Fortunately many clubs have loosened the rules to make the sport more and fun for a new generation.
“There is old school etiquette, but if golf is going to continue, new etiquette will have to prevail,” says Giff Breed, owner of Independence Golf Club in Midlothian.
While traditionalists still require members to dress sharp, mute their phones, and move around quietly, clubs like Independence welcome golfers in casual wear like jeans and t-shirt, and even permit Bluetooth speakers on the course. “In the old days you needed to be respectful to some invisible golf deity, but today it’s more important to just be respectful,” Breed says.
Standard rules still apply: Don’t walk through someone else’s line, don’t hit the ball into the group ahead of you, don’t lay the flagpole down in front of someone else’s shots. But the game itself should be all about having a good time. “It all depends on who you play with,” Breed says. “Some groups are looking to make it more fun and enjoy the banter back and forth. Golf’s got to be able to absorb that.”
