Taking Care of the Golf Course is the Right Thing to Do
I’ve played enough golf to know how much better the game feels when the course is in good shape. Smooth greens, clean tee boxes, healthy fairways – it all makes a difference. But here’s the thing: a lot of what ruins those conditions isn’t weather or the greens crew doing a bad job, it’s golfers and bad golf course etiquette. Little careless habits pile up, and the course pays the price. And I don’t mean pace of play, ready golf, blaring music, etc.
Recently, I came across a couple of Golf Digest articles that really hit home on this topic. They made me pay much closer attention to how I personally take care of the course. It also made me more aware of how often I see other players not taking care of the course. It’s amazing how many small, avoidable things can trash course conditions if golfers don’t take a second to be mindful.
That’s what drives me crazy. Taking care of the course isn’t about being fussy or following outdated etiquette. It’s about making the game better for yourself and everyone else. It’s all stuff that wrecks the experience for the groups behind you and makes life harder (and more expensive) for the maintenance crew, which we’ll all complain about when we think they aren’t doing a good job cleaning up our mess.
Allow me to share with your some of my favorite golf course etiquette takeaways that are easy fixes for you to immediately make.
Don’t Just Toss Your Broken Tees
You’ve probably noticed the pile of broken tees around a tee box and thought, “Eh, no big deal.” The problem is, those busted tees can jam mowing equipment and cause damage to expensive critical machines that make your course what it is. That means more downtime, more repairs, and higher maintenance costs. All it takes is pocketing your broken tee and tossing it in the next garbage can you see. Or if you’re using a push cart, just throw it in the console and empty your wasted tees after your round. Some courses even provide tee collection vessels. If they’re there, use them. Don’t just throw your tees near them.
If you insist on leaving your broken tees behind, at least throw them in the rough. The mowers used in the long grass can handle the debris in their blades better than the more refined tee box blades.
Or, just use plastic tees that you’ll reuse for multiple holes. Of course, if you break them, all the same cleanup rules apply.
Park Your Golf Cart in the Correct Place
It’s easy to forget how much damage a golf cart can do. Especially with negligent drivers. Repeatedly driving in the same spots leaves ruts and compacts turf, which kills grass and leads to bare patches. The 90Âş rule exists for a reason: drive to your ball, make a direct turn, and then head back to the path. Respect cart restrictions near greens and tees, and you’ll notice healthier turf in the long run. And let’s be honest, it’s not that slippery of a slope until some knucklehead accidentally rolls their wheels onto a green.
I don’t need to talk about how easy tipping a golf cart into a bunker is either. We’ve all seen the viral videos of these easily avoidable situations.
Stop Digging Balls Out of the Cup with Your Putter
I didn’t realize how common this was until recently. A lot of golfers use their putter to scoop the ball out of the hole apparently, and it absolutely wrecks the cup. If you’re going to tell me that it doesn’t when you do it, I don’t believe you. It leaves ragged edges that make it look and play like one of those worn-out holes on a mini golf course. It takes almost no effort to just reach down and pick up your ball by hand. The players behind you will thank you. Golf Digest even suggests to not use one of those ball-picker things that you can attach to the end of your grip as anything being jammed into the cup could cause damage. While I agree this would be ideal to avoid, it’s a better option than the head of your putter.
Please Fix Your Ball Marks…and This is How You Should Do It
If there’s one thing golfers could collectively improve overnight, it’s fixing ball marks correctly. Poorly repaired marks often do more damage than not fixing them at all. I always thought I was a hero because I knew the whole “push the edges in” method rather than the “pop the bottom up from underneath”. Turns out, they’re both wrong and will kill root structures.
Golf Digest also introduced me to the “Augusta method“. This repair process is really simple, albeit sort of daunting at first. You just stick a single-prong tool or a tee in at the deepest point of the mark, and gently move the grass from the edges toward the center. Don’t lift or twist – it rips the roots and will leave a dead spot in the green. This may seem like an abnormally large hole, but it will act as an aeration hole at worst and the green will heal quickly. A quick tap with your putter and the green is as good as new. I’ve been using this approach all summer and it’s worked perfectly.
…and if your shot doesn’t leave a mark or you can’t find yours, repair one or two on the green anyway.
Final Thoughts – Golf Course Etiquette
The bottom line is that when golfers don’t take care of the course, conditions suffer. That leads to bumpier greens, bare patches in fairways, and higher maintenance bills – which often means higher greens fees. I’m not sure there are two things that irritate golfers more. On the flip side, when players do their part with good golf course etiquette, the course stays healthier, play is more enjoyable, and costs stay manageable. Everybody wins.
Golf already has enough challenges without bad conditions making it harder. The simplest way to make the game better for yourself and everyone else is to treat the course with respect. Pick up your broken tees, drive carts responsibly, fix your ball marks the right way, and don’t abuse the holes. It’s not just about etiquette, it’s about making sure the course stays playable and enjoyable round after round.
