Rules and Etiquette - why Golfers should know both…
The Rules of Golf apply to every golfer, professional, social or Club members. The formal Rules are supplemented by Local Rules established by the Golf Club or operators of the course to ensure that the course is respected and that the experience of a game on that course is as good as is possible. That includes Local Rules about where you can drive Golf Carts ! Never drive a Golf Cart onto a Tee area , or on the fringe of a green!
Without an understanding and observance of the Rules, a game of Golf is simply hitting a golf ball without purpose.
It never ceases to amaze me how many golfers don’t know the Rules, don’t care and are insulted if another golfer points out a violation of the rules and the penalty that it attracts. The Rules are what has made the game of Golf a global sport that can be enjoyed on thousands of golf courses in dozens of countries where the same Rules are observed. The message is simple -get a copy of the Rules at your Club or on line and read your way through the document over a few days. You might be surprised at gaps in your knowledge of how Rules have evolved in the last few years.
Failure to observe the Rules of Golf can result in the embarrassment of disqualification or in extreme cases, accusation of cheating. That reputation can follow you for years.
Golf Etiquette is not about Rules. Its about manners on the golf course, respect for other golfers, respect for the golf course and for the Club staff that maintain and operate the course.
Here’s a few classic examples of violations of etiquette that may result in you not being welcome at the course again:
Carry a sand bucket and repair fairway divots that result from your shots - everyone suffers from un-repaired damage to fairway surfaces;
Repair the pitch marks that you ball makes when it lands on the green - it’s simply bad manners to leave pitch marks that can affect a putt for another golfer;
Park your cart or pull buggy between the green and the next tee while you walk to the green to putt out. If your buggy is parked back towards the golfers who are following, the time you waste in getting back to your buggy and then walking or driving around the green to the next tee can add 2-3 minutes to each hole. Do the arithmetic - over 18 holes, that can add 45 minutes to the round of golf for you and for the others following. No-one will appreciate that.
Do not drive a motorised cart onto Tees or onto the fringe of greens. That’s a deadly sin in some places. Most courses also ask that you don’t drive off the fairway into the rough because of the damage that can do to the vegetation.
When leaving a sand bunker, consider the golfers who follow you into the sand. Even if rakes are not provided, make some effort to smooth the surface of sand when you leave. deep foot prints in a bunker are guaranteed to produce frustration for those whose ball rolls into them.
“Good golfers” are not necessarily low handicap players. They are people who enjoy golf and respect other golfers and the courses on which they play.
Good golfing!
TaylorMade the brand… the next year.
Did You know that the TaylorMade global brand has been sold again?
Many golfers will know that after a couple of poor business years through 2014/15 the TaylorMade brand was sold off by the Adidas-TaylorMade group in 2017 to a US-based private equity company for a reported $425M USD.
Their commercial performance has improved dramatically in the last 4 years and around a month ago, “TaylorMade” the brand was sold to a South Korean investment company for the total of $1.6 Billion USD !! Not a bad return on investment over 4 years ?
We will all have to wait to see how the new owner of the Brand plans to recover their investment as new owners must plan for. Perhaps it will be by expansion, maybe entry into new markets, new model releases and maybe by increased prices and margins.
In the meantime, good condition TaylorMade used golf clubs still sell quickly through our consignment selling system. Give us a call if you have some to sell.
Don’t store your clubs in a Sauna!
All too commonly, we see golfers packing their clubs in their car with the rain hood fixed to their golf bag. In fairness, that is often done as a way of protecting the clubs while in transit in the boot of the car. BUT many golfers leave their clubs in the garage at home in the same bag with hood over the clubs for days or weeks.
When that happens, the clubs are in a sweat bag, a sauna, trapping the moisture after a game (especially after a rainy day out) in with the clubs heads and steel shafts. It is no wonder that clubs soon show spotting of rust in the rear cavities and pitting of the chrome on steel shafts as rust eventually breaks through from internal moisture in the shafts.
If you want to retain the value in your golf equipment, here’s a few tips on sensible care of your clubs at the end of a day’s play:
If it has been raining during play, take the clubs out of your bag dry them with a quick wipe with a towel and lean them up against a wall in a dry area;
Do not leave them in your golf bag with the head cover on the bag - that’s inviting them to develop rust and for the grips to deteriorate more quickly;
Clean the grooves of your clubs after play - the chemicals used to maintain fairways can be corrosive if left in the grooves - black spots in the grooves will often signal early corrosion -easily prevented with regular cleaning.
Golf clubs can be expensive and it never ceases to amaze us how some golfers let their expensive clubs deteriorate.
It’s not a big task to keep your equipment in great condition.
Torny’s Golf moves off eBay after 20 years
TORNY’S GOLF WAREHOUSE WEBSITE LAUNCHED OFF eBAY
After 20 years on eBay with more than 17,000 transactions and 100% positive customer feedback online, it is time to move to the new combination of a Shop on the Facebook Marketplace eCommerce platform which refers our customers to our own Squarespace website at https//:www.tornysgolf.com.au for purchase, Shipping arrangements and Checkout. Our business reasons for the change would take a few pages to describe but it was time for us to move and others will follow suit.
Make a note of our new website: https//:www.tornysgolf.com.au - that should ensure you land on our new online shop. It is possible that you will need to clear the cache of saved files in your browser to override the previous link to the eBay Shop (now closed).
We are continuing to offer consignment selling for individuals who need to clear the unused clubs that have been in their garage for a couple of years and need help to refurbish and present this items in a national market. That’s where we come in, offering competitive fixed price shipping across Australia, with a commitment to the same high standards of customer service that have been built over 20 years.
Our warehouse services will continue with great value re-gripping of golf clubs and ranges of new stock items including bags and buggies that are at very competitive prices
We’ll keep you updated with news, offers and advice regarding keeping your clubs in great shape through winter conditions…..