This article originally appeared in the October issue of NCGA Golf Magazine
By John Wood
After 24 years as a professional caddie on the PGA Tour and now working as a television commentator for NBC Sports, I’ve learned that enjoying golf isn’t always about shooting lower scores.
A great round is also about how you treat the course, the people you play with, and the people who come behind you.
Golf is a game built on etiquette, honesty, and respect. Those things can sometimes get lost, especially when we become too focused on our own score, our own frustrations or our own swing. But some of the best lessons I’ve learned over the years have had very little to do with hitting a golf shot.
Here are eight things I’ve learned as a caddie and golf analyst that I’d like to share withgolfers everywhere. Follow them, and I think you’ll find that your rounds become more enjoyable—not just for you, but for everyone around you.
1, 2 and 3. Course Maintenance: It’s About Respect
Bunkers
Is there anything worse than walking up to a bunker you’ve found, only to discover your ball sitting in an unraked heel print or a poorly raked divot selfishly left by a player in front of you?
As a caddie, one of your most important jobs is to help maintain an even playing field—literally—for everyone.
Learn how to properly rake a bunker. There is a technique that is quick, simple and effective.
First, level the sand with your feet and the flat backside of the rake. Once it’s smooth, gently use the teeth of the rake to finish the job. Don’t dig into the sand. If possible, rake parallel to the line of play.
Think of it this way: Your best friend, son or daughter, is playing in the group behind you, and they’re going to hit their ball into the same spot you just did. Leave it in a condition you’d want them to find it.
And one final thing: Once you leave the bunker, kick the sand off the bottom of your shoes with a stomp or a tap of your club before stepping onto the green. Otherwise, you’ll leave a trail of breadcrumbs with every step you take.
Ball Marks
I was lucky enough to have a wonderful high school golf coach, Mike McIntee. He had a rule for us whenever we played:
Fix your ball mark and one more.
We were guests wherever we played, and it was important to leave the course better than we found it.
There’s also a proper way to repair a ball mark. Work your way around the mark, pulling the sides toward the center. Don’t pull the turf upward, which can expose the roots and cause them to die.
If you’re unsure how to do it, ask your club professional or watch a quick instructional video. The hardest-working people in golf—the greenskeepers—will thank you.
Replace Divots
I don’t think I even need to explain this one, do I?
No.
But take it a step further. While your playing partners are hitting their shots, glance around your feet for any divots that may not be yours. If you can replace one that someone else left behind, do it.
It takes virtually no effort or time.
That’s what respecting the course is about.
By now, everyone knows what ready golf is.
When it’s your turn—or even if it isn’t, but you notice that one of your playing partners isn’t ready for whatever reason—be prepared to hit your shot when it is safe to do so.
I’m also all for having a consistent pre-shot routine. But don’t copy the professional game.
Some tough love: You’re not that good.
A concise, easy-to-repeat routine is all you need. You don’t need four swing rehearsals, followed by an internal dialogue about swing thoughts, visualization and whatever else you’ve convinced yourself you need to do before pulling the trigger.
Not only will a shorter routine speed up play, I also guarantee you’ll play better.
Guarantee.
Trust me, some of the slow routines on Tour are agonizing to watch. But I give some of those players the benefit of the doubt. They’re Ferraris, they’re playing for ungodly sums of money, and I get it.
They also need exact yardages for more than one thing.
You don’t.
Rangefinders are great, but most recreational golfers will play freer and easier if they simply glance at a marked sprinkler head or the 150-yard marker and estimate whether the pin is a little farther forward or back.
A professional knows what the difference between 153 and 157 yards feels like.
You don’t.
And that’s okay.
5. Be Welcoming to Those New to the Game—Especially Juniors
I grew up, and still am, a muni player. I grew up in Sacramento playing two great courses, Haggin Oaks and Ancil Hoffman.
Oftentimes during the summer, I’d be out therewithout adult supervision. It meant the world to me when an experienced player took the time to help me with something.
There was an older left-hander we called “Dutch.” Whenever he saw one of us juniors, he’d reach into his bag—or go to his locker—and bring us some of his used golf balls.
Man, as a 12-year-old, there was nothing better than that.
It’s very easy to get frustrated by someone playing in front of you, or practicing near you, who is obviously new to golf and doing things that bother you.
Don’t chastise them.
Be understanding. Teach them. Encourage them.
Try not to be cruel or demean their actions. Remember that everyone who plays golf was once a beginner.
Help ’em out.
You never know what kind of golfer—or person—you might help create.
The Rules of Golf are immensely important in governing the game at every level.
I don’t condone bypassing a rule during tournament play, whether that’s at the junior, club, college, amateur or professional level. And I believe you should play by the rules even during fun weekend games with your regular group.
However, there is one exception I favor in casual rounds: lost balls.
If your group agrees beforehand, establish a general location where the ball should be played from, take a one-stroke penalty and move on.
Why?
Because going all the way back to the tee to replay a shot under stroke-and-distance rules can take an unreasonable amount of time and slow down everyone’s round.
I stress that this adjustment is only for fun rounds—not tournament play.
Or, better yet, if you think your ball might be lost or out of bounds, hit a provisional.
The USGA probably won’t agree with my first suggestion.
But the groups behind you will.
7. Don’t Be Mr. or Mrs. Negative
Over the course of your playing days, golf is ultimately fair.
Maybe it’s the fairest game there is.
We all have days when we play poorly. We also have days when it seems like every bad bounce finds us, every good putt catches the lip and spins out, and every break seems to go against us.
At every level, this happens.
Every single day.
Try to take those bad breaks and bad days in stride. Nobody wants to hear you complain.
Nobody wants to hear, “I just don’t understand. I never play this poorly.”
Don’t look for sympathy in an unsympathetic game.
We’ve all got our own issues on the golf course, and, frankly, we don’t want to hear about yours.
There’s a great story from years ago about a young professional who had a rough day on the course. He came into the locker room after his round and proceeded to describe all the bad breaks he had endured.
The other professionals exchanged looks and rolled their eyes, clearly annoyed by the complaints. When he finished, one of the older professionals walked over and said: “Kid, I’m gonna give you some advice. No one wants to hear about your bad breaks. We all get ’em. Half of us don’t care, and the other half wish it was worse.”
There’s a phrase we use on Tour when talking about our pairing for the day.
When you get paired with someone who acts like this on the course, we call it a “typo.”
It means you drew a bad pairing, and even if you play well, the day is going to include miserable company.
Don’t be a typo.
It can be incredibly infuriating to play with someone who is constantly in your ear.
“Boy, you’re leaving a lot of putts short today.”
“Hey, John, it really looks like you’re dropping your arms and getting them stuck behind you.”
“Man, that chipping motion looks a little yippy. Want me to fix that for you?”
“I read an article online, and they said you need to do this. It looks like you’re doing the opposite.”
Your internal monologue sounds something like:
SHUT UP. SHUT UP. SHUT UP. SHUT UP. SHUT UP.
Followed immediately by: I will NEVER play with this clown again.
If a friend is struggling, let them ask for help.
Don’t insert yourself.
If you really do have something useful to say, save it for after the round.
“You know, I read once that Rory was struggling with that exact thing, and he said this is how he fixed it.”
That’s a conversation.
Giving someone a swing diagnosis while they’re standing over a 6-footer they need to make? Not so much.
No one likes a know-it-all.
And nobody likes unsolicited advice.