Bunkers. I don’t know how your games go, but my golf shots seem to be drawn to bunkers. It’s like the golf ball looks down and sees the sand and decides, “Hey, that looks nice: I’ll land there instead of on that hard green!” Once I venture into the sand to hit out by ball, it ends up looking less like a bunker and more like a beach volleyball venue. Here’s what you should do: use the rake provided by the golf course to make your footprints and any other sign of your visit disappear. No rake? Use your club. (Hey, they’re not too good to get a little dirty. If they were that good, you wouldn’t be in the bunker!)

Divots. Let’s face it. Not every shot is perfect. And you may from time to time make a hole in the fairway with your club. Don’t just look around to see if anyone was watching. Just go pick up the turf that you sent into orbit and put it back where it belongs. Work it back in with your foot. You’ll feel better and the grass will fix itself more quickly.

Greens. That perfect surface doesn’t just happen by itself; it takes a lot of work. Sometimes when your ball its the green (especially from a short pitch), it makes a mark. There’s a little tool you can use to repair this mark or you can just use the sharp end of your tee. Give it a quick tap with your putter. Think it doesn’t matter? Well, think about this: unrepaired ball marks take 21 days to heal. When you do what I just described, they disappear overnight. Also, don’t drag your shoes or drop the flag. Treat the green gently and everyone will putt more accurately.

Nothing is more cliche than distracting a golfer when he’s taking his shot. But there’s a lot of truth to this idea. Golf takes focus. Some people can focus in the middle of a whirlwind, other people need to play in a library. Basically, I try not to get in anyone’s line of sight. And I also don’t stand directly behind anyone. Who wants someone behind them when they hit? I don’t!

Letting Others Play Through

When I play golf, I don’t want to be in a hurry. The reason I’m on the course to begin with is to have a little downtime without pressure or schedules. Not to mention it’s a great time to have some good conversation. But if you’re playing on a busy day and the golfers are lined up like Coke bottles on an assembly line, then you might have to make some adjustments to your leisurely pace.

I always try to do my thinking while my teammates are taking their shots. Sure, it’s more fun to stand around and trash talk their goofy swing or just watch the clouds float by. But if I’m ready to take my shot as soon as it’s my turn, there won’t be any wasted time on the tee. Also, unless we’re sharing a golf cart, everyone goes directly to their ball on the fairway instead of zigzagging down the fairway in a little group.

Another little time saver is to take out your putter as you get near the green and just leave your bag nearby. Ideally, you can drop it on the path to the next tee. I’ve found that this helps me make a quick getaway from the greent.

Actually, I really hate playing in front of impatient golfers. Knowing that others are tapping their feet waiting for me to finish just ends up making me stressed and anxious. I usually just step over to the side of the next tee box and let them play through.