First of all, there is an official time limit for looking for a lost ball - it's five minutes. So when someone spends 10 or 15 minutes trudging through the thick fescue grass or taking their shoes and socks off to attempt a water shot things can get pretty infuriating. There are times when losses need to be cut and a ball needs to be declared lost so that people can get on with the round. Play a provisional off the tee if it looks like a ball is heading out of bounds or out of view and save everyone's time. Most of the time there is a better chance of keeping the score in check after playing a provisional than from trying to hack the ball out from an unplayable lie in between a rock and a forest or under 6 inches of water.
7. Guys Talking During Your Swing
There are certainly people who take this too far and freak out when a plane flies overhead saying that it caused them to hit a bad shot, but it is still annoying when someone pipes up about something mundane right in the middle of a backswing. At the end of the day it's all about respect. It can be really hard to focus on a golf shot when there is a half-whispered conversation going on nearby. If there is something that really needs saying it is likely that no matter how important it is it can wait the 2.5 seconds for the swing to be over and then the whole group can chat about it. Golf is absolutely a social game and there is always room for conversation and messing around but there is an etiquette about talking during a backswing that certain golfers have not yet mastered. Keep it light but don't ruin everyone else's game!
Thomas is currently a postgraduate student of literature at the University of St. Andrews. He enjoys music and golf in his spare time when he isn't writing. Tom completed his first novel in the summer of 2013 which was published at the start of this year. Next year he is going to be working as a teacher in Dubai, continuing his research, and writing as much as possible. Follow on Twitter @Tom_Andrews91
There are certainly people who take this too far and freak out when a plane flies overhead saying that it caused them to hit a bad shot, but it is still annoying when someone pipes up about something mundane right in the middle of a backswing. At the end of the day it's all about respect. It can be really hard to focus on a golf shot when there is a half-whispered conversation going on nearby. If there is something that really needs saying it is likely that no matter how important it is it can wait the 2.5 seconds for the swing to be over and then the whole group can chat about it. Golf is absolutely a social game and there is always room for conversation and messing around but there is an etiquette about talking during a backswing that certain golfers have not yet mastered. Keep it light but don't ruin everyone else's game!