5 essential golf etiquette rules

Golf has long been a sport associated with propriety and decorum, so if you're interested in playing, it's important to learn and follow the sport's rules. Here are 5 golf etiquette basics to get you started.

Golf courses are notorious for their dress codes. While dress codes vary from course to course, remember to follow the code no matter how strict or unusual. Check ahead with the course or club to find out about its dress code. If you don't follow the code, you may feel out of place, or worse, be prohibited from entering the grounds.

Golf courses run on a strict schedule of tee times. Schedule a time before you arrive at a course and make sure you're on time. If you arrive late, you could interrupt the schedule of the course and you may be denied the right to play.

The putting green is a part of the course where you must have a clear view of the terrain and hole. If you are not putting, remember to stand out of the way of the player who is engaged in action. Make sure you don't stand within the peripheral vision of a putter and avoid standing in the line of the sun, since you can unknowingly cast a shadow on the green. You should also be careful to be silent when a person is about to putt.

One of the biggest faux pas on the golf course is a constantly ringing cell phone. So before you start to play, be sure to turn off your cell phone and any other mobile device, or set them to vibrate or silent.

When you're playing golf on a course with other groups, make sure that you pay attention to the pace at which you're playing. There will most likely be groups ahead of you and behind you throughout the day. With the correct pacing, you won't make a group behind wait for you, nor will you spend too much time waiting for another group ahead to complete each hole.

To the uninitiated, golf's etiquette rules may at times appear quirky or arcane, but they are nonetheless an important part of this popular sport.