I play with some golfers who could care less about what I do while they are putting, whether all balls on the green are marked, etc. They don't like like their line to be stepped on but that's about it.

I play with others (long term very skilled golfers with many years of experience) who insist on:

- All balls on the green being marked

- No walking on a putting line or through line past the hole

- The flagstick, when removed from the cup, being placed completly off the green roughly parallel to the edge of the green

- No noise or motion of any kind being made while waiting to putt

- No standing where they can see you while lining up their putt or going through their putting routine

- No standing where you can be seen by the golfer putting while putting or about to putt, but standing behind the person is unacceptable (This can sometimes be most difficult to acheve)

-When the first putt is holed, the golfer who sinks it is responsible for the flagstick. This involves, while being as unobtrusiveas possible, picking it up and holding with one hand on the flag to keep it from being flapped by any wind, and then replacing it in the cup when the last putt is made.

We've had some possibly friendly back and forth comments on this, and I'm curious what is generally acceptable etiquette (both USGA rules and gentlemanly golf rules) to most golfers. I see both sides to the story although I think I probably prefer the overly meticulous etiquette approach -- or, is it obsessive and over and beyond what is required or reasonable?

What do others think?

This post is really interesting. I have the same experiences. Oddly I find that the most inexperienced players are often the ones who are most easily distracted by these things. The better players I play with don't seem too bothered as long as I or the other players are not a serial nuisance.

I once played with a guy who accused me of breathing too heavy while he was putting - I kid you not. I must have been 20 feet away from him! He was a 22 handicapper. I'm no noobie (playing for 10 years) but I really can't handle that level of paranoia on the greens.

Me, I don't hear or notice a thing when I'm concentrating, so as long as they don't tread on my line they can stand and do pretty much what they like. Admittedly in a match things are different, and I try to be overly courteous and expect the same of my opponent.

If I have to admit to a pet hate then it is when a person without thinking puts the flagstick on the ground just a handful of feet past the hole, risking my putt hitting it. But I just politely move it and the lesson is quickly learned. No big deal.

Some people are fussy and others aren't. My expectations are simple. Don't step on my line. Be quiet when I putt. Fix you ball mark and be ready when it's your turn. That's about it.

People who get all bent about the through-line are clowns, IMO.

Absolutely!
I take my game seriously, but it also should be fun to be enjoyed to the fullest.
If anyone accused me of breathing heavily, I'd tell him to put on ear muff or shut up.

While I am careful to avoid stepping on others lines, I could care less if you step on mine, odds are the 250lb guy in the group in front was all over it, me seeing you do it isn't going to make much difference.

I think the latter group you describe need a nap. Common sense prevails in situations like this (I shouldn't have to describe that if the reader hase been playing golf for any length of time). What you describe in the second scenario is so over the top for most situations (including tournament rounds) that it is borderline laughable. I've been playing for 30+ years, have played in college, USGA events, etc. and if they insist on ALL of those, my guess would be they probably aren't on anyones speed dial for a game. Just my 2 cents.

I agree with no noise and not being in other peoples lines but specific places where the flag should be is a little excessive

[quote name='ElGavilan' date='Dec 28 2007, 11:51 AM' post='839612']
I play with others (long term very skilled golfers with many years of experience) who insist on:
- All balls on the green being marked
- No walking on a putting line or through line past the hole
- The flagstick, when removed from the cup, being placed completly off the green roughly parallel to the edge of the green
- No noise or motion of any kind being made while waiting to putt
- No standing where they can see you while lining up their putt or going through their putting routine
- No standing where you can be seen by the golfer putting while putting or about to putt, but standing behind the person is unacceptable (This can sometimes be most difficult to acheve)
-When the first putt is holed, the golfer who sinks it is responsible for the flagstick. This involves, while being as unobtrusiveas possible, picking it up and holding with one hand on the flag to keep it from being flapped by any wind, and then replacing it in the cup when the last putt is made.

Thanks to all of you who responded. I may have been just a little heavy handed in describing these "rules". The guys referred to are 7-12 Hdcp players seniors who were probably low single digit players when younger. They still play good golf, know how to play, and they get the most out of their games. Though they like to play using these rules, they are not inflexible, and even they don't follow all of them all of the time. Most are nothing more than common courtesy and being thoughtful of others. I don't have any trouble with any of them except where to stand while waiting. I can't seem to come up with a consistent rule to use for myself about where to stand without offending while waiting. I notice that the PGA Tour Pros seem to stand at the edge or slightly off the green as far away as reasonably possible from the player who is putting. They even make practice putting strokes while waiting and seem to stop only when the player who is putting actually addresses his ball. This puts them in view of, behind, etc. --except I never see them standing anywhere near the putting line.

Is there a simple, easy to follow, generally accepted rule on where to stand while waiting for other players to putt?

Rules:
- All balls on the green being marked
- No walking on a putting line or through line past the hole
- The flagstick, when removed from the cup, being placed completly off the green roughly parallel to the edge of the green
- No noise or motion of any kind being made while waiting to putt
- No standing where they can see you while lining up their putt or going through their putting routine
- No standing where you can be seen by the golfer putting while putting or about to putt, but standing behind the person is unacceptable (This can sometimes be most difficult to acheve)
-When the first putt is holed, the golfer who sinks it is responsible for the flagstick. This involves, while being as unobtrusiveas possible, picking it up and holding with one hand on the flag to keep it from being flapped by any wind, and then replacing it in the cup when the last putt is made.

Thanks to all of you who responded. I may have been just a little heavy handed in describing these "rules". The guys referred to are 7-12 Hdcp players seniors who were probably low single digit players when younger. They still play good golf, know how to play, and they get the most out of their games. Though they like to play using these rules, they are not inflexible, and even they don't follow all of them all of the time. Most are nothing more than common courtesy and being thoughtful of others. I don't have any trouble with any of them except where to stand while waiting. I can't seem to come up with a consistent rule to use for myself about where to stand without offending while waiting. I notice that the PGA Tour Pros seem to stand at the edge or slightly off the green as far away as reasonably possible from the player who is putting. They even make practice putting strokes while waiting and seem to stop only when the player who is putting actually addresses his ball. This puts them in view of, behind, etc. --except I never see them standing anywhere near the putting line.

Is there a simple, easy to follow, generally accepted rule on where to stand while waiting for other players to putt?

I find movement and talking distracting but other than that........I'm OK!

Absolutely agreeing with your insight; especially the wording of "being common courtesy, and thoughtful to others".
Most of the rules would just fallinto place.
If only we could have everyone do the same on freeway driving.

Agree.

In it's simplest term: RESPECT.

Respect those playing with you and respect the course. Like wkuo3 said, everything falls into place after.

Yea it definitely depends on the person. I for one could care less what you do while im putting. It is quite annoying when people who are 20+ handicaps complain. Also the through line is the one that gets me the most. Everyone wears soft spikes these days and unless you playing on sponge soft greens theres no way someone walking in your through line will have an affect on your comback putt. I follow the rules of etiquette when i play with random people because its the polite thing to do, but if they walk in my line or do something when im putting i could really care less.

I play with a variety of people and I think the main problem is the extremes - the people who have no clue and no courtesy, and then the people who think they are on the pga tour playing in the Masters. I had one guy who asked people to mark anything that he could visually see - I was 6 feet out on a flat part of the green, and at a complete right angle to his putt and he asked me to mark it. The sad thing is, he was a very good putter, but what a head case.

About 80 percent of us are somewhere in the middle, and I wish more of us were.

I played the day after Christmas and on one par three green, the greenskeeper was walking around the green sprinkling some type of seed or fungicide in various spots. He walked across my line a couple times while doing this - he was working as we were chipping up and lining up. I don't believe he was being rude. He just understood that a light footprint on the line of a 20 foot putt really doesn't much matter. The only thing that matters to me is that people fix their ball marks, don't drag their spikes, don't try and yank the ball out of the hole with their putters, and don't step within about 6-12 inches of the hole - the "lumpy donut" area as Dave Pelz describes it.

That sounds like what we call "PGA Putters" when they are in front of us on the course. These guys have the most drawn-out, ridiculous routine for putting. Everybody has to be standing somewhere off the green, no one can move a muscle or line up their own put while waiting. These jackholes cause all kinds of slow play frustrations on the course.

My personal rules:
If your ball is in the way of another, mark it.
Put the flagstick far enough away so no one will hit it.
Try to stay out of someones vision, and don't move or talk while it's their turn.
Line up your putt, and be ready to go when it's your turn

Like a previous poster stated, I could care less if you step on my line. The greens I play on are fast and firm, so it's unlikely you'll make a footprint on the green. That being said, I make sure I don't step on another's line or through line out of courtesy. When I'm putting I only ask that you don't move (in my field of vision), talk, or cast a shadow over my line. I could care less about where you stand or if a ball's marked or not (as long as it's not near my line of putt).

I've yet to run into a nitpicky golfer around the greens, but I'm sure it's going to happen sooner or later.

Breathing too heavy!? I hope you left him on the green and played through!

If your ball is within 4 or 5 feet of the hole regardless of the line, you should mark it. A putt can easily lip out and strike your ball. I personally don't want a 2 stroke penalty because you didn't mark your ball.