I've got something on my mind about the game I love so much.
And maybe you can help me with it.
As more and more people learn to play golf,
they should realize there's more to this game
than hitting the ball as far as Taggart Woods does.
They must recognize something my dad taught me
the very first day I went out to play.
Always respect the game.
Respect the course you're playing on.
And most importantly, respect the people you're playing with.
For over 60 years, I followed that advice.
People always ask me,
Arnold, how do you still play the game
with the passion you did when you were a kid?
The answer is easy,
because I learned the true spirit of the game.
I hope you do also.
It's a direct correlation to life in general.
And if you're honest with yourself,
by calling a penalty on yourself,
you'll be that way throughout life.
You can't cheat in golf.
It's just not a part of the game.
You can't try and get away with anything.
The rules are there to protect you,
and you recognize that and you respect that.
And that's what I like about it.
When you walk off the golf course
and you've won a golf tournament,
only you know if you behaved properly,
played by the rules, and did it right.
Only the coach knows.
So if you haven't done it right,
it's a very shallow victory.
The sights and sounds of a golf course
are surroundings every player has experienced.
The serenity of well-manicured fairways
inspires all golfers to play the game
with the only limitations being your ability
and the conditions you're facing.
There is no referee, no judge of your talent
other than yourself and the course.
How different golf would be if someone else
played every time you went to play?
Offside.
Mr. Jacobson, get that ball back behind the markers.
Yes, sir.
It's a hard game.
Sit, ball. Stay.
Is that safe? Safe!
Obviously, the scenes we just saw with the referee
and the umpire don't really happen.
We're all responsible for our own actions
on the golf course and consequently
our own successes and our own failures.
This is what makes golf so special.
In fact, it's the only major sport where players
actually monitor themselves.
We must always be honest with ourselves when we play.
No matter how tempting it is to look the other way.
Come on, Jake. Give it a little foot wedge.
Give it a little kick out of there.
It's okay. Go ahead.
Don't be foolish, Peter. You can't do that.
You must play every ball as it lies.
Now, go ahead and give it your best try.
Actually, I'm lucky this ball even stayed in bounds.
Peter, I didn't get your score to last.
So what did you make?
Nobody saw that ball move when you moved that twig.
Come on. You made a four. A par.
Peter, you know that's a one-stroke penalty.
That's the rule. Now tell him you made a five.
Ben, I made five. I made bogey.
It's important to respect the game and your fellow players
and being honest with yourself.
Don't look to others to guide you.
Understanding and obeying the rules should come from within you.
And if you don't believe me,
learn from some of the greatest players the game has ever known.
In 1925, Bobby Jones was a favorite to win the United States Open Championship.
In the opening round on the 11th hole,
as he addressed his ball in the rough, it appeared to move.
I remember playing with him that round,
and he hooked the ball away into the rough, and he addressed his ball,
and then he walked away from it, and he went up to it again,
and he played a beautiful shot, put it about five or six feet from the hole,
and hold the putt, and the scorer says, three, Mr. Jones?
He says, no, that's a four.
He says if the ball rolled while I was addressing it, it cost me a stroke penalty.
Bobby Jones lost the championship by one stroke in a playoff.
Beth Daniel was tied for the lead in the 1982 United States Women's Open Championship
during the final round.
As she stood over her putt on the eighth hole, she noticed something was wrong.
Her putter was too close to the ball, and it had moved slightly when she addressed it.
Beth incurred a one-stroke penalty.
She made a five instead of a four,
and eventually lost the opportunity to win her first major championship.
Tom Layman was playing in the final round of the 1996 United States Open.
With one hole to go, he was one shot from the lead.
After chipping onto the 17th green, he went to mark his ball
and caused it to move slightly.
Tom thought he had committed a rules violation
and immediately sought the guidance of a USGA rules official.
Even with the championship at stake, he was prepared to incur a penalty
when the official correctly explained the rule, pointing out there was no infraction.
Tom Layman was fortunate.
He had a rules official to give him guidance,
but when most people play, they don't have that luxury.
You can do it alone,
but when you have any questions or doubts as to how to make the right decision,
refer to the Rules of Golf.
By knowing the basic rules of golf, you'll enjoy the game more
and help yourself maintain the standards of honesty and integrity
established hundreds of years ago.
Use the book provided by the USGA to help you.
If you can't refer to the Rules of Golf or don't know the specifics of a rule,
then here's a helpful hint.
Always play the course as you find it,
play the ball as it lies,
and when that's not possible, just do what's fair.
No one will monitor the Rules of Golf for you the way you will.
Everyone who plays the game should protect the essence of the sport,
and at the same time, enjoy the game by holding themselves
to the highest standards of honesty in the true spirit of the game.
The punctuality in life and in golf are the same thing.
You show up to a meeting late, people know that, they remember that.
You show up to the first tee late, people remember that.
When you're playing golf, you can't rush this game.
You've got to get here early, you've got to warm up,
you've got to work on your putting, you've got to work on your chipping.
You just can't come in and go straight to the tee and expect to play well.
You meet a lot of guys that just literally walk out of the car
and they walk out of the first tee and you can just see them,
and he says, oh, I haven't had a chance to hit a ball at all.
They go, oh, great, great.
In sports, there's one simple rule.
If you want to play well, you really have to prepare well.
Especially in golf, arriving early to prepare both mentally and physically
is what separates a good round from a great one.
You know, Ernie and I play golf all over the world, but no matter where we are,
we always get to the course early to warm up and get ourselves ready to play.
Aside from helping you play better during your round,
preparing beforehand also shows respect for other golfers on the course
by guaranteeing you'll be ready to play within your turn.
Hey, Ernie, have a look at this fellow we're going to play with today.
Man, he's got to be seven foot or something.
Hi, I guess we're playing together, Nick Price.
I knew you were Nick Price, Ernie Ells. I'm Bill.
Nice to meet you.
Hi, Bill.
You guys won a couple of major championships, huh?
Well, I guess we won a few, eh, Nick?
Bill, you look like you'd be more at home on the basketball court than the golf course.
Well, I played a little basketball when I was young, but golf's my game.
That's too bad, Bill, you know, a guy with your height.
Hey, Nick, let's go play, you know. We don't want to keep anybody waiting.
Let's go tee off.
That's a good idea, Ernie.
I assume that you two guys are going to be hitting from the championship tee,
so you can hit first.
Well, thanks.
Hey, Ernie, how about we flip a tee to see who goes first, huh?
Let's do it.
All right.
Well, Nick, can we go two out of three on this one?
Sorry, bud. I got the honor this time.
All right, man.
Well, since it's a very first hole, Nick and I flipped a tee
to see who would have the honor of teeing off first.
This may not seem like a very big deal,
but it's actually a good example of the courtesy the golfers are expected
to show one another as they play.
Now, for the rest of the round, the golfer with a low score on the previous hole
is given the honor of teeing off first.
Well, I can't hit just yet. There's a group still in the fairway.
Obviously, to tee off right now would be extremely dangerous.
The only thing to do in this situation is to wait until everyone in the group
ahead of you has hit their shots and are well out of reach.
And that seems to be the case right now.
Nice shot.
Thanks, Bill.
Besides knowing where the group ahead of you is,
you should also be aware of where you position when someone else
in your own group is teeing off or taking practice swings.
To be courteous, avoid standing in someone else's sight line as they swing.
And to be safe, avoid standing behind a person swinging,
or else you're liable to be hit by the driver's backswing.
Instead, stand on the same side as the ball, directly across from the person swinging,
and do your best to be as silent and still as possible.
Wow, how about that one, Nick? I think I got you beat, man.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I've heard that before.
Hey, Bill, you're up.
Thanks. After watching those two shots, I think I'll hit for the regular tees.
Okay.
Most golf holes have three or four different teeing grounds,
each one indicated by a different set of markers.
These locations are designed for players of different abilities and golf handicaps.
Here, let's take a look at our group, for example.
While Bill chooses to hit from the middle tee,
Ernie obviously feels pretty comfortable with his ability to drive from the championship tees.
However, let's say we mix things up a bit.
Now, teeing off from the championship tees will probably take Bill an extra shot or two to reach the green,
which could affect his score and quite possibly delay the people playing behind him.
On the other hand, a golfer with Ernie's skill would have an unfair advantage
if he were playing from the middle tee, and would probably find it a lot less challenging.
So choose your teeing ground carefully, and remember,
make a decision based on your own ability, and you'll have a more enjoyable golf experience.
Alright, Bill.
Beauty, Bill. Good shot, man.
Nice fortune, you guys, but I'll take it.
Hey, it's in the fairway.
So as we've seen, there's a lot more that goes on around the teeing ground
than just driving the golf ball as hard and as far as you can.
That's for sure, Ernie. Your actions on the teeing ground,
especially the first tee, will set the tone for the rest of your round.
So remember the following. Always get to the course early and be prepared to play.
Always be aware of your safety and the safety of others.
Stay silent and still while others in your group are teeing off.
And choose the teeing ground that best matches your ability.
Let's go.
Wait! Wait! Wait!
I'm awfully sorry about this, Bill. Price of fame, you know.
Yeah, it must be tough on you guys.
Excuse me, but you're Bill Russell, aren't you?
Yes, and what's your name?
Jonathan. I'm sorry to bother you, but can I just get one quick picture with you?
Of course you can.
You're Bill Russell? The Bill Russell?
Of course. Didn't you recognize him? Bill Russell.
He only won like 11 NBA championships with the Boston Celtics.
More than any other player ever.
Hey, Owen, what about it? How about a picture with a big fella here?
Yeah, I think so, Nick. I think he's more important than you, man.
Okay, guys.
Is there anything worse than going up to a hole and hitting a shot maybe a little too short,
it's in a bunker, and you're looking at a footprint your ball's in?
You know, you see guys take divots and they just walk down the fairway.
I mean, it drives me crazy. I think it's the courtesy to pick it up, first of all.
You always want to leave the course a little better than you found it,
and sometimes that's difficult.
But replacing divots has always been something that's really important.
If I make a divot, I'm going to replace it.
If I make a ball mark, I'm going to fix it on the green.
When I played on clay courts as a kid and I was finished,
I swept the court and picked up the balls. It's the same.
Nestled amidst the vast expanses of our great nation
are wondrous man-made havens of peace, tranquility, and beauty.
It is here that beautiful fairways, groomed bunkers, and smooth greens
combine to form the natural habitat for one of nature's most complex creatures,
the recreational golfer.
However, as breathtakingly beautiful as the golf course might be,
it is in fact a fragile beauty, one that is threatened each and every day
by one of the golf course's most potent natural enemies,
the ignorant golfer.
Join us now in discovering more about these predators of the fairway
as we explore the mysteries of course condition.
The first rays of sunlight signal a new day on the golf course,
as the first tee time approaches, the golf course maintenance crew
grows noticeably agitated.
There are golfers nearby, and they bring with them the unmistakable scent of danger.
At first light, the caravan sets out in search of the ignorant golfer,
led by their guide, golf course superintendent Mark Gorga.
Before long, they encounter a small family of novice golfers playing on the fairway.
Due to their lack of experience, newcomers to the game are likely candidates
to tear up a course as they play.
The members of the caravan watch intently for any signs of ignorance.
No luck. Here, Dad takes part in one of the most time-honored rituals of the golf course,
replacing a divot, green side up, and then a firm press to keep it in place.
And it's clear that juniors learn from Dad's example.
He knows that you never take a divot with a practice swing,
no matter where you are on the golf course.
And Mom knows full well that you have to pick up your feet when you walk on a golf course.
The damage one can cause by dragging their feet on the playing surface can be significant.
Alas, there would be no ignorant golfers in this group.
Indigenous to the golf course, divots are a natural phenomenon created when a golf club
makes contact with the ground, causing a chunk of turf to break free.
And while the divot itself is relatively harmless, the divot hole that it creates is quite another story.
If repaired immediately, the damaged surface area will heal in a matter of days.
If left unrepaired, it becomes a definite threat to the condition of a golf course.
As the sun reaches its afternoon zenith, the golf course is alive with activity.
The caravan sets out for the other side of the course, most commonly referred to as the back nine.
There they run into some seasoned golfers as they are teeing off on the par 3 eleventh hole.
The members of the caravan remain still in the brush,
knowing full well that golfers are an easily distracted animal.
A good sign. This golfer has taken a rather large divot with his tee shot.
This could be the break they've been waiting for.
Ah, but again disappointment. This golfer is a smart one.
He's using some soil and seed mixture to fill in his divot.
This mixture may be found in a container at each teeing ground or on a golf cart.
It can be used if you can't find or can't piece together your original divot.
The caravan's search for the ignorant golfer would continue.
As the late afternoon sun bears down upon the remaining inhabitants of the golf course,
the members of the caravan know that as the daylight diminishes,
so too do their chances of finding the ignorant golfer.
But then, at this bunker on 18, finally a breakthrough.
Fresh tracks, starting at the highest end of the bunker and heading downward,
the kind that only an ignorant golfer would leave behind.
Any other breed would know that you always enter and exit a bunker from its lowest side
because of the potential damage that you can do to the bunker wall.
And, even more telling, this bunker's been left un-raped.
A definite sign that an ignorant golfer had indeed been here.
And so, as is usually the case, Mark and the course maintenance crew
are left to clean up the ignorant golfer's mess.
Although they didn't catch their loathsome quarry,
the members of the caravan did unearth a few keys to surviving on the golf course.
Always replace your divots, no matter where you are on the course.
Use the soil and seed mixture when you can't piece together or find your divot.
Break a bunker completely and consistently after you've hit so it's level.
And so, as the golf course gently settles into darkness,
it remains still a land of great mystery.
But the day's events did reveal one undeniable truth about this utopian land of leisure.
Always leave the golf course in better condition than you found it
for the people playing behind you in the true spirit of the game.
You've got to treat a golf course like it's yours, like it's your backyard.
You want to play well, you want to play on a good golf course,
but you want to take care of the people that are playing at other times
to where they're not landing in your divot.
And the greens stay manicured because to shoot a good score you have to play on good greens.
To have good greens, the players have to take care of it.
Our cover story today focuses on a phenomenon that has taken the world of golf by storm.
It's an effort to save the world's putting greens.
Every day on golf courses all across America, our putting surfaces are being destroyed.
And while images of unrepaired ball marks, misplaced golf bags,
and mishandled flag sticks may seem incomprehensible to most golfers,
rest assured that what you're seeing is very real and a very real concern.
We can't seem to stop this problem. We can only hope to contain it.
And now there's an effort underway designed specifically to preserve our greens
and to spare them from disturbingly widespread abuses.
The AIM is a unique program appropriately called Save the Greens,
and it's to spread the word on how to protect our putting surfaces.
And it's receiving terrific support from the entire golf community.
I think the Save the Greens movement tries to deal with the biggest threat to the greens,
and that's uneducated players.
These are the golfers, both young and old, who don't realize that the putting surface
is the most sensitive part of the entire golf course.
Ben Crenshaw is a PGA Tour professional as well as a golf historian and golf course designer.
So he's certainly witnessed the damage that players can inflict on a putting green.
Sure, it seems harmless enough, but if you don't handle a flag stick properly,
even if you're just putting it down, you can easily tear up some turf.
Or even something as basic as getting your ball out of the hole.
If you try to do it with your club head instead of your hand,
you could damage the area around the hole.
Countless others within the golfing community have rallied around the Save the Greens cause
and are doing what they can to educate players on greens etiquette.
Maintaining putting surfaces is obviously an important issue for golf course superintendents
around the country.
I mean, I'm out here every day and I can see the progress that's being made.
Just the other day, I overheard a little girl explaining to her dad that if you fix a ball mark
immediately after it's created, it'll heal in two to three days,
compared to ignoring a ball mark which can take up to three weeks to heal.
If you think the Save the Greens campaign is having an impact now,
just wait two or three years.
By that time, I think the instances where you see people abusing putting greens will be few and far between.
That's how many lives are being affected by this movement.
Here, one of the best players in the world, Davis Love III, is explaining to players the importance
of fixing your ball mark as soon as you get to the green,
and reminding them not to ignore any other ball marks they may see in the same area.
When you come to the green, first place you go is the ball mark, not your ball.
Repair your ball mark and any others you see in the area.
It's our responsibility to leave the course better than we found it.
Elsewhere, a group is learning the basics of fixing a ball mark from Julie Engster.
This three-time U.S. Women's Amateur Champion plays on the LPGA Tour.
You take your repair tool or your tee.
You start from the outside working in.
Now bring the edges together with a gentle twisting motion, but do not, I repeat, do not lift the center.
Now smooth the surface over with your putter, or you can use your foot.
Now, am I done?
Yes!
And how can you tell when you're done?
When you have a surface that you would like to putt over.
Right. You know you're done when you have a surface that you would like to putt over.
You guys have done great today. Give yourself a round of applause.
One of the driving forces behind the Save the Greens movement is golfing legend
and three-time U.S. Open Champion, Hale Erwin, who often spends his entire off days preaching the Gospel of Greens etiquette.
When we caught up with Hale, he had already spent time showing one player how to put a golf bag down near,
but never on the putting surface because of the damage it can do to the green.
And right now, using some football analogies, he learned as a defensive back at the University of Colorado,
Hale was showing yet another group of golfers one of the finer points relating to greens etiquette,
marking a ball and staying off another player's putting line.
Avoid the putting lines of the other players. So avoid putting lines.
So come around. This person would come around. This person would come around.
Avoid in the putting lines. Very important.
PGA of America club professionals like myself feel that through training programs, clinics, and meetings,
we can continue to get the word out.
So even though it may appear that we're touching the lives of a small number of people,
I think our message will have an impact on a much larger scale.
As of now, the Save the Greens campaign shows absolutely no signs of slowing down.
Whether it's fixing ball marks with a repair tool,
handling the flag stick without damaging the putting surface,
placing golf bags away from the green,
or just knowing where each player's putting lines are,
the future for America's greens looks to be brighter than ever.
So the next time you're out on the golf course, try.
Try to do what you can to help save the greens for your fellow players,
and of course in keeping with the true spirit of the game.
Thank you.
Some people just don't know the little things to make the game a little faster,
and if they would learn those things, it would be much more enjoyable.
All you have to do is think ahead.
You must anticipate, and you know that if you hit the shortest ball,
then it's your shot, so you get there quickly.
When someone else is shooting without interrupting them, you prepare your shot.
You want to move along, because it's an enjoyable day, you want to walk and have a good time,
and so you don't watch everybody else's shots and marvel at them or how they did,
or you get to your ball, you're ready to go, you vision your shot,
you concentrate, once your turn to hit, you hit.
Life is very simple.
Mom, will you read this book to me?
Sure. This is one of my favorite stories.
Girls, why don't you come on over and we'll read the story.
Don't you think I'm a little old for a story?
Yeah, that is kind of cheesy.
Come on, girls. You're never too old for Mom to read you a story.
Good.
The story is a tortoise and the hare play golf.
The characters and circumstances you are about to see in this video are purely fictional.
They are not meant to resemble any real person's places or situation.
You be the tortoise.
No, you be the tortoise.
Hey, what's going on?
No, you be the tortoise.
No way.
Look, if I play the tortoise, I'm afraid that everybody's going to think that I'm actually a slow player.
Why don't you play the tortoise?
Okay, but I was hoping I could do without looking like a ninja.
A what? A ninja?
Tortoise.
Well, if you want people to take me seriously as the hare, this bunny costume might as well go.
As I was saying, the actions of the LPGA stars in this fairy tale do not at all simulate their actual behavior when they are out on the golf course.
Once upon a time there was a tortoise and a hare, and they both really enjoyed the game of golf.
The problem was they enjoyed it at two different speeds.
For the hare, who played quickly, maintaining a good pace of play was easy.
She just always made sure to be prepared when it was her turn to hit.
She figured out where her ball was, how many yards she was from the hole, and what club she was going to use well before it was her turn.
And if she were using a golf cart, the hare would bring several clubs to her ball before choosing the one she wanted to use.
The tortoise, on the other hand, didn't use her time as wisely.
She was never prepared to play when it was her turn.
She wandered up to her ball, waited too long to figure out her yardage and choose a club, and often forgot the most basic principle.
The person farthest from the hole should always be ready to hit next.
Hey, you're away. Are you ready?
Who, me?
Hey, Mom.
Isn't it kind of obvious that the hare hates the tortoise because she's so slow?
Oh, well, I think hate might be too strong a word.
You know, it's more like the hare is frustrated by the tortoise.
You know, who wants to play with a slow golfer?
On the par of fourth, seventh hole, the tortoise sliced one into the forbidden forest.
After the hare hit her second shot from the fairway, she looked over to the trees, expecting to see the tortoise.
It's been several minutes, the hare said to herself.
I hope nothing's wrong.
Anxious to find the tortoise, the hare headed toward the forbidden forest.
I can't find my ball. I think it's lost.
You've been looking all this time and you're just now deciding that it might be lost?
You really should have done that a few minutes ago.
You realize there are people playing behind us and we're probably slowing them down.
Gee, I'm sorry. What am I supposed to do?
Well, what you should have done is played a provisional ball from the tee when you realized that your first shot might have gone into the forest.
Provisional, what is that?
Okay, let's say you hit that last drive and thought it was in the woods or out of bounds.
You could have played a provisional or a second ball, then after looking for your first ball, if you didn't find it within five minutes, you could continue to play that hole with your provisional ball and incur a one-stroke penalty.
Wow, I didn't know that, but I can't go back to the tee now. There's already groove waiting there.
In fact, shouldn't we let them play through?
Yeah, that's a good idea.
You know, lost balls and lots of other information are covered in The Rules of Golf, a booklet published by the USGA. You might want to look it over.
Yeah, I guess you're right. It seems like I have a lot to learn. I'll keep it in my bag from now on.
Once you become more aware of the rules of golf and the pace of play, you'll be a lot more fun to play with.
Yeah, I just had no idea that pace of play was so important, but now that I know, I'll always be prepared to hit when it's my turn.
I limit the time I spend looking for lost balls, and I'll be aware of how my pace of play is affecting the players behind me.
And so, the tortoise and the hare continued their round, and because the tortoise's pace of play was no longer an issue between them, from that day forward, they were able to play golf happily ever after.
The end.
That's it? That was pretty lame.
Well, it was a fairy tale about golf and pace of play.
Whatever, Mom.
Where are you girls going? Just be home in time for dinner, please.
No problem. Now that we know about pace of play, we'll be home in plenty of time.
Alright, bye. I think they got the point of the story, and I hope you did too, in the true spirit of the game.
You know, I wouldn't trade being a professional caddy on a PGA tour for anything, but I must admit, sometimes it's hard to keep my work and my everyday private life separate.
Ma'am, let me help you with this.
Oh, that's alright, I've got it.
No, no, I'd be happy to do this for you.
Now, don't get me wrong, I'm grateful to have a job that I love.
Excuse me, which pair do you think goes better?
I'd go with the white ones. I think they say a lot more about fashion than the other ones do.
Yeah, I think you're right. Thank you.
You're welcome. But I'm starting to worry that the work I'm doing as a caddy just might be influencing the way that I relate to people, even when I'm not on the golf course.
Excuse me, how do you get to the highway from here?
Actually, it's only about 2,800 yards from here. You make your second left up there at that corner, and from there it's only a pitching wedge away, especially since it's downwind.
Great, thanks.
See what I mean? So now you can see why whenever I come out to the golf course to actually play around, I do what I can to keep it as different from work as possible.
And for me, using one of these is just about as different as it gets.
As a professional caddy, I've walked my fair share of yardage on the golf course.
Like everybody else, I think walking is the best way to truly enjoy the game.
But that doesn't mean I don't enjoy the convenience of a golf cart every now and then.
And for some players, like those who are unable to walk or who are physically challenged,
carts provide them with their only real access to the game.
Hey, look at this. We got him. We got him. We actually got Fluff on tape driving a golf cart.
Boy, wait until our fellow caddies see this. Fluff will never hear the end of it.
You know, golf carts may be quick and easy, but that doesn't mean you can drive them wherever you want to on the golf course.
In fact, the policies regarding where you're allowed to take your cart vary not only from course to course, but from day to day as well.
That's why, before you round, you should check in with the PGA professional or the golf shop
to find out what cart policies are in effect for that day's play.
Usually, it will be one of three situations.
Cart pass only, cart pass in roughs, which covers the 90-degree rule, or scattered anywhere.
No matter which rules might be in effect, most of the time you'll wind up parking your cart somewhere near your ball and then walking the rest of the way.
But before going to your ball, estimate your approximate distance from the hole and select several clubs
so that you don't have to go back and forth to the cart, which will slow your group down.
Whew! That was a close one.
But you know, I've got to admit, Fluff made some pretty good points out there
about not being able to drive your cart anywhere you want to on the golf course
and bringing along more than one club at a time.
Too bad that won't help him though when we show everybody this tape.
Ha ha ha! Yeah!
Come on, let's beat him to the green.
If you drive or park your golf cart in the wrong place on the course,
chances are you'll be doing some damage to the grass or maybe even a bunker.
Always follow cart paths, signs, and roped areas that help guide you around the course.
So remember, see what cart rules are in effect for the day you're playing and follow all the regulations.
You won't be able to drive a cart over every yard of the course,
so estimate your yardage and select several clubs before walking to your ball.
And keep the cart at least 30 yards away from a green or bunker.
Also, to help pace the play, try to park your cart around the green in the direction of the next teeing ground.
This will save time when your group is done with a hole.
Hey Fluff! Nice golf cart!
You guys, what are you doing here?
Wait, got one more line I want you to say.
Ready? Say, you got me! You got me!
That was fun, wasn't it? I enjoyed that, just getting out and having nice relaxing 18 holes.
Yeah, it was alright, but I'll tell you what, you made me a little bit nervous the way you were driving.
When was that then?
I can't remember exactly any one time, but your driving was just a little bit extreme for me.
Yee-haw!
Ah, okay, maybe when we were going down the hill at the 12th.
I thought you may have been just going a little too fast down that steep slope.
Really?
No, I'm thinking about it. That sharp turn on the 8th, you were going too fast then too.
For a minute there I thought we were driving in the Indy 500.
As you know, I just got a little nervous because I'm very cautious when I drive the cart, so it's no big deal mate, just forget what I said.
Okay. I mean that 8th, I remember that turn, I didn't think I was going that quick.
And I thought I was pretty careful there, two hands on the wheel, I was just going a little too fast.
In fact I thought it was pretty close to perfect.
You know, staying under control is the key to being safe.
Yeah, that and using plain old common sense.
And it's fairly obvious that you don't really want to drive the cart too close to a water hazard.
Or for that matter, where everyone should put their emergency brake on.
Golf carts do roll.
Good point, I really didn't mean to insult your driving.
Well, I think we both did.
I think we both did.
The main thing is safety out there on the course and if you're safe and being sensible, then you can enjoy it even more.
For most players, golf carts can be something of a luxury.
Let's face it, there's no easier way to make your way around a golf course.
But for those of us who have a tougher time walking and carrying our bags,
I think you can enjoy it even more.
These carts are more than a convenience.
They're a necessity.
Without them, we'd never be able to experience the emotions that even one round of golf can provide.
The same highs and lows that make you keep coming back for more.
While those of us who are physically challenged rely on golf carts a lot more than most golfers,
that doesn't mean we're exempt from any of the practices that Fluff, Allison, and Laura were discussing earlier.
Golf cart etiquette is part of the game that we're all used to.
The same way the chipping and putting are, and therefore should be practiced by every golfer,
physically challenged or otherwise, in the true spirit of the game.
Tag it along with my dad when I was a little kid.
He started me in the game when I was 11 years old.
He's also the one that taught me about where to stand, when to talk, when not to talk.
Tending the flags.
Breaking bunkers.
Not stepping in everybody's line.
It was very important that I did the right things at the right time on the golf course.
I would imitate him, and he never swears, he never throws clubs.
And I threw a club one time and he came across the fairway and told me,
That's it, you're done.
And he took my clubs away from me for a month.
In teaching my kids golf, the first thing I want to teach them is to respect the game and respect others on the golf course.
Teach them that they can have fun and follow the rules at the same time and it would be a great game for them.
The game of golf has always played a huge role in my life.
In fact, the Walker Cup match, a biannual amateur event, is named after my grandfather, George Herbert Walker.
Since my youth, golf has appealed to me because of the values it represents.
Principles like manners, courtesy, and respect, which have been at the very heart of the game since its invention almost 600 years ago in Scotland.
Invariably, golfers are expected to understand how important their behavior and manners are when they're out on the golf course.
You'll find no other sport that places a greater emphasis on the conduct of its participants.
The game is played with class. The game is played with manners.
You need to respect your fellow competitors, your partners, the people that are in your group.
It's almost like the golden rule, you know, do unto others as you would have done to you.
Well, that's the way it is in golf. I think it's the last sport in which that exists.
And when you learn that, then that means that you have respect for the game, respect for others,
and that you deserve to be part of this great game of golf.
Just because golf demands a certain level of conduct from its players doesn't mean that golfers don't have the same intensity, desire, and will to win that other athletes do.
Anyone who has ever played golf knows that competitive fire burns as brightly in this game as it does in any other.
But because golf places such an emphasis on the way players treat one another, you never see any taunting or finger pointing on the golf course.
That's just not what this game is all about.
Instead, you're likely to see honest displays of emotion that are born from some of the oldest principles of the game, sportsmanship and respect.
Throughout history, Summer Golf's biggest names have provided us with the best examples of how to behave on the golf course.
In 1980, even when Jack Nicklaus made this putt and won his record-tying fourth U.S. Open,
he still had the presence of mind to ensure that runner-up Isai Oki was given the opportunity to finish his round without interruption.
In all fairness, he had to have the ability to be able to finish that putt out.
And as soon as everybody started running on the green, I said, hey, wait a minute, wait a minute, this is not right.
I mean, this golf tournament's not over until this gentleman holds his putt.
I gave him all four days at the open. He had been a perfect gentleman for four days.
And he didn't like losing the tournament to me any more than I wanted to lose the golf tournament to him.
But when I won the tournament, I felt it was the right thing to do to make sure that he had every opportunity to do what he had to do.
On the final day of the 1997 U.S. Women's Open, Nancy Lopez and Allison Nicklaus went head-to-head for the championship.
Lopez chasing her first open victory, finished one stroke behind after missing this heartbreaking putt, which would have tied it on the last hole.
I appreciated her competition, that she gave me a run for my money. I loved it.
And, you know, I wanted to congratulate her because she played some great golf.
I think you kind of always have to put the shoe on the other foot. Wouldn't you want to be congratulated if you won?
I mean, that's how I feel about that.
Two great champions, Jack Nicklaus and Nancy Lopez, showing the world that whether in victory or defeat, one can always exemplify good conduct in gracious manners.
Today, golf's appeal spreads well beyond the ranks of touring professionals.
There are millions of amateurs all over the world just like me who've not only taken up the sport but are hooked on it.
However, anyone who enjoys playing the game must also respect it, regardless of where they're playing.
In 2002, the U.S. Open comes to the renovated Black Course at Bethpage State Park in New York.
This golf course is now one of the most respected public facilities in the world, not only for the pros but also for the countless thousands who tee it up every day
and wait all night long for the privilege to play there.
There's always been lines here at Bethpage. They come here and they've been coming here for years and years.
The people change, but they're here and they all enjoy the game of golf, but they wouldn't be here.
I got here at 3 o'clock in the afternoon yesterday.
The first tee off time is 7 o'clock, and this is what you have to do. You have to be there at 3 o'clock.
The second car, third car, and the fourth car came probably about 20 minutes later than that.
The earliest time that I know of someone arriving to play golf here at Bethpage was noon the day before for a 7 o'clock tee time the next day on the Black Course.
Those people that would put themselves through that, and it is sort of an ordeal, really enjoy and love the game. Otherwise they wouldn't do it.
Like Bethpage, Eastlake Golf Club in Atlanta has undergone a resurrection as well.
Once the golfing home of Bobby Jones, the man who epitomized sportsmanship in golf, Eastlake is now the centerpiece in a program which has helped restore a neighborhood,
while at the same time assisting young people in the life lessons that golf has to offer.
Every child can succeed. When children really want to do something constructive, just give them that opportunity.
I love golf. It's terrific.
We've taken a lot of children who were pretty much not reaching their full potential, making D's and F's, who were not setting goals.
We're not literally trying to just focus on children becoming competent golfers.
We're teaching them a lot of ethics and morals and values and all that we're doing using the carrot of golf.
Yes, good job.
When you walk down the course, it's literally between you and the course. You're not playing anyone else.
But that's kind of how life is. You're responsible for what happens in your life.
These children now know when they see a piece of paper, they know to pick it up.
They know now when they come out to the golf course, every divot you make, you fix.
Let's go! Let's go!
In golf, your behavior matters as much, if not more, than your final score.
It's been that way since the game's creation and will continue to be that way well into the next millennium.
As more and more people around the world begin to play, they too will learn what we who play golf already know.
The importance of showing respect for the sport in the true spirit of the game.
Let's go!
I hope this program gave you an insight into some of the most important aspects of golf
that are rarely mentioned. Everyone must consistently reinforce a basic appreciation for the game
and always remember it's a privilege to play. It doesn't matter whether you hit shots like
the pros or like a beginner. We all have a common link to the sport of golf, the spirit
of the game.
For more information or to become a member of the USGA, please call 1-800-345-USGA or
visit our website at www.usga.org.
The spirit of the game is playing great golf, enjoying the camaraderie of your foursome
and being respectful of everyone.
It's just to love the game and I enjoy going out there against all the odds, you know,
saying to myself, hey, it's me and this little white ball, you know, what you're going to
do today.
Maybe I even love striking a golf ball now, straight down the middle like I pictured,
you know, hitting the shot you pictured when you walk up to it. Better than I liked hitting
a home run when I played baseball.
I've always felt like golf is sort of like life in that right when you think things are
going great, you kind of hit a bump in the road.
It takes you from a great high to a great low, but if you stick with it, you're going
to find results that's going to be very, very satisfying.
Every day is different and it's a great game of integrity and you have to be very disciplined
to be successful.
You have to work at it, you have to really, really concentrate and you've got to have
respect not only for the game, but for the people you play with.
It's just a great sport to get to know people too, you know. You're out on the golf course
for four or five hours and, you know, there's plenty of time there where you get to talk
to people and learn about them as well.
Everybody can play on the same field with handicaps and the handicap system that they
have. You know, guys and women can play together and I just think it's a great game and it's
a challenging game that, you know, it's something that I'll play for the rest of my life.
The more you get involved in it and the more you learn to love it, then naturally the more
you're going to respect it.
I always try to look good. I always try to look like a golfer. I always have coins. I
always have tees. I always have a divot fixer. I always have a towel so my clubs are always
clean and I think it puts you in the spirit of the game.
It's an unbelievable game for life and you can play it for life and so when somebody
goes to take up the game of golf and play it, they're in for an unbelievable experience.