COURTESY ON THE COURSE
Course Etiquette

• Members shall make way for the Captains on the 1st Tee.
• Then player who is ready shall play first – Ready Golf – to speed up play.
• No one shall move, talk or stand close to or directly behind the ball or the hole when a player is addressing the ball or making a stroke.
• No player should play until the players in front are out of range.
• Your place on the course is one shot behind the match in front of you and not one shot in front of the match behind.
• If your match loses a full hole to the match in front (play has finished on the next hole by the time your match reaches the tee) and players in the match behind have been delayed while waiting for your match to move on, you are obliged to call the following match through.
• If in doubt about finding your original ball you should play a provisional ball. The decision is yours – not your opponent’s or fellow competitor’s.
• Players searching for a ball should signal for the players behind them to pass as soon as it becomes apparent that the ball will not easily be found. Do not wait for Three minutes before doing so. They should not continue play until the players following them have played and are out of range.
• When the play of a hole has been completed, players should immediately leave the putting green. Cards should be marked on the next tee box and not on the green. Again - Ready Golf - play before marking your card.
• Players shall obey at all times any instructions given by the Course Ranger who will have been previously authorised to act in that  capacity by the Committee of Management either for a specific competition or in respect for all competitions.

 
The Course
A.  The Committee of Management has delegated the authority to decide on whether the course should be open or not, taking account of prevailing weather conditions, to the following persons: Captain, Lady Captain, designated members of the Course Committee, Club Professional and the Club Assistant Professional.  The Committee of Management may also delegate this authority to other persons from time to time.
 
B.   The up-to-date position on the opening of the course is available on the        website or by telephoning the Pro Shop. Appropriate notices will also be displayed in the Clubhouse, near the 1st Tee and on the whiteboard outside the Pro Shop. The use of buggies and trolleys may be restricted to protect the course and appropriate notices will be displayed.
 
C.  Children are not allowed on the course. Junior Members, subject to their own regulations, are excepted.
 
D.  The use of foul or abusive language or unseemly behaviour is unacceptable.
 
E.  Guide Dogs are welcome in the Clubhouse.
 
Priority on the Course

• In the absence of special rules, two-ball matches should have precedence over and can be entitled to pass any three-ball or four-ball match.
• A single player has no standing and should give way to a match of any kind.
• Any match playing a whole round is entitled to pass a match playing a shorter round.
• Members are reminded that the above rules apply not only in competitions but in friendly matches.
• There shall be no “cutting-in” while a competition is in progress.

 
Striking a golf ball into a car park or the environs of the club house
 
Anyone who hits a golf ball into any of the car parks, the environs of the club house or pro shop, or the entrance avenue MUST report the incident to a staff member in either the Pro shop or club house as soon as possible after the event. By order of the Committee of Management.
   
PROTECTING THE COURSE 
All golfers must display a high level of care for fellow members and for our course. Most of the damage caused to the course during play can quite easily be repaired at the time by players
Tee Boxes.

• On no account may trolleys be brought or buggies driven on to the tee boxes.
• Divots on par three tee boxes should be repaired with sand from the boxes provided.
• If you must take a practice swing on the tee box, just take one.
• The blue tees are reserved for designated competitions only. No casual golf allowed from these markers.

On the Greens

• Always repair your pitch mark and those of others.
• Avoid dragging your feet on the putting surface.
• Lay, rather than throw or drop, the pin on the green and replace it carefully in the cup after completing the hole.
• Never lean on your putter when retrieving your ball.
• Never take a trolley or bag onto the green.  
• Practice chipping and pitching onto the greens on the course is forbidden.

 
On the Fairways.

• Always carefully replace your divots, add and fill with sand from sand bag.
• Obey all signs and instructions regarding G.U.R. etc.
• Follow pathways and avoid stepping over or under ropes erected to protect vulnerable areas.
• Replace any Red or Yellow marker posts, which you may remove to facilitate your swing, to their original position. White marker posts may NOT be removed in any circumstance - penalty of two strokes / or loss of hole in matchplay.

 
Bunkers.

• Rake all areas of the bunker that have been disturbed.
• Replace rakes in the middle of bunkers.
• Leave the bunker in a condition that you would expect to find it.

 
Practice on the Course.

• When practising on the course no player may play more than two balls. Practice chipping onto the greens is forbidden.
• Otherwise practice on the course is prohibited except in the areas designated as “Practice Areas” by the Committee of Management.

 
Driving Bay – Practice Facility
 
Rules are clearly displayed adjacent to the Driving Bay area and members should be familiar with and adhere to the rules. Under no condition should practice balls be removed from the practice area.                                  
 
Trolleys.

• Local notices regarding movement of trolleys must be strictly observed.
• Trolleys may not be taken into the clubhouse.

 
 Buggies

• Buggies may not be driven on to the aprons of greens or on to tee boxes.
• Buggies are available for hire to persons over 18 years of age , subject to availability.

 
 Mobile Telephones.

• While on the course Mobile Phones should be on silent and should not be used to make or receive calls except in case of an emergency.

 
Clubhouse and Car Parks.

• Golf equipment shall not be taken into or left in any of the upstairs rooms or the halls.
• No notice, document or advertising materials shall be displayed in, or removed from the clubhouse without the authority of the Committee of Management.

 Car Parking

• Car parking is entirely at the owner’s risk.
• Vehicles should only be parked in designated spaces.
• Reserved parking spaces are solely for the personal use of designated officers and officials.

 Lost and Found
Any unclaimed property left in the clubhouse will be removed and disposed of after 14 days.
 
Membership List.
The membership list may only be used for official club purposes.
 
Members are reminded that the object of these Rules and Etiquette is to enable all Members to enjoy the facilities of the course and clubhouse with minimum inconvenience to others and should be complied with in all respects.
All players shall observe the general regulations regarding courtesy, priority and care of the course as outlined in the Rules of Golf as approved by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews. (The local rules as detailed herein with regard to priority on the course shall, however, take precedence).