Speaking of: ... Etiquette ...

Before there's any misunderstanding right off the bat here: I'm not writing about tags on new clothes today, those are labels. Etiquette, on the other hand, means the right, the good behavior on the court. So there are no shopping tips to be expected here. But all kidding aside.

Yes, I know, I already wrote about bad manners in the previous article and that under the heading of "stress". Because it actually stresses me out when others can't behave on the court. The reason why I'm writing a sequel now is that I haven't mentioned all the stress topics yet.

If the last time was about missing Fore! calls and enervatingly slow playing flights, this time it's more about the golf course itself. Because you can show bad behavior even when using it, without another player being directly in sight.

Only on the grass, not at home

Let's start with the - for me - worst: Smokers. No, I don't have anything against smokers in general, even have to count myself among them as a cigarillo lover, unfortunately. But I do have something against smokers who behave on the pitch in a way they would never do in their own four walls.

Those who dispose of their cigarettes where they have just taken their last drag. On the tee, in the bunker, on the fairway or on the green. I've had to find butts everywhere - and it really upsets me. Because on every tee there are these little receptacles for smashed tees.

A tip: you can also sink the butt into it. It doesn't get in the way, it's in a good place, and the next time you empty it, it's disposed of without causing any damage. Broken tees, by the way, can also be disposed of - a free hint for all those who are lazy after a tee shot and like to leave the little wooden helper, once again smashed in two, as a souvenir for the following golfers. Tell me, are you also this messy at home?

What also drives me up the wall - often not present on golf courses in our latitudes - is an unraked bunker. How much ignorance is necessary to simply continue the round after hitting the ball out of the sand without doing the following player the small favor of smoothing the surface again?

Has your ball also ever come to rest in a very deep footprint? Then you know why that annoys me. As if hitting a bunker shot wasn't difficult enough. But since you are not allowed to put the club down, a ball position three centimeters below the sand surface is an additional obstacle and a big annoyance, which often shows up negatively later on the scorecard.

And a third point should be mentioned, another behavior that influences my blood pressure: Does the keyword "divot" mean anything to you? Not divot, that can be found on entirely different websites. I mean the piece of turf that often gets knocked out on a fairway swing and flies a little ways behind the ball.

Eliminate wounding

Much like raking after a bunker shot, golfers should do something to destroy this evidence of their game as much as possible. In other words, people, please, take a few steps, pick up the divot you hit out and put it back in the place where the turf, maintained with a lot of effort by the groundskeepers, was wounded when you hit it. Put it in, tamp it down lightly - and it's ready to grow back.

Taking these three little points to heart not only honors the work of those who make sure you can enjoy your hobby on a beautiful course. It also shows respect for everyone else who also loves golf and who also wants to enjoy a well-maintained course.

And finally, it helps me to keep my blood pressure so bearable that I can - still - do without lowering drugs. My gratitude will follow you forever.

In this sense: Have a nice game.

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