course. Steer carefully around the puddles
and the cart, the course, and you are more
likely to be OK. And just because you see
someone else pretend he’s on the flume
ride at the amusement park, doesn’t mean
you have to make your own waves.
10.
5.
Ropes and stakes are not there to create an
obstacle course for you to have fun driving
over, around and through. They are there to keep
you safe and keep the turf healthy.
6.
Same with speed bumps, curbs, and rumble
strips. They are there to get your attention
and keep you safe. And stone-risers on a curve
and by the greens are not there to tell you when
it’s time to leave the path and go closer!
7.
90 degrees means 90 degrees! Golfers who
drive on the course after aerification, Fraze
mowing, a rain event or other anomalies are
asked to go straight over and straight back for
a reason. No meandering, no venturing into a
“cone of uncertainty.” And in case you’ve forgot-
ten your high school geometry, 90 degrees is a
right angle, a straight line to your ball and back.
Right angles are not 70 degrees or 110 degrees.
8.
Having a special flag on your cart does not
give you permission to drive across the put-
ting green or through puddles and native areas.
It’s supposed to mean you have a legitimate
disability, which allows you some special privilege
and leeway. How much is simply common
sense? Don’t roll over the flower beds
or take a tour of the bunkers. Don’t park
with one tire on the green and don’t drive
through the fine fescue. Stay as close to
the paved surface as possible and do not
venture into any protected areas.
Signs that ask you to “Enter Here” and
“Exit Here” along the cart paths are
there for a reason. Yes, the superintendent
is trying to make his life easier, but he’s
doing that so the course doesn’t take the brunt of
bad driving.
11.
Driving over sprinkler heads and next to
fairway bunkers can cause a lot of damage,
which means repair and maintenance, with the
costs, ultimately passed on to you, the golfer.
12.
If you’re looking for a ball, don’t park the
cart at the furthest point and walk back,
abandoning the cart and ignoring players behind
you. If there are two of you in the cart, one of you
should get out and walk while the other searches
in the cart. And when you do find the ball, leave
your cap, towel or head cover close by so you
don’t have to search all over again after getting
a club. Not only will you do less damage to the
course, but you’ll help speed up play.
13.
Keep your legs and feet in the cart. You’d
be surprised how many legs and ankles are
broken every year by getting caught between
the cart and the curb. Watch out for overhanging
branches, too.
9.
Water is going to collect in low spots,
but that doesn’t mean you have to drive
through everybody of standing water on the
DECEMBER 2018
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