Unwritten Practice Range Etiquette Rules

While some of the standards have evolved over the years, golf remains a game of etiquette.

That doesn’t mean it has to be stuffy and uptight. The etiquette portion, for the most part, refers to common courtesy of other golfers and the course itself. It represents the things you do to ensure the game moves quickly and safely while respecting those around you.

We tend to think of etiquette as how you conduct yourself on the course but it extends beyond that. There is etiquette throughout any facility, including the practice range.

Some parts of practice etiquette are unique to being on a driving range—or more heightened on a range—so I put together a list of previously unwritten practice range etiquette rules.

Airplane Rules For Conversation

When you are on an airplane, the common rule of thumb is that conversation should be held to a minimum. Everyone is sharing the same space so talking excessively during a flight is unnecessary.

Driving ranges should be the same way. Of course, you can interact with people and talk—but don’t stand around yakking on the phone for 15 minutes or have a lengthy and loud conversation with your buddy. Don’t blare music.

There are people at the range who are trying to get better. They are trying to concentrate. Or they want to be out practicing without loud distractions. Just be understanding of those people.

Yes, there are instructors giving lessons on the range. They normally go to a separate area or are on the far end of the range for a reason.

Obviously, there are exceptions to this. If you are at Topgolf or a range where music is blaring, that changes the dynamic. And if you want that type of environment, seek it out. There are plenty of options there.

Be Cognizant Of Where You Are Hitting

This one has several layers to it when it comes to practice facilities.

Step One is to never go out onto the range ahead of the teeing ground. If you break a clubhead or want to grab a tee that flew ahead of you, be 1,000 percent sure nobody is hitting. Ask people to stop hitting or ask an employee for help. Never assume people see you.

Step Two is to watch where you are hitting from. This includes people teeing up ahead or behind of a mat because they want to hit driver, people who are aiming at a far right flag but are struggling with the shanks and right-handed players picking the stall directly to the right of a left-handed player. Just know where you are hitting from relative to everyone else.

Step Three is to watch where you are hitting to—specifically, be wary of the back of the range. There are hundreds of ranges that end at 250 yards or another distance where driver can’t be hit. Maybe someone else is on the back of the range. Maybe one of the holes on the course cuts into the range and a golfer is looking for his ball. Just be aware.

Keep Linear Divot Patterns

This is one that even experienced players forget.

You are using a driving range that must be maintained. If you are hitting off of grass, that grass has to grow back at some point.

How you hit balls impacts how well that grass comes back. It’s such a small consideration so can we all please use linear divot patterns?

All that means is to take divots in a line, one after the other. If you can’t go forward or backward, start a new line with enough space so they don’t connect. The alternatives—like randomly hitting balls anywhere (scatter plot) or making one large square divot (concentrated)—are typically worse for the maintenance staff.

I get that a lot of practice ranges aren’t in great shape. All the more reason to help protect the grass as much as possible. Just do the best you can.

Don’t Try To Hit The Range Picker

I used to pick range balls in college. It’s actually a pretty nice gig. You put on headphones and zone out for awhile—until you get hit. Then it’s like someone blasting a shotgun right next to your ear.

It’s just kind of immature for anyone above 10 years old to take a shot at the picker, especially when the picker is within 50 yards of the teeing ground. Some young kid making minimum wage is just trying to do his job. Aiming at him is the equivalent of going up to someone at their office and hitting a gong as loud as you can while they aren’t looking. Like, can you not!

Yeah, sure, it’s fun to aim at a moving target. But there are flags to aim at and different creative games you can play.

Urinal Rules For Stalls

An unwritten rule for guys is that you don’t use the urinal next to a stranger if there are others available. There isn’t a reason to give someone less space when you have plenty of other options.

Driving ranges are packed these days but I maintain that it’s weird to walk up to a 30-stall range with two people hitting and use a stall next to one of them. It’s nice to be on an empty range hitting in solitude. Don’t invade someone’s space for no reason.

Obviously it’s not weird if you know that person. I’m just talking about if you are by yourself and walk up to a mostly empty range.

This applies to the practice green as well. If there is a green with five holes and only one person is using the green, you don’t need to putt to the same hole.

There can be some exceptions here. Maybe there is more grass or a better mat in a certain section of the range. Maybe you prefer a specific angle.

But, overall, give people space if you can afford it.

No Unsolicited Advice

This is as straightforward as it gets.

Nobody wants swing advice unless they ask for it. I don’t care how well you are hitting it and I don’t care how much someone else is struggling.

I get it. You are a three-handicap and some guy named Fred is seven feet away from you topping every shot because he is choked down to the steel. You could help him in 15 seconds. Please don’t.

Experienced golfers going to the range with a friend who is a beginner can offer to help if the beginner is interested. But, in general, no golfer wants unsolicited advice.

Shopping Cart Rules For Baskets

When you go to the grocery store, you should return your shopping cart to the appropriate place. And when you hit golf balls, you should adequately help clean up any mess you made.

That means pick up broken tees. That means return your basket to where you got it—or hand it to an employee. And while this is going above and beyond, I think it’s a nice touch to offer unused range balls to someone rather than leaving them. If you do leave them, have all the balls in the bucket rather than spilled out on the ground.

These are all just common courtesy best practices. You pick up your toys after using them.

Ranges have to be maintained. Baskets can be limited. Just be a good person.

Repair Ball Marks On Chipping Greens

We all tend to associate ball marks with longer shots into greens but marks can also be made with short game shots.

If you are hitting a bucket of pitch shots to a soft green, you could make a lot of ball marks. I would consider that before hitting and/or repair those ball marks when finished.

If you are on a busy short game area with a lot of people hitting, this may not be possible. Do the best you can with it.

Do you have any other items that should be included on this list?

The range should be a fun and welcoming place. These unwritten rules are just trying to keep it that way for everyone involved.

Let me know your thoughts below in the comments.

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