Golf Course Etiquette??

[Mark1]

I have been asked to shoot a golf tourney. I was wondering if there is any coarse etiquette that needs to be followed. I do not play/follow/care about golf. But as this is a fund raiser for the school my girls go to, so I was asked, and could not say no. The organizer is the P/T commitee and have no clue themselves.

The obvious stuff I can figure out, like dont go in front of somebody who is about to tee off. But that is about the extent of my knowledge of golf etiquette.

ANY help is apprecieated.

[Mu Eugene]

You could call the country club and ask for some pointers. Packing a 70-200mm or a telephoto with a decent reach would be a good idea to provide a comfortable distance for both the player and the photographer. It's the noise that is not appreciated at the critical moment (which for the golfer and the photographer, it's one and the same and therefore in conflict with each other) so the more distance you can give to alleviate the shutter noise, the better.

Like any other sports event, monopod over tripod.

Add a wideangle or a wideangle/standard range zoom for group shot at the clubhouse.

Whatever you do, follow the course etiquette, not coarse etiquette. ;)

[FlyingPhotog]

This LINK (http://www.usga.org/etiquette/tips/Golf-Etiquette-101/) is geared more toward playing etiquette but the where / where not to stand and such is still applicable. The biggest no no is to rip off a bunch of frames during the backswing and before contact with the ball unless you're really a long, long ways away from the player. Like 500-800mm lens away from the player.

If you are given a cart, do NOT drive it near tees, greens or sand traps and it's usually best if you drive at a 90 degree angle going from one rough to the other before parking. Avoid driving long distances directly down the fairway. Avoid driving sideways on steep slopes (carts can roll over!!!) Watch for soft spots (usually outlined in white paint) and always, Always, ALWAYS use the parking brake. The cart you keep out of a water hazard may be your own.

Photo Gallery (http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-tours-news/golf-masters/2010-04/photos-2010-masters-r4#slide=1) from this past weekends Masters might give you some angle ideas.

[JAZZ D.P.G.]

Having done this duty:
Shutter noise is the worst offender during set up and swing, it breaks the golfer's concentration. The further away the better. Do not rip off a series during the swing. If you have 500+ then you may be far enough away.
Safety. those little balls hurt! Always consider that not everyone can hit like a pro, and will occasional shank one. I've personally managed a 90 degree shank, straight sideways! Or so it seemed to the others on the foursome that were diving for cover.
If you are shooting from the front side, try to minimize your affect on the field of vision for the golfer. Squat, hide behind trees or bushes, etc.
Here is the second biggest item: Once the golfer starts into the setup and swing. DO NOT MOVE.

Remember, your taking pictures of the golf game, these are not models in a golf shoot.
Courtesy at all times.

[MikeFairbanks]

Watch the swings. Take the pictures a half-second after the club hits the ball. Getting a player with the club over his shoulder (after hitting the ball) is a classic shot. Like others said, never make noise during a player's swing until after the ball is traveling.

Don't talk when a player is about to swing.

If someone yells "fore" duck your head and cover it calmly. Don't look up. Getting hit with a ball is very rare.

If you walk on a green, make sure you don't walk between a ball and the hole. That's called crossing someone's line, and is considered very rude.

Don't pick up golf balls that you think are lost balls. Just leave them on the ground.

The longest clubs are called woods (they have fat heads), the regular ones are called irons (3-9), and the really short ones are called wedges (and the putter, of course).

Par is the number of shots a player is supposed to take to get the ball from the tee box to the hole. holes are four shots (par four), but some are three and some are five. Most won't get it in the correct number of shots. If it takes more than one or two shots extra to get the ball in the hole then that's called a "ah, crap!"