Etiquette -
Maintenance Personnel
We all know that it is considered "bad
form" to hit a ball towards another player, but you might be surprised
at how many times balls are hit toward the personnel who maintain the
course. I hasten to add that the vast majority of these are not hit
deliberately--meaning, with the intent to strike anyone--but many
maintenance personnel "are" hit each year, and we should do whatever we
can to avoid that.
One thing that we should all keep in
mind is that it is impossible for all maintenance to be completed before
the course opens for the day. The amount of time it takes to cut grass,
repair bunkers, etc. simply cannot be completed in the few hours from
daybreak to opening time. Therefore, maintenance has to take place while
players are on the course. The simple fact is that players and
maintenance personnel will meet each other on the course at some time or
another.
It's always to wise to remember that
maintenance personnel are usually concentrating on the task they are
performing at the time and, therefore, may not even see approaching
players. Many times maintenance personnel are using dangerous tools and
cutters and any distraction from their work could lead to serious
personal injury to them. Because they are often trying to get their work
done as quickly as possible to avoid delaying play, it is not possible
to ask them to stop their work so the player can play through. Doing
this would turn a 2 hour job into an all day chore and is simply not
practical.
Many times the course manager will have
the maintenance personnel begin work in reverse order. That means they
will start the morning on hole 18 and work their way back toward hole
number 1. On courses that do this, it is likely that players will meet
up with the maintenance crew at some point. When this happens it is more
timely and safe if the players pause long enough for the crew to pass.
If the crew signals for the players to continue, then players should
take their shots and move along as quickly as possible.
A little common sense and courtesy can
go a long way in preventing injuries or mishaps to maintenance
personnel. All players should be aware of their surroundings and if they
see a work crew on the course take the time needed to insure that no one
is put into danger. This is especially true when workers are using
hand-held cutting tools or mowers. It only takes a second for a worker
to maim himself.
In addition to the safety factors, crews
can get the work done faster if we let them do it.
Robert Partain has been an avid golfer
for over 40 years. He publishes a golf blog that is updated 4 times a
week with golf tips, techniques, and information:
http://www.golftipscenter.com
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