14 pieces of private golf club etiquette you need to know

Whether you’re the inviter or the invited, your goal for a day at the club is simple: seamlessness.

Here are 14 pieces of etiquette for the next time you head to a private club, whether you are a host or a guest.

If you are the host …

1. Email or text the guest a link to the club with directions, policies, etc., highlighting anything unusual.

2. Pick a specific time and place to meet to minimize any guest anxiety or bumbling around. 

3. Consider covering all expenses for the day — or make explicit what tips the guest may cover, how and how much. 

4. Let the public-facing club staff know your guest’s name and ETA, so greetings can be personalized. 

5. Have a handful of interesting (but not braggy) club facts or historical anecdotes at the ready. 

6. Be generous with putt concessions! 

7. Ask the guest if they’re at all pressed for time post-round. If so, call the restaurant and have them start preparing the meal to eliminate a 19th hole wait.

If you are a guest …

1. Arrive on time or a touch early (but not, like, the day before). 

2. Always err on the side of formality. Tuck in your shirt and take off your cap in the clubhouse. 

3. To the fullest extent possible, put away the cell phone. Be present. 

4. Your pace of play (brisk) is important, while your quality of play isn’t. 

5. You are a reflection of your host, so  … fix divots and ball marks, be polite to staff and tip generously in cash wherever possible. 

6. Keep any and all critiques to yourself. 

7. An effusive post-round thank-you, replete with a compliment or two about the club, should be followed with a written note  … and an invite to your club, or to dinner, or however you can best reciprocate.