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Arnie's 10 Rules on Golf Etiquette

July 13, 2008

Robert J. Martineau of Nokomis, FL writes about our first "10 Rules" article, this one by Arnold Palmer "Good Golf Etiquette." He addresses Rule No. VI, which read, in part:

Your goal when driving a cart should be to leave no trace you were there.

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The article was well done but Rule # 6 on golf carts unintentionally raises a serious question he does not address. He states that "carts are very much part of the modern game" and that "they are used at most courses." True, but only in the United States. The rest of the world, and particularly in the United Kingdom and the rest of Europe, they are the exception rather than the rule.

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Rather than accepting carts as inevitable, attention should be given to limiting their use as much as possible.There are three major reasons for doing so: 1.The traditions of golf--golf was invented as a walking game and thrived for 400 years without carts. 2. Health--obesity of Americans has reached crisis level and one one of the best ways to exercise is walking. 3. Environment and energy--Every day there are hundreds of thousands of golf carts using gas or electricity that could be saved by walking.

Robert, you're right, of course; this is a walking game. But I'm afraid I'm with Arnie: Lots of golfers have decided otherwise. Let's make the best of it.

--Bob Carney