Etiquette on empty course - and practicing putts

The course I decided to play on yesterday was empty - all the holes. I’m a member and we don’t pay to play after paying the annual fee. It was twilight golf and if the pro shop is shut we can just go out and tee off as a member.

There is a tight loop on the course of four holes that you could play over and over very fast. I can play 16 holes an hour, maybe more, on this loop on an empty course (I know the course and greens very well at this point). The good thing about the holes is they test all aspects of my game, I only really need to play these four to improve.

Is it bad etiquette to do this or perfectly fine if I do this if the course is empty (and me being a member)? I still make sure I replace all divots and repair all pitch marks and follow golf etiquette. Thoughts and opinions ?

Another thing. I want to learn the greens in more depth. Some have strange breaks due to the grain and patchiness of the greens - it isn’t a well kept course. Is it poor etiquette to practice putting on a green for a lengthy period of time (course being empty) ? I’ve been thinking of making a green map for each hole - but I’ll only do that when it’s empty.

What do you think?

Thanks. HP

Go ahead and practice as much as you want on the course. If no one is around it’s a good time to map the greens.

Unless your club has a written rule prohibiting what you are doing, I personally don't see any problem so long as the course is truly empty and you aren't cutting in front of other players in order to do this four hole loop over and over. You may want to consult your club's annual handbook or whatever publication contains all the club's rules.

Perfectly acceptable practice. Just try not to hit 50 balls into each green. Too many ball marks. It’ll beat up the greens no matter how well you fix them.

Also don’t take a bunch of divots in the same place.

Other than that, if you’re going to play 1-ball, that’s why a season pass is so valuable. It saves money from not having to go to the range and you can go out, play 4 holes, or 8, or 3, and just leave. You’ve already paid for the golf in advance. Every time you go out, you depreciate the per round cost of the membership.

> @Augster said:

> Perfectly acceptable practice. Just try not to hit 50 balls into each green. Too many ball marks. It’ll beat up the greens no matter how well you fix them.

>

> Also don’t take a bunch of divots in the same place.

>

> Other than that, if you’re going to play 1-ball, that’s why a season pass is so valuable. It saves money from not having to go to the range and you can go out, play 4 holes, or 8, or 3, and just leave. You’ve already paid for the golf in advance. Every time you go out, you depreciate the per round cost of the membership.

I do only play one ball. I should have said that. As for the putting practice / green reading I’ll do that after I have putted out and finished the hole. On rare occasion I take a practice mulligan if I’m in an unusual spot like a very sloped lie, but that’s very rare.

Thanks for the other replies too. I might double check the course members handbook again to be sure but I think last time I looked I found no info on either of these points .

Thanks for the replies. I should have said I only play one ball in all circumstances off the green.

The only time I introduce a second ball is on the green for practicing putting sometimes.

It’s common place on my course for singles to use multiple balls, but I don’t do it. It isn’t a method that works to improve my game on the course, I like playing the holes properly as practice. The only time I’ll introduce a second ball is on the putting green and on very rare occasions (if I am in a very unusual spot - for example 70 yards out on a severe downslope, something I can’t work out on a range how to play - again I would only do it on an empty course and I can only remember 3 instances all year doing this)

I see no issue with what you do on an empty course, especially as a Member.

> @ArtMBgolf said:

> I see no issue with what you do on an empty course, especially as a Member.

Somebody finally had a word earlier this year with one of our members who had taken to going out late in the day, picking a hole where nobody was around, and proceeding to make like 15-20 cluster divots right next to either the 100-yard marker for the 150-yard. I don't actually know who the offender was or I'd have said something myself.

I don't know how he reacted when confronted but frankly I hope he quit the club. Good grief. It had gotten where every week you'd see one or two fairway that he had turned into a private driving range. Makes you wonder how someone could be that clueless.

I don’t see any problems in what you’re doing so long as you don’t cluster divot or hit your entire shag bag of balls into each green.

I would consult the bylaws and club rules. Don’t want to run afoul of them if they probity such play.

Such a weird/odd topic to post. Obviously if you are alone on a golf course you can do basically whatever you want out there as long as you aren't damaging the property. Why would that not be the case???

OP, you really needed help with this?