5 Golf Habits That Should Honestly Be Against The Rules (Updated 2026)

Golf has a rulebook thicker than most novels, so it’s no surprise that players get rulings wrong from time to time. But some habits cost nobody a penalty stroke and still annoy everyone around you. These are my top five. When this story first ran, you filled the comments with habits I missed, so I’ve added the ones you brought up most at the bottom.

Taking divots on practice swings

If your practice swing accidentally catches a little turf, it happens. But if you’re the kind of golfer who takes two or three full practice swings that dig up flounder-sized chunks of grass (and then don’t even fill them), you’re part of the problem.

The practice swing doesn’t need a big old chunk of earth to be effective.

While we’re on this topic, if you’re making a practice swing with your driver and taking chunks out of the tee box, you may want to take a lesson.

Leaving bunkers unraked

Why are we still having this discussion?

If you play out of a bunker, grab the rake. It takes just seconds to smooth the sand.

I once heard a golfer say he wasn’t going to rake the trap because it was late in the day and “the crew would handle it in the morning.” There was still a group behind him. Maybe I’m overthinking it but raking the bunker seems like something to do regardless of the time of day.

Not replacing or filling divots

Some courses ask you to fill your divot with a sand/seed mixture while others want you to replace it entirely. Most don’t say, “Don’t worry about it—we’ll just clean up your mess later.”

You can’t complain about course conditions if you’re part of the reason the fairways are a mess in the first place.

Maintaining great playing surfaces is hard work. Taking five seconds to fill a divot takes far less effort than logging your bunker shots into a score-tracking app.

Leaving broken tees scattered

You might think broken tees are harmless, especially if you are playing with something biodegradable, but golf course superintendents would beg to differ. Those little shards pile up quickly, especially on par-3s, and they make tee boxes look pretty bad.

More damaging than poor aesthetics is that broken tees can damage sensitive reel mowers used on tee boxes. They get jammed or dull the blades, costing the course time and money.

If there’s a tee tray, use it. If not, pocket it until you see a trash can.

Playing music at the driving range

Not everyone showed up at the range to hear your playlist.

I don’t enjoy music when I practice and I dislike it when I’m trying to focus. If I go to the range, I’m there to work on my game, clear my head and maybe make some progress. I can skip the Morgan Wallen.

Earbuds are a perfect fix for this. They are affordable and you can listen to the music of your choice while practicing. If you also like to bring your music to the course, the same applies. Unless the foursome can agree on music, it’s a no-go.

Habits you told us to add

When this story first ran, you filled the comments with habits I missed. These came up again and again.

• Not repairing ball marks. This was the most common addition by far, and I can’t argue with it. An unrepaired mark can take a long time to heal. Also, if you don’t know how to fix them correctly, it’s time to learn!
• Searching too long for a ball. Readers pointed out that five- and ten-minute searches are common, and a few called out golfers who go hunting in the waste area when their own ball is in the fairway. Save the ball safari for when nobody is waiting behind you.
• Playing tees that don’t fit your game. If you carry your driver 175 yards, the back tees aren’t for you, and a group waiting in the fairway doesn’t help anyone’s pace. If you’re not sure where to start, use the chart I created to help you pick a tee.
• Cart habits that slow everyone down. Readers described riding in the cart until one player finishes and then driving to a ball 50 feet away, ignoring cart-path-only signs, and parking at the front of the green while finishing a hole with the pin in the back.

Honorable mentions. Dragging your feet on the greens, leaning on your putter when you pick the ball out of the hole, raking your divot in the bunker but not your footprints, and teaching a beginner on a full, busy course.

Final thoughts – and one more idea

There are certainly other annoying habits of golfers but there’s one more that probably deserves a mention.

You start talking: “Well, on the first hole …” and suddenly you’re halfway through describing your 97 with play-by-play detail. Meanwhile, your golf partner nods politely but is obviously no longer listening.

It would take the most patient of friends to follow along with your 18-hole audiobook, unless you just shot a 69 or holed out from the fairway. Read the room. Golfers like talking about golf but that doesn’t mean we want the entire story of your round.

So let’s raise the bar a little. Save the turf, rake the bunker, pocket the tee shards, turn the music down and save your 18-hole recap and make it more of a highlight reel.