Imagine getting an email from your home golf club saying, “You were observed not raking the left green side bunker on 4 yesterday. As a consequence, and in line with your conditions of membership, you will be subject to a €1000 fine.”
Or a similar one fining you €500 for not replacing a divot on the 2nd fairway, swiftly followed by another three for the other three times you did the same thing yesterday either through ignorance or simply not being arsed.
But at least you seem to have got away with tomahawking that club across the 16th fairway and the symphony of swear words that accompanied that little childish outburst.
You couldn’t?
Well, think yourself lucky because this is what happens on tour should you get caught doing, or not doing, any of the above. Oh, and there’s basically no right of appeal. Your credit card gets debited and that’s the end of it until the next time.
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Tour golfer fines are brutal – let’s introduce them to club golf
It might seem harsh, but personally I’m all for introducing the same system at my home course. Certainly for the first two because on the evidence of the last time I played, our club would have been at least €10,000 better off by the time I birdied our 9th and every little helps.
There were divots lying around everywhere. A herd of elephants appeared to have been through the bunker short of our 2nd hole, of whom none had bothered to use the rake afterwards, despite it actually being in the bunker.
Then there were the pitch marks which meant every par 3 green looked like a teenager’s face. I’d hazard a guess it’s the same at your club too. Sadly though our club, like every other club in the world, doesn’t fine the ignorant and the selfish in the way the tour fines its members should they ever do this kind of thing.
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That means the ignoramus’ at my club continues to think it’s someone else’s job to put their divots back, rake bunkers and repair pitch marks.
Unfortunately for them though, I continue to see them and have a right go every time I do. Unashamedly playing the “Excuse me, I’m a tour caddy and on tour …” card as I give them both barrels.
It’s just a shame I can’t fine them too.
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Did you know about the brutality of tour golfer fines? What are your thoughts on the much-debated divot rule in golf? Tell us on X!
