Three Golf Habits That Need A Penalty Stroke In 2026

Part of a foursome putts on the 10th green at the Cattails Golf Club in South Lyon on Wednesday, June 3, 2026. The golf course is being sold to a subdivision developer and this is the last week they’ll be open.Golf has a thick rulebook, yet players still miss the simple stuff. The game should penalize three specific habits that cost courses real time and money. These are not just minor annoyances; they are selfish acts that ruin the course for everyone else. Per MyGolfSpy, the top offenders include leaving divots unfilled, skipping bunker rakes, and scattering broken tees everywhere.Practice Swings That Dig Up TurfSome golfers take two or three full practice swings that rip out flounder-sized chunks of grass. Then they just walk away without filling the hole. This is bad for the turf and bad form. A practice swing does not need to tear up the ground to be effective. If you are taking chunks out of the tee box with your driver, you likely need a lesson. The course staff has to fix what you broke, and that takes time they do not have.The Rake Is Your Friend, Not TheirsLeaving a bunker unraked is a major problem. Once you escape a trap, smoothing the sand requires merely seconds. Yet some players refuse to grab the rake because they think it is too late in the day. One golfer even claimed he would not rake a trap because “the crew would handle it in the morning.” There was still a group behind him waiting to play. Raking a bunker should happen regardless of the time. You cannot complain about course conditions if you helped make the mess in the first place.Broken Tees And Scattered TrashMany players think broken tees are harmless, especially if they are made from biodegradable material. That is not true. Those little shards pile up fast on par-3 holes and can jam or dull the reel mowers. This costs the course real money to fix. Golf course superintendents know this and beg players to pick up the pieces. Most courses do not say, “Don’t worry about it—we’ll just clean up your mess later.” You should not expect the staff to clean up your carelessness while you play.Five Seconds Is All It TakesFixing these issues takes very little time. Logging bunker shots into a score-tracking app demands far more effort than spending five seconds to fill a divot.