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Gediminas Mamkus

Golf coach and referee
Kaunas, Lithuania

Golf is a sport with a strong focus on the norms of behavior and etiquette. This is also published in the rules of golf: Rule 1.2 “Standards of Player Conduct”. All players are expected to play in the spirit of the game by: acting with integrity in all aspects of play; showing consideration to others; taking good care of the golf course. When working with both children and adults, coaches emphasize this all the time, especially for beginners. I am always fascinated by the golfing atmosphere, including competitions too. Despite the fact that 3 or 4 players playing in one group are competitors and compete for a higher place in the tournament, during the game, they sincerely congratulate each other on a great shot or a good score on a hole, help to search for ball, ask to remove or attend the flagstick on the putting green if someone is about to make a stroke, do not disturb each other with their movement or other actions, and after finishing the game, shake hands with each other and thank for playing together. I’ve been involved in golf for 19 years and I’ve been trying to remember at least one instance of bullying when I was still playing myself, working as a coach or a referee. I couldn’t remember anything like that. Very rarely, conflict situations or cases of dishonesty occur, which may result in disqualification. However, there are many cases in golf in Lithuania too, when after breaching the rule, players applying penalties to themselves even though no one would have noticed, or they even disqualify themselves. All of it creates a wonderful atmosphere of trust and makes golf attractive, maybe that is why conditions for emergence of bullying are unfavorable in this kind of sport.