The Office of Golf Standards

The Office of Golf Standards has monitored pace, attire, and decorum on American golf courses since 1894. We do not advertise. We do not solicit. We are told about you.

Most golfers will complete their playing careers without ever hearing from this Office. That silence should be understood as a compliment, and it is the only compliment the Office issues.

File a Complaint · Form C-1 I Received a Citation

Serving the golfing public since 1894 Correspondence by United States mail Complainant identities sealed · § 31.2 Proof approved by you before service

How Enforcement Works

Public Guidance Pamphlet No. 3

1. You FileSubmit Form C-1 with the offender’s particulars and a statement of facts. Your identity is sealed under § 31.2.

2. The Office ReviewsThe filing fee is collected at intake; a clerk then reviews your statement of facts. Frivolous complaints are not refused, merely noted.

3. The Offender Is ServedOfficial correspondence on cotton letterhead, by United States mail. The Office does not gloat. The Office documents.

Enforcement levels range from the Digital Citation ($7.99) to League / Group Enforcement ($99). Review the full schedule of enforcement →

Exhibit A · A Specimen of the Correspondence

Released Under the Office’s Transparency Doctrine

The Office maintains files on golfers in every jurisdiction where golf is played poorly, which is every jurisdiction. The specimen below is published with the respondent’s particulars redacted, the respondent having suffered enough. The Office notes, for the record, that it releases its files, and invites other custodians of sensitive materials to reflect on that.

A specimen citation from the Office of Golf Standards, particulars redacted

Actual correspondence: cotton letterhead, official seal, served by United States mail. Redactions per § 31.2. Commission one for a golfer you know →

Public Notices

Effective immediately, the practice swing shall be understood as a courtesy extended by your playing partners, not a right. See § 4.2.
The Office reminds members that a rangefinder confirms the distance; it does not improve the swing.
Cotton garments remain legal. The Office simply asks that you consider the group behind you, and the group behind them.
The Committee on Repeat Offenders is accepting new files. It is always accepting new files.

Services of the Office

Directory of Public-Facing Functions

File a ComplaintReport an offending golfer. Form C-1. Identities sealed; consciences cleared. Verify a CitationReceived correspondence? Confirm its authenticity against the public docket. File an AppealContest your citation before the Bureau of Appeals. Form F-2. Appeals vary; the outcome does not. Voluntary Offender RegistrySome golfers wait to be reported. Others know what they are. Form R-9. File a CommendationOn rare occasions, golfers conduct themselves creditably. Form K-3. The Office remains suspicious. The Historical RegisterNotable violations by public figures, maintained as a matter of record. The files remain open.