The Ettiquetteist: Why you shouldn’t feel guilty about playing golf in these trying times

Golf is an ancient game, but guilt is even older.

Too bad the two often go hand in hand.

For every duffer who takes to the tee with a clean conscience, there are untold others who go about their rounds with the nagging sense that they should probably be doing something else.

Like, say, spending time with family, or advancing their careers. You know, trivial stuff like that.

While these conflicted feelings are nothing new, they have now taken on a new a dimension.

Given the current climate, the question is: should we feel guilty about playing golf at all?

In many cases, matters of golf etiquette are at least loosely covered by the Rules of Golf; we can look to the governing bodies for some guidance.