Do TOUR Pros Avoid Shooting Course Records When They’re Not a Member?

I can’t imagine being so good at golf that shooting a course record could potentially turn into a problem. I’d face that backlash any day of the week. But according to Pro Shop president and my boss, Chad Mumm, there’s an unwritten rule among professionals that you shouldn’t break a course record at a track you’re not a member of.

Mumm replied to a tweet on Thursday saying that he had a mid-level TOUR player out at his home club, and after a 28 on the front nine, he didn’t finish the back because “he wanted to go to dinner.” When someone replied to that tweet saying it’s “bad form for tour pros to shoot a course record at a course that they are not a member of,” Mumm said it’s one of his favorite “unwritten rules” between TOUR players.

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He also recalled a time when Fred Couples was out at Mumm’s home club, and picked up a birdie putt on 18 and shook everyone’s hand instead of finishing out.

It might be frowned upon, but if I were that good, I’d be posting course records all across the country—and Justin Thomas agrees with me.

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Replying to Mumm, JT said, “Never heard of that one…promise you won’t find me tanking it anywhere.” Now that’s a player with a dawg in him.

To me, I think it would be pretty sweet to hear that Scottie Scheffler had Xander Schauffele down for a round at his home club in Texas, and in one day, Schauffele captured the course record. That right there is bragging rights.

Competition is always a good thing, boys! Go out there and break any course record you want. Not for yourself, but for those of us who have no hope of ever getting our name on a clubhouse wall.