Precisely.

Other than a few outings on the championship courses, my wife and I play the executive courses exclusively. It is a mixed bag to say the least: some good golfers, many not-so-good and even some raw beginners. Of course they're expected to know the basics (which are posted at every starter shack) but I don't get my undies in a bundle if there are infractions here and there. I've seen an individual player with a slow foursome in front of him playing two balls: (no problem as he wasn't slowing play down), some horseplay (we were in a foursome with two guys whose idea of fun was to try to disrupt the other when putting--they didn't do it with us so, again, no problem), heard the occasional utterance of a curse word or two--sometimes quite loud, etc. etc. I've only said something to other players twice: once to ask the foursome in front of us to move ahead when they decided to park their carts under a tree adjacent to a green on Chula Vista to wait out a minor shower and not moving when it was over, and once when a player had his pull cart on the green. It was cordial both times, and both thanked me.

I can understand strict adherence to a code of conduct when playing a championship course. For the most part only serious golfers play on them, in my experience. But the people on the executive courses are there to have fun.

Oh if only I could exercise free speech here but I know I'll end up in time out.

A little courtesy goes a long way
 

I am happy to see the preceding suggestions for more courteous play. The comments above address one of the more aggravating scenarios, which I observe very often here (especially when I have some other fun activity I'd like to do right after playing golf & wish everyone could play a little faster). When your group has finished a hole move on immediately - you will have time while waiting on the next tee to replace/rearrange gear in your bag or discuss how well you just played that hole. I know there are many very new golfers here, & etiquette mistakes are going to happen. Good golf manners are pretty simple: try to be thoughtful of other players, apologize if you realize you inadvertently just did something really annoying, keep the pace of play, repair your ball marks, rake your bunkers, thank our staff & enjoy being here.

No one wants to prevent anyone from having fun. But people who don’t follow a basic code of etiquette are infringing on other people’s fun. One can have fun without being rude.
If a person at a square was drunk, bumping into people and screaming profanities while dancing, would anyone say “They’re just having fun”? It’s the same thing in golf and many other activities.
In bowling, the person on the right goes first. You wouldn’t throw a bowling ball into another lane because it’s fun. You wouldn’t toss a cue stick onto a table while someone else is shooting pool.
This is simple common courtesy. It has nothing to do with rules or players abilities.

Why is it in football the fans shout at the top of their lungs either to encourage their team or make it difficult for the opposing team player to hear the play call. This is accepted etiquette. In the sport of golf the fans are expected to hold their breath until "premadonna" player strikes the ball then one can shout "in the hole". Who gets to make up these so called rules of etiquette ?

I golf for the exact same reason I fish. I don't do either to actually play golf or go fishing. They are simply excuses for drinking.

Golden Rule: Most important thing in golf is taking birdie shots. Preferably moonshine. Golfing itself is secondary. More like tertiary. Probably even less than that. It's:

1. Birdie Shots;
2. Cruising around in golf carts;
3. Hanging out with buddies;
4. Having cigars;
5. Being outdoors;
6. Not doing "honey-do's;"
7. Maybe golf.

Probably the same folks who made up the rule that you hold a door open and allow the woman behind you, to walk through first.

.... or maybe the rule that says you're supposed to put the toilet seat back down?

.... or the rule that says you can't walk into a restaurant, naked.

They're old "rules" and if you live in The Villages, you're not going to live long enough to see them changed.

Football, baseball, tennis and many others are what are called reactive sports. Golf is a proactive sport. You'll find that fans are quiet when bowlers and billiard players play and while tennis players are serving. Those sports require a different type of concentration that reactive sports.

An exception is when basketball players are shooting foul shots. In that case it's team again team and the fans of the opposing team are trying to distract the player. That has become acceptable in basketball.

In golf, there are no teams. A certain behavior of both players and fans has become acceptable. From the beginning, golf was a gentleman's game. You never root against your opponent. If you lose, you thank your opponent for the competition and shake hands.

There is also a difference when there is a constant noise such as in a football game. if you play golf next to a busy highway, that noise wouldn't be bothersome. Someone suddenly yelling as you're trying to make a four foot birdie put is distracting.

Anyone that has played golf for any length of time has come to expect certain behaviors from others on the course. If you haven't played golf, you may not understand this but golf is a game with a long history and traditions. Some people who are learning the game don't understand or don't care. But if you don't care, then you simply don't care about other people.

By the way, I'm no prima donna but it would disturb me if someone walked behind me as I was starting my swing or if I were trying to make a four foot birdie putt. This code of etiquette applies to everyone, not just tour players.

Or rake the sand traps!

Great reminders on how to be respectful of other golfers and to keep up with the pace of play. It’s sad to see that some people are so self centered that they seem to feel like they don’t need to follow these sensible rules.

I remember years ago, my wife asked me "Why do you like golf so much? You're gone for 6 hours!"

My confused facial expression must have been quite amazing, because she then replies, "Oh, never mind..."

I love it when they can answer their own questions!

True however I get observe countless violations every day in the land of entitlement.

Hole 16 on Waste Management one of the most popular on the tour of a waning sport seems to be a fan favorite. Perhaps the PGA stopped holding those quiet please signs up and encouraged cheering for your player (singular) the sport would be growing instead of declining and they would not have to keep looking over their shoulder and strategizing over LIV. As a side note here in TV most courses have tee times 8 minutes apart. The courses are booked solid everyday - all day. If people were not playing eight minute holes the tee times would keep getting backed up more and more as the day progresses. Not the case. The place runs like a fine tuned fiddle. Where is all the need to speed up play ?

Executive courses and short par threes should take LESS time. 6 Minutes per hole is sufficient. Get to the ball, hit the ball a few times, pick up, go to next hole.

I can see why you might make the mistake of thinking that players must play a hole in eight minutes. In fact that it only true on par three holes. On other holes players only need to drive, hit their second shots and get out of the way for the next group to tee off.
But yes, they should have wider spacing of start times on any course that has a par three as the first hole.
The 16th at Phoenix is a one off novelty. The same thing happened in the Ryder Cup a few years back. But in both cases, the noise was constant. There was not a sudden yell or golf cart starting up breaking a relative silence.