Golf
Golf is a outdoor game where each player plays his own
small ball into a hole using various clubs, or, as defined in the Rules of
Golf: "The Game of Golf consists in playing a ball from the teeing ground
into the hole by a stroke or successive strokes in accordance with the Rules."
Elements of a golf course
Golf is played by holes. It should be noted that "hole" can mean
either the actual hole in the ground into which the ball is played, or the
whole area from the teeing ground (an area of specially prepared
grass from where a ball is first hit) to the putting green (the area
around the actual hole in the ground). Most golf courses consist of 9 or 18
holes. (The "19th hole" is the colloquial term for the
bar
at a club house) For the shortest holes a good player requires only one stroke
to hit the ball to the green. On longer holes the green is too far away to
reach it with the first stroke, so that one or more strokes are played from
the fairway (where the grass is cut so low that most balls can be
easily played) or from the rough (uncut grass or ground not prepared
at all).
Many holes include hazards, namely
bunkers
(or sand traps), from which the ball is more difficult to play than
from grass, and water hazards (lakes, ponds, rivers, etc). Special
rules apply to playing balls that come to rest in a hazard which make it
highly undesirable to play a ball into one. For example, a player must not
touch the ground in a hazard with a club prior to playing a ball, not even for
a practice swing. A ball in a water hazard may be played as it lies or may be
replaced by dropping another ball outside the water, but a penalty is incurred
in the latter case.
The grass of the putting green is cut very short so that a ball
can roll over distances of several meters, and "to putt" indeed means to play
a stroke on the green where the ball does not leave the ground. The hole
must have a diameter of 4 1/4 inches (108 mm) and a depth of at least 4 inches
(101.6 mm). Its position on the green is not static and may be changed from
day to day. This hole on the green has a flag on a pole positioned in it so
that it may be seen from some distance (but not necessarily from the tee). It
is also termed "the pin" and a hole is measured from the tee to the pin,
usually in yards.
The borders of a course are marked as such, and beyond them is out of
bounds, that is, ground from which a ball must not be played. Special
rules apply to certain man-made things on the course (obstructions)
and to ground in abnormal condition.
Every hole is classified by its par. The par of a hole is defined
by the distance from tee to green. Typical values for a par three hole range
from 130 to 230 yards (120-210 m), a par four hole from 300 to 475 yards
(275-435 m), and a par five hole from 450 to 600 yards (410-550 m). Par is
also the theoretical number of strokes that an expert golfer should require
for playing the ball into any given hole. The expert golfer is expected to
reach the green in two strokes under par (in regulation) and then use
two putts to get the ball into the hole. Many 18-hole courses have
approximately four par-three, ten par-four, and four par-five holes. The total
par of an 18-hole course is usually around 72.
At most golf courses there are additional facilities that are not part of
the course itself. Often there is a practice range, usually with
practice greens, bunkers, and a driving area (where long shots can be
practiced). There may even be a practice course (which is often easier to play
or shorter than other golf courses). A golf school is often associated to a
course or club.
Play of the game
Every game of golf is based on playing a number of holes in a given order.
A round typically consists of 18 holes that are played in the order determined
by the course layout. On a nine-hole course, a standard round consists of two
successive nine-hole rounds.
Players usually walk (or sometimes drive) over the course in groups of two,
three, or four, sometimes accompanied by caddies who carry the
players' equipment and assist in playing. Each player has to play one ball
from the tee to the hole. Once every player has brought a ball into play, it
is always he or she whose ball is the farthest from the hole who is to play
next. When all players of a group have completed the hole, that player who
scored best on that hole has the honor, i.e. the right and duty to
tee off first on the next.
Each player acts as marker for one other player in the group, that
is, he or she records the score on a score card. In stroke play (see
below), the score consists of the number of strokes played plus any penalty
strokes incurred.
The two basic forms of playing golf are match play and stroke
play. In match play, two golfers (or two teams) play every hole as a
separate contest against each other. The party with the lower score wins that
hole, or if the scores of both players or teams are equal the hole is "halved"
(drawn). The game is won by that party that wins more holes than the other. In
stroke play, every player (or team) counts the total number of strokes for a
set number of holes and the party with the lower total score wins. There are
many variations of these basic principles, some of which are explicitly
described in the "Rules of Golf" and are therefore regarded "official".
Types of shots
To hit the ball, the club is swung at the motionless ball on the ground (or
wherever it has come to rest) from a side-stance. Many golf shots make the
ball travel through the air (carry) and roll out for some more
distance (roll).
- A tee shot (drive) is usually made with a driver
(i.e. a 1-wood) and the ball on a wooden tee. A tee shot should give the
ball a long and rather shallow flight plus long roll.
- A fairway shot is similar to a drive when done with a
fairway wood. However, a tee may not be used once the ball has been
brought into play, therefore playing from the fairway may be more difficult
depending on how the ball lies. If precision is more important than length
(typically, when playing on narrow fairways or approaching a green),
irons are usually played from the fairway. Irons or wedges are also
often used when playing from the rough.
- A pitch is a high approach shot that is played over shorter
distances around the green. A pitch makes the ball fly high and roll very
little, stopping more or less where it hits the ground. Pitches are usually
done with a wedge.
- A bunker shot is played when the ball is in a bunker (sand
trap). It resembles a pitch and is done with a wedge.
- A chip is a low approach shot where he ball makes a shallow
flight and then rolls out on the green. Chips are done with a wedge or
"short" (higher-numbered) iron.
- On the green itself, putts are played where the ball does not
leave the ground at all.
Every shot is a compromise between length and precision, as long shots are
inevitably less precise than short ones. Obviously, a longer shot may result
in a better score if it helps reduce the total number of strokes for a given
hole, but the benefit may be more than outweighed by additional strokes or
penalties if a ball is lost, out of bounds, or comes to rest on difficult
ground. Therefore, a skilled golfer must assess the quality of his or her
shots in a particular situation in order to judge whether the possible
benefits of aggressive play are worth the risks.
There are several possible causes of poor shots, such as poor alignment of
the club, wrong direction of swing, and off-center hits where the clubhead
rotates around the ball at impact. Many of these troubles are aggravated with
the "longer" clubs and higher speed of swing. Furthermore, the absolute effect
of a deviation will increase with a longer shot compared with a short one.
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