1-
History & Object
2- The Essentials (Scoring,
Competion, etc.)
3- Equipment
4- Course
Diagram
5- Glossary
of Golf Terms
The Essentials
Getting Started
A player is usually grouped
with 3 other golfers, forming
a foursome. A round of golf
typically consists of 18 holes
and starts on the Number 1 tee.
Players tee-off
to start, and with the exception
of short Par 3s, each hole begins
with a drive.
On the first hole, the players
decide the order that they will
tee-off. After the first hole,
the player with the lowest score
on the previous hole hits first.
After every player has hit his
first shot on each hole, the
player who is away,
or farthest from the hole, hits.
Game Length
The amount of time it takes
to complete a standard 18 holes
of play commonly referred
to as a round varies,
but the clock is not a determining
factor. An average round will
last about four hours.
Scoring
Standard scoring is calculated
by comparing total strokes—attempts
to hit the ball—against
what is par
for the course. Typically,
the par system determines how
many strokes it should take
an experienced player to reach
the green and then allows two
strokes to putt the ball into
the hole. Distance and difficulty
determine whether the hole is
Par 3, 4, or 5. For instance,
when the green is reachable
on the first shot, the hole
is Par 3. The longest holes,
usually 500 yards or more, typically
take 3 shots to reach the green
and are called Par 5s. Par 4s
make up the majority of the
holes and take two shots to
reach the green. Scores on each
hole are either under par, even
with par, or over par. Four
terms typically describe the
score on a specific hole: eagle,
birdie, par, and bogie. Two
strokes under par is an eagle;
the extremely rare feat of three
strokes under par is a double-eagle.
One stroke under par is called
a birdie.
Hitting the same number of strokes
as par for the course is called
even with par.
One stroke over par is called
a bogey,
two strokes over par is a double
bogey, three over par
is a triple bogey,
etc.
Cumulative scores are also
calculated in relationship to
par (e.g. four over par through
the first seven holes).
Competitive golf
Most tournaments or matches
adhere to medal play, often
called stroke play,
where the lowest total number
of strokes determines the winner.
In high school matches, the
top five players from each team
compete, and are seeded by handicap.
The top player from one team
plays the top player from the
other team, the second player
from one team plays the second
player from the other team,
and so on. In each match, the
golfer with the lower score
earns one point for the team.
The results of these five head-to-head
matches determine the winning
school. College competitions
and high school championships
are played as tournaments that
use the cumulative team total
of the top five players of each
team to declare a winner. Individual
scores are also tallied to determine
the best players in the tournament.
Most professional tournaments
use medal play format, and each
golfer represents himself (no
teams). Some tournaments use
the match play format, in which
the total score is not tracked;
instead, the player who wins
more individual holes than his
opponent wins the match.
Swing
The key to success in golf
is mastery of the swing. The
worlds best golfers are
always adjusting their swing
in order to improve their game.
Players concentrate on their
alignment, stance, grip, and
motion when swinging the clubs.
Once the player has addressed
the ball (proper alignment,
stance, and grip), he starts
the swing motion. The swing
motion begins with the backswing,
in which the player brings the
club backwards, away from the
ball. At the top of the backswing,
the player begins the downswing,
contacts the ball, and completes
the swing with a follow-thorough.
Types of shots
The typical sequence of shots
is drive,
fairway shot or pitch,
and then putt.
Additional types of shots are
required, such as the chip
shot or punch,
depending on ball location and
course conditions. Additionally,
advanced players can control
the trajectory of the ball by
hitting it with spin. Controlled
shots include balls hit with
backspin,
slice,
fade,
hook,
or draw.
Referees
Golf is played on the honor
system and, except at high levels
of play, referees are not used.
Instead, golfers are responsible
to keep track of their own scores.
Typically, there are several
golf course employees who help
manage play, such as the starter,
who determines the order and
spacing between groups on the
first tee, and the marshal,
who keeps order on the course
once play has started.
[Previous]
[Next]
©
2005 SportSpectator.com. All
rights reserved. The content
provided on SportSpectator.com,
such as text, graphics, design,
logos, button icons, code, and
images, is protected by United
States and international copyright
law. You may not copy, distribute,
reproduce, sell, or modify the
content in any form. However,
you may link to this page. You
may also make one printed copy
for your own personal, noncommercial
use. |