Introduction To Golf

Golf - An Introduction

Golf is a game that is played outdoors on a large grass covered area with holes in the ground at various intervals. The object of the game is to use specially designed clubs to hit a small ball into these holes in as few strokes as possible. A regulation golf course has 18 holes, but there are also courses with 9 holes. A hole consists of the space from the tee off ground, from which you first hit the ball, to the cup, where the ball falls into the hole. The cup is a metal container, sunk about 4 inches into the turf and there is a flagstick in it to show you where you should aim the ball.

You will not have a clear shot at the hole when you first hit the ball. There may be trees, sand bunkers, or small ponds that could cause your ball to get lost or make it difficult for you to get at the ball to hit it. These are called hazards. The grass on the area closer to the cup is called the green and this is mowed very close so that you have an unobstructed path for the ball.

You need special equipment to be able to play golf. The balls are a little more than 1.5 inches in diameter and are usually made of rubber thread wound very tightly around a small steel ball. You are only allowed to play one ball, but most players carry several with them just in case one gets lost. Then you need golf clubs. A set of golf clubs usually contains 14 clubs, which consist of 4 woods – driver, brassie, spoon and No. 4. There are 10 irons in the set, which include a putter for hitting the ball on the green. The other irons are numbered and are used on the fairways or in hazards.

Each of the holes on a golf course is numbered. A game usually starts at Hole # 1 and proceeds through to the end. Some holes have a greater distance between the tee off and the cup and are called long holes. A driver is the golf club of choice for hitting the ball on these holes. The holes where the distance is shorter would require a low-numbered iron because one shot can put the ball right on the green.

To tee off, you place the ball on the concave end of a small peg that you place in the ground. Then you choose the golf club you need and swing at the ball driving it down the fairway. There is a certain grip you should use as well as a certain stance in order to drive the ball in the right direction and a long distance.

After teeing off, you will then go to the spot where the ball landed and take another shot at it trying to get it to the green. You continue in this manner until you do put the ball into the cup. The score is the number of strokes you took to get the ball into the hole. Par is the term used to refer to the number of strokes an expert golfer would take to complete each hole. Usually a short hole has a par of three, a medium one – four and a long one – five. If you complete the hole in one stroke less than this, it is called a birdie. Two strokes under is an eagle and one stroke over par is a bogey. Most courses are between 70 and 73 par, which means you should be able to complete the course in that number of strokes.

When golfing, right-handed players use their left hand to hold and grip the club above their right hand. You do use both of your hands together, with one overlapping or interlocking with the other to tee off. For a long shot, you should stand with your feet spread apart to the width of your shoulders. As you move closer to the green, you also move your feet closer together.