A Beginner's Guide To The Golf Course

[Linda Long]

Do you want to learn to play golf? Great! In this article I intend to
take you on a tour of a typical golf course and to give you a general
overview on how the game of golf is played.
A round of golf is usually played on an 18 hole golf course. However,
there are some golf courses that may only be 9 holes.
The players elect to play either 9 holes or 18 holes. If you are a
beginner, I suggest you start playing 9 holes as it allows you to get
the feel for the game within a respectable time frame.
The aim of golf is to hit a golf ball with a golf club and get the
ball into a hole with the least number of shots (called "strokes").
The person that gets around the golf course in the least number of
strokes wins.
Each hole has a "Par", this tells the player the average amount of
strokes it should take them to get their ball into the hole.
Players hit off from the Teeing ground, most players call it the
"Tee". The player will use a golf ball tee to raise their ball to the
height of their liking and then they use a golf club to hit the ball.
Their goal is to hit the ball as far up the Fairway as possible. The
Fairway is usually mowed grass, but may still be uneven.
Each Player then takes their turn to "Tee off". The players will then
go find their golf balls. The player who hit their ball the shortest
distance will then hit their ball up the fairway aiming to get it on
the "green"
The golf green is an area of the course that is smooth and has very
short neatly mowed grass. However, the green will usually have a slope
on it to make it harder! Somewhere on the green is a hole with a flag
sticking out of it. This is your target.
Once the golf ball is on the green, the player will wait their turn
and then putt the ball toward the hole aiming to get the ball in the
hole. Putting means to hit the ball along the ground. The player with
the ball the furthest from the hole will usually go first.
When the player is lining up their shot another player will usually
hold the flag stick. This is so the player taking the shot can line it
up with the flag. Once the player has hit the ball, the second player
will remove the flag.
Once all players have managed to get their golf ball in the hole, they
record their scores and move onto the next hole.
Sounds easy doesn't it, well there are a few other things you need to
be aware of.
Around the course you will come across a number of obstacles that have
been created by the course designers to make your game of golf a bit
more challenging and memorable.
The first obstacle is called the "Sand Bunker". This is an area of the
course that resembles a sand pit, but they are not as much fun. The
Sand Bunker is usually in a sunken area of the course and can have
high sides to make it harder for you to hit the ball out. If the
player hits their ball in a sand bunker, they will need to hit their
ball out of it.
The second obstacle is the "Water Hazard". A water hazard can be a
small stream, a pond, or a lake. The water hazard brings the
psychology of golf into play, and some player swear the water hazard
has a magnetic pull that magically attracts their golf ball toward
them.
If the ball lands in a water hazard, most players will recover their
ball and drop it as close as possible on the bank. If the player
elects to do this they add a penalty of 1 to their score.
The third obstacle are man made hazards, these can be immovable
objects such as light posts or benches, or they can be movable items
such as rakes, hoses or golf carts.
If a player comes across a man made hazard they can elect to move the
hazard, but they are not allowed to move their golf ball. If the golf
ball is moved then a penalty shot of 1 is added to the players score.
The fourth obstacle are natural hazards, these can be leaves, twigs,
sticks, or stones. The player can move these natural hazards, but they
are not allowed to move their golf ball. If the golf ball is moved a
penalty shot of 1 is added to their score.
Every golf course has a clearly marked boundary. If the player hits
their ball "out of bounds" they must take the shot again from its
original location. A penalty shot of 1 is added to their score.
This article has given you a basic understanding of the golf course
and how a game of golf is played. But, the only real way you will get
to know the game is to play it, so get out there and enjoy it. Happy
Golfing!