Golf was and still is the game of gentlemen. And even though this concept is more common just in the homeland of golf – in Britain, a real golfer must correspond to this high rank, regardless of nationality. First of all, he must know perfectly all the rules of golf.
How to play golf?
The general rules of golf are quite simple. During the game, each player must go through 18 holes of varying difficulty.
Each hole has a minimum number of strokes for which the player must reach the hole and drive the ball into it. This number of strokes is called “Par”. There are fields only with Par 3, Par 4 and Par 5.
In total, all holes can be completed in 72 strokes (total of all Pars). But this is on condition that you complete the hole in the number of strokes indicated in Par.
But the essence of the game is just to try to go through all the holes with a minimum of strokes made. After all, the one who makes the least blows wins.
After each hole completed, the player records the number of strokes made on a special card. The maximum number of strokes is 10. If a player fails to complete at least one hole in 10 strokes, he leaves the game.
Golf surfaces
Before playing golf, any novice player must familiarize himself with the different surfaces on the course. Depending on the surface, the player will determine which club is best for him to use.
All golf surfaces are designed to complicate the game, to make it more interesting. Such obstacles can be very different: sand, ponds, groves, forests, as well as grass of different heights. The following surfaces are mandatory for golf:
Green is the place with the shortest grass. Holes are located on such a coating.
Fringe – Grass is slightly higher, located next to Green.
Fairway – low grass that runs almost through the entire field to the hole.
Rough – The tall grass next to the Fairway.
In addition, there may be obstacles on the course such as Fescue (wild tall grass) and Bunker (not very deep sand pit, usually not far from the hole).
Golf Clubs
The rules of golf require knowledge of the types of clubs. Different clubs are used depending on the type of surface or obstacle
Driver – This stick is used to make the very first long-range shot from the Fairway or from the “nail” (Tee).
Wood is a stick for long shots. Suitable only for Fairway or Tee shots (usually if the hole needs to be completed in 3 shots). Not suitable for tall grass.
Hybrid – Ideal for long shots from tall grass. Can also be used for Fairway.
Irons – a set of clubs with metal tips. In golf, numbers from 3rd to 9th are used. Each number has a different maximum stroke length. Irons are great for high or low grass shots as long as trees separate the player’s Green hole.
Wedge – A stick to hit with a Fescue or Bunker to the hole.
Putter – a stick for hitting the ball directly into the hole. Only suitable for low grass (Green or Fringe).
Rules for Beginners
No one who has spent several hours on the golf course will be able to learn all the rules that are practiced in this game. As in any other sport, they must also be used in golf. Here they are:
- you may not change or ignore the current rules;
- holes must be counted in order – from 1 to 18 or from 1 to 9;
- In Match play mode, each hole is treated as a separate hole. For each minimum you get a point. The game ends when one of the players has an advantage over the other that exceeds the number of points still available for acquisition;
- In the Stroke play game mode, the participant who has completed all the holes with the lowest total number of strokes wins;
- do not move on to the next hole until you have hit the current one;
- You cannot play stroke play and match play at the same time;
- You can not use more than 14 clubs during the game;
- the ball can only be changed when moving to the next hole;
- to ensure safety during the game, you should always read the instructions of the tournament organizers;
- Players who do not show up on time at the start of the game will be disqualified.
With regard to beginners, experienced players tend to be more tolerant. However, it is worth familiarizing yourself with the general rules of golf so as not to look ridiculous or cause trouble to your opponent.
Golf courses are most often located in attractive scenic locations, and golf course owners compete to invent functional solutions to attract players.
Regardless of which field we will play on, we can distinguish several main zones in it. A standard golf course is an area of several to several tens of hectares.
High game culture
Golf is a game for gentlemen, until recently it was reserved for a narrow group of people. Her elitism influenced the number of rules that players must adhere to.
An entire book could be written about the culture of the game and all the rules. Therefore, we will only focus on the basic guidelines needed to start an adventure with this sport.