No physical fitness, no effort but all you need is a tremendous amount of patience, calculation and practice. This is how the game of golf is played. The game originated in the 1400s in Scotland and since then it is played all around Europe, especially in Britain. Unlike other sports, it’s a very calm and quiet game.
Though it hardly requires any physical fitness, one can only fulfill his dream to play like Tiger Woods or any other pro of this if he has practiced playing it 1000s of times. It looks like a simple game, but it can last for hours and requires a tremendous level of determination to get closer to your holes.
Objective of Playing Golf
The object of golf is to get your ball from the starting point of the hole – known as tee- and ultimately into the hole in as few shots as possible. These holes are pre-marked and golfers have to strategize their game accordingly These goals are denoted by flags.
How to Play?
Golf involves a golf stick, a ball and a certain number of holes in the ground in which all participants are supposed to sink the ball in their turns.The less number of shots you take to get your ball in these balls the more chances you have of winning the game.
But there are more rules for the game which dictate what happens when the ball goes into the water, what equipment is allowed and how players identify their balls. Learn each and everything in the General rules of Golf.
General Rules of Golf
- Player has to hit the ball from the starting hole to the ending hole – usually denoted by a flag.
- Players strike in turns. Each player strikes a separate ball. The aim is to hit as close as possible to the flag hole.
- If a player loses the ball in one strike, or strikes the ball outside bounds, he is punished in the form of penalty.
- If you are unable to find the lost ball in 5 minutes, not only you have to return to the original starting spot again but an extra stroke is also added to your tally as a penalty.
- Players are only allowed to use 14 clubs in a golf game.
- You are not allowed to take any advice from anyone other than your partner.
- The ball can’t be moved or bended. It should be hit as it is found after the last stroke. Doing so would result in a two stroke penalty.
- Players can clean the ball but for that, they must use a mark to make sure they place the ball exactly from where they had picked it.
- A golf ball is usually marked by a player with a pen to identify which ball belongs to whom.
Toss in Golf
Since each player has to hit his own ball and the player who hits the ball into the goal in less strokes wins the game, there is no concept of toss in golf.
Time Duration of a Golf Game
Golf isn’t a timed game, it can go as long as it takes to send the ball into the hole and find the winner. The time duration of a golf game depends on the number of players participating in a game and their skill level.
However, on average, time taken to play a round of 18 holes of golf is somewhere around four hours. That means, 13 minutes on average on each hole. This also includes the time walking or riding from hole to hole.
Golf Playing Field
Golf doesn’t have a standard pitch or playing area. Golf courses have features like tees, greens, fairway and hazards, but the size is not always the same. The size of the golf hole in every standard golf course in the world is 4.25 inches in diameter.
Toughness of the game depends on the area and difficulty of finding the holes, but there are no such specific measurements when it comes to the area of a golf course.
Equipments Used to Play Golf
Golf is played with a ball and club. The specifications for both the equipment are :
Golf Club: Standard golf club can measure 32” to up 40”, depending on the height and reach of the player. As per the golf digest, the average weight of a professional golf club is 0.73 pounds. Players can use 14 different clubs to execute different types of shots, depending on the position of the ball.
Golf Ball: A typical golf ball weighs around 46 grams, always in spherical shape and be no less than 1.68 inches. However, tournaments played in different regions and at different levels can have slightly different ball specifications.
Par in Golf
Par in golf refers to the average number of shots required to send the ball into the hole.
Birdie in Golf
For example, if you send the ball in a particular hole in 1 shot less than average shots required, then it is called a Birdie.
Bogey in Golf
Likewise, if a person takes one shot more than the average strokes required to send the ball in a particular hole, then it is known as Bogey.
Penalty Stroke in Golf
You must be thinking how can a penalty stroke be a punishment when a player is getting an additional stroke? If so, you have missed the basic rule of golf.
In golf, the player with the minimum number of strokes sent the ball in the hole is deemed as a winner. So if someone is getting penalty strokes, he is ultimately losing his chances to win the game by keeping his number of strokes minimum for reaching a hole.
Draw in Golf
There can be ties in golf, and in such instances, we consider the final six holes of the game. If that’s also a tie, then we consider the last three. And if even that’s also a tie, then the score on the final hole is used.
Team Golf
Golf can be a team tournament as well, but there isn’t much difference. Like individual golf, each team member has his own ball. After each hole, the lowest score from each team is considered as the score for the team on the hole. By low score, I mean the lowest number of strokes taken to get to the hole.
Famous Golf Awards
Golf is a game full of riches. You get the opportunity to win dozens of awards if you perform well on the gold field.
- PGA player of the year
- Rookie of the year
- Vardon Trophy
- Bryon Nelson award
Famous Golf Tournaments
Surely, if you have followed the game of golf, you would have seen these prestigious tournaments taking place every year.
- The Players championship
- The Tour championship
- BMW championship
Famous Golf Venues
Here are some of the famous golf venues that you’d see often hosting international golf tournaments.
- Prestwick club, Scotland
- Royal St George’s Golf Club, England
- Royal Troon Golf Club, Scotland
- Royal LiverPool Club, England
Governing Body for Golf
The game of golf is governed by the International Golf Federation (IGF). It was founded in 1958 and consists of 132 national federation members from 126 countries. All professional tours and tournaments are catered by the International Golf Federation.