Basics of Golf

Over the past forty five years the game of golf has increased tremendously in popularity.

In that time we have seen great champions such as Greg Norman, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Sam Snead, Ben Hogan, Walter Hagen, Gene Sarazen, Tom Watson, Arnold Palmer, Byron Nelson, Harry Vardon and, of course, Tiger Woods.

There are also world class courses to enjoy such as, in the UK, Hillside, Burnham & Berrow, Southport & Ainsdale and Manor House. There’s Adare Manor in Co. Limerick in Ireland, Fontana in Austria and Machrihanish in Scotland.

And in the USA, there’s also Bethgate Park, Augusta National, Pine Valley and the Riviera Country Club, to name a few.

The question now is why has the game of golf turned out to be so popular among so many people?

Is it the opportunity to network with friends and colleagues… to get a good workout… or just the thrill of the challenge?

Or, maybe all of these things?

Let’s face it, you have a scorecard when you play golf and it’s constantly reminding you how well you’re doing, or not – and the need to make improvements – which keeps you trying harder and harder each time.

And that keeps you going back for more… keeps you playing the game.

If you’ve never played golf before, you’ll need to know the basics of the game.

Played on an eighteen holes course, you may have heard of the term ‘par’.

This refers, on each hole, to the number of drives (off the tee), fairway shots, chips as you approach the green, and the final putt.

The distance and the difficulty of each hole determine the par, which ranges from 3 to 6. In order to ‘make par’ you need to get the ball in the hole in the same number the hole is rated as.

So, if the hole is a par 5, you need to get the ball inside in 5 shots.

Taking 6 shots to get the ball in a 5 par hole is called a bogie.

If you get it in the same 5 par hole in 4 shots, it’s called a birdie.

In order to make the holes more difficult, there are hazards along the way.

These can be strategically placed trees, sand traps and water.

The more difficult the course, the more of these hazards will be present, so it’s a good idea for beginners to find a course with as few of these obstructions as possible.

The way the game is scored is by each player marking their own score card with each shot taken.

Then the total number is added for each hole, with the winning player having the lowest number on his score card at the end of the game.

While golf can be a very competitive game, it is important for beginners to take it easy and not take themselves too seriously.

Golf is not an easy game to master and can take a long time to reach a decent standard.

Remember, the professionals have likely been playing golf from an early age and for a very long time.

So don’t be too hard on yourself from the start, and take one or two lessons to help you develop your swing.