GOLF

OBJECTIVE OF GOLF: Get your ball from the tee into the hole with as few strokes as possible.

NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 1+ player(s)

MATERIALS: 1 set of golf clubs per player (max 14 clubs per player), several golf balls, several golf tees

TYPE OF GAME: Sport

AUDIENCE: 5+

OVERVIEW OF GOLF

Golf can be played individually or in teams. This sport is deceptively difficult with even seasoned pros sometimes hitting bad strokes. Nevertheless, golf is a popular sport that individuals of all ages can join in and play.

SETUP

A round of golf is played on a golf course. A golf course is normally made up of 18 holes, but there are 9-hole courses as well, which are better suited for beginners. A round of golf is completed when all holes are played.

The hole is the area from the tee, the starting point, to the green, the endpoint. The hole also refers to the hole the golf ball must sink into. The location of this hole is marked by a fla, allowing golfers on the other side of the hole know where to aim.

Golf differs from most other sports because there is no standard pitch or course. Each course is different, and every hole will be unique as well. However, all holes in a course will have the following:

  • Tee: This is where the golf ball is first struck. A golfer must place the ball between the two markers to begin. A tee is also the elevated stand where the golf ball is placed at the beginning of the game.
  • Green: Grassy where the flag and the hole are.
  • Hazard: This area is a significant obstacle to the golfer. Examples of a hazard are lakes, and sandpits. Avoid hazards to get the best score possible.
  • Bunker: A bunker is a type of hazard that is a sandy area on which it is harder to play the ball. Avoid the bunker if possible.
  • Fairway: This is the area between the tee and the green.
  • Rough: This area borders the fairway. The grass is deliberately kept longer here.
  • Fringe: The border that links the fairway to the green.

Each hole in a golf course is numbered, so start at the first hole. Use a course map if needed.

GAMEPLAY

Decide the order in which the golfers will play. The first player lines up their golf ball between the two markers on the tee. The player hits the ball with the golf club, aiming for the green. The second player then lines up their ball with the tee.

SCORING

The scoring system in a game of golf depends on the par. The score is expressed as either over or under par. The par is the ideal number of strokes for the golf ball to go into the hole. The par ranges from 3 to 5 depending on the hole’s difficulty.

Unlike most other sports, in golf, the fewer points, the better. Against the par, the golfer should aim to be even with par or under par. The score on each hole has a nickname, which is as follows:

2 under par: Eagle

1 under par: Birdie

Even with par: Par

1 over par: Bogey

2 over par: Double Bogey

3 over par: Triple Bogey

4+ over par: continues as above

For example, if Par 5 takes you four shots, you get a Birdie. Or if a Par 4 takes you seven shots, you get a triple bogey.

ORDER OF PLAY

After the first shot on the first hole, the order of play depends on who is the furthest from the hole. The golfer with the furthest ball goes first, and the golfer with the closest ball goes last.

In subsequent holes in a course, the golfer with the lowest score tees off first.

OUT-OF-BOUNDS

If a golfer hits their ball out of play or into water, they get two penalty points. Then they must line their ball up again where they hit the out-of-bounds ball and try again.

LOST BALL RULE

A golfer has three minutes to search for a lost ball before it is officially “lost.” A lost ball is a one-stroke penalty, meaning one point is added to the golfer’s scorecard, and the shot is played again from where the previous stroke was made.

MARKING YOUR BALL

When on the green, a golfer may remove their golf ball and place another round object in its stead.

ONE BALL RULE

You must play the same ball throughout the entirety of a hole. In other words, the same ball from the teeing area must eventually be holed out. You may change out the ball at the next hole.

END OF GAME

Golf games are played in a stroke play system, which means the golfer(s) compete against each other by comparing the scores from the round(s) of golf. Whereas most amateur golfers will play a single round, many professionals will play four rounds. The player who plays all the holes with the fewest number of strokes wins the game.

Nakoa Davis
Latest posts by Nakoa Davis (see all)
×