Golf, A Centuries Old Game
Monday, March 19th, 2007 Subscribe To Our Feed
Golf is defined pursuant to the Rules of Golf as the playing of a ball with the aide of a club from a tee off point into a hole by one or more strokes in conformance with the rules of the game. Golf can be played by both a team of players or individually. Typically, four golfers play as a golf team or foursome. However anywhere from 1 - 4 players is deemed acceptable.
Depending on where you play, a group of one to three people may be combined with other players in order to have a complete foursome. This is especially common when golf courses are very busy in order to keep the flow of customers moving. Golf is one of the few sports that does not have a fixed playing area.
Scotland and the British Isles have been known as the home of golf for centuries. The game is extremely popular in that area and the oldest golf course in the world, The Old Links is located there. The Old Links has hosted golf, as we know it today, since 1672. Earlier versions of the game were played in the British Isles and Northern Europe centuries earlier.
Golf started as primarily an upper-class sport but has increased in popularity among the masses.
Playing the Game
There are a number of holes that must be played in a specified order and a round of golf usually consists of eighteen holes. Many people also play a shorter nine hole version of the game. It typically takes about 2 hours for nine holes of golf and 4 hours to play eighteen holes of golf.
At the beginning of every hole is a teeing box. This is where the player takes their first golf swing for that hole. The goal is to hit the golf ball down the fairway, onto the golf green and then into the hole. The green is an area of finely cut grass and contains the hole.
Stroking the ball into the hole is known as putting, which involves hitting the ball along the ground. You want to rest the ball into the hole in as few strokes as possible in order to win the hole. To make the game challenging and more fun, there are many hazards along the fairway such as sand traps, water hazards and trees.
Players usually walk the course, but some use motorized golf carts. Professionals and some serious players use a caddie who holds their golf bag, walks the entire course with them and provides advice.
At the beginning of each hole, the player tees-off or take the first shot from the tee-off point. After all players for that round have completed their first shot, the player with the longest shot plays next. Whoever wins the hole is given the honor of teeing off the next round.
There are numerous terms used in golf such eagle, birdie, par, bogey, double bogey, and triple bogies, etc.
There are also two ways of playing a golf game, match play and stroke play. Match play involves playing each hole as a separate contest. Stroke play involves counting the total number of strokes for the entire nine or eighteen holes to compute one final score for each player. The player with the lowest number of strokes overall, wins the game.
Golf is a great way to enjoy the outdoors, get a workout and socialize all at the same time. It is a great lifetime sport for people of varying fitness levels and is often enjoyed by senior citizens.
Golf is fun, challenging, not overly strenuous and enjoyed by people of all ages. It’s a great sport for the entire family.
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