Golf
About GOLF
Golf is a relatively easy sport yet it can still sometimes be difficult to play for some. In principle the game is about striking a small ball using a customized stick with a heavy end some distance and eventually into a small hole. Then repeating this exercise 17 more times over holes of different lengths and degree of difficulty.
The golfer is equipped with a set of clubs (maximum 14 in total) of varying length, club head density and loft of face, which hit the ball different lengths and heights, and a putter for use on the greens.
Most amateurs play the game over 18 holes (also known as a round of golf), using any of a number of game formats. Professional play normally consists of Stroke play, with most events played over 4 rounds (72 holes and 4 days). The winner, quite simply, is the player who plays the 72 holes in the fewest shots or strokes.
Rules of the Game
For a relatively uncomplicated game, where the principle is to knock a ball into a distant hole and repeat the exercise up to 18 times, golf does have a large and seemingly complex rule book. In fact, the rules of golf are one of the most discussed subjects on the planet, and new situations always seem to arise which cause the ruling bodies to issue ‘decisions’ on the rules. These are eventually incorporated into the rules of the game.
Golf prides itself on being an honorable game, and depends to a very large extent on the honesty and integrity of the players themselves. It is a frequent occurrence on the course to hear a player ‘own up’ to the fact that they hit the ball twice when playing out of a hazard, or disturbed the ball or the ground around it whilst playing a shot – and taking the necessary penalty. Sadly, this is not always the case, and the rules were largely put in place to prevent cheating and other unseemly behavior! Rules are rules, and there are even penalties for players agreeing to waive them. But remember, the most important element of all is the ‘spirit’ of the game and the way in which it is played.
