Golf is a precision club-and-ball
sport, in which competing players (
golfers), using many types of
clubs, attempt to hit
balls into each hole on a
golf course while employing the fewest number of
strokes. Golf is one of the few
ball games
that does not require a standardized playing area. Instead, the
game is played on golf "courses", each of which features a unique
design, although courses typically consist of either nine or 18
holes. Golf is defined, in the
rules
of golf, as "playing a ball with a club from the teeing
ground into the hole by a stroke or successive strokes in
accordance with the Rules."Golf competition is generally played for
the lowest number of strokes by an individual, known simply as
stroke play, or the lowest score on the
most individual holes during a complete round by an individual or
team, known as
match play.
Origin
The
origin of golf is unclear and open to debate.
Some historians trace the sport back to the Roman game of
paganica, in which participants used a
bent stick to hit a stuffed leather ball. One theory asserts that
paganica spread throughout Britain and Europe as the Romans
conquered much of the continent, during the first century B.C., and
eventually evolved into the modern game. Others cite
chuiwan ("chui" means striking and "wan" means small
ball) as the progenitor, a Chinese game played between the eighth
and 14
th centuries. The game is thought to have been
introduced into Europe during the Middle Ages. Another early game
that resembled modern golf was known as
cambuca in England and chambot in France.
This game was, in turn, exported to the Low Countries, Germany, and
England (where it was called pall-mall, pronounced “pell mell”).
Some observers, however, believe that golf descended from the
Persian game,
chaugán. In
addition,
kolven (a game involving a ball and
curved bats) was played annually in
Loenen, Netherlands, beginning
in 1297, to commemorate the capture of the assassin of
Floris V, a year earlier.
According
to the most widely accepted account, however, the modern game
originated in Scotland around the 12th century, with
shepherds knocking stones into rabbit holes on the current site of
the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St.
Andrews
.
Golf course
A
golf course consists of a series of holes, each
with a
teeing area that is
set off by two markers showing the bounds of the legal tee area,
fairway,
rough and other
hazards, and the
putting green surrounded by the
fringe with the pin (flagstick) and cup. Different levels of grass
are varied to increase difficulty, or to allow for putting in the
case of the green. While many holes are designed with a direct
line-of-sight from the tee-off point to the green, some of the
holes may bend, either to the left or to the right. This is called
a "dogleg", in reference to a dog's knee. The hole is called a
"dogleg left" if the hole angles leftwards and vice versa;
sometimes, a hole's direction can bend twice and is called a
"double dogleg". A typical golf course consists of 18 holes but
nine hole courses are common and can be played twice through for 18
holes.
Early Scottish golf courses were primarily laid out on links land,
soil covered sand dunes directly inland from beaches. This gave
rise to the term golf links, particularly applied to seaside
courses and those built on naturally sandy soil inland.
Play of the game
1=teeing ground, 2=water hazard,
3=rough, 4=out of bounds, 5=sand bunker, 6=water hazard, 7=fairway,
8=putting green, 9=flagstick, 10=hole
Every round of golf is based on playing a number of holes in a
given order. A
round typically consists of 18 holes that
are played in the order determined by the
course layout. On a nine-hole course, a standard
round consists of two consecutive nine-hole rounds. Playing a hole
on a golf course is initiated by putting a ball into play by
striking it with a club on the teeing area (also called the "tee
box" or simply "the tee.") When this initial stroke (or "shot") is
required to be a long one due to the length of the hole, it is
usual (but not required) for a golfer to suspend (or "tee") the
ball on a tee prior to striking it. A "tee" in this last sense is a
small peg which can be used to elevate the ball slightly above the
ground up to a few centimeters high. This elevation is at the
discretion of the golfer. Tee pegs are commonly made of wood but
may be constructed of any material; the ball may even be "tee'd" on
a mound of grass or dirt (at one time a small pile of sand placed
by the golfer was routinely used and sand was provided at teeing
areas for golfers' use).
When the initial shot on a hole is a long-distance shot intended to
move the ball a great distance down the fairway, this shot is
commonly called a "drive." Shorter holes generally are initiated
with "shorter" clubs. Once the ball comes to rest, the
golfer strikes it again as many times as necessary using
shots that are variously known as a
lay-up, an
approach, a "pitch", or a
chip, until the ball
reaches the green, where he or she then
putts the ball into the hole
(commonly called "sinking the putt"). The goal of getting the ball
into the hole ("holing" the ball) in as few strokes as possible may
be impeded by obstacles such as areas of long grass called
rough (usually found alongside fairways) which both
impedes advancement and makes it harder to advance the golf ball,
bunkers ("sand traps"), and
water hazard. In most
forms of gameplay, each player plays his or her ball until it is
holed.
Players can walk or drive in motorized carts over the course. Play
can be done either singly or in groups and sometimes accompanied by
caddie, who carry and manage the players'
equipment and who are allowed by the rules to give advice on the
play of the course. A caddies' advice can only be given to the
player or players for whom the caddy is working, and not to
competing players.
Rules and regulations
The rules
of golf are internationally standardised and are jointly governed
by The R&A, spun off in 2004 from The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St
Andrews (founded 1754), and the United States Golf
Association (USGA).
The underlying principle of the rules is fairness. As stated on the
back cover of the official rule book:
Play the ball as it lies,
play the course as you find it, and if
you cannot do either, do what is fair.
There are strict regulations regarding the amateur status of
golfers. Essentially, anybody who has ever received payment or
compensation for giving instruction or played golf for money is not
considered an amateur and may not participate in competitions
limited solely to amateurs. However, amateur golfers may receive
expenses which comply with strict guidelines and they may accept
non-cash prizes within the limits established by the Rules of
Amateur Status.
In addition to the officially printed rules, golfers also abide by
a set of guidelines called
golf
etiquette. Etiquette guidelines cover matters such as safety,
fairness, pace of play, and a player's obligation to contribute to
the care of the course. Though there are no penalties for breach of
etiquette rules, players generally follow the rules of golf
etiquette in an effort to improve everyone's playing
experience.
Penalties
Penalties are incurred in certain situations. They are counted
towards a player's score as if there were extra swing(s) at the
ball. Strokes are added for rule infractions or for hitting one's
ball into an unplayable situation. A lost ball or a ball hit out of
bounds result in a penalty of one stroke and distance. (Rule 27-1)
A one stroke penalty is assessed if a player's equipment causes the
ball to move or the removal of a loose impediment causes the ball
to move. (Rule 18-2) If a golfer makes a stroke at the wrong ball
(Rule 19-2) or hits a fellow golfer's ball with a putt (Rule 19-5),
the player incurs a two stroke penalty. Most rule infractions lead
to stroke penalties but also can lead to disqualification.
Disqualification could be from cheating, signing for a lower score,
or from rule infractions that lead to improper play.
Equipment
Golf clubs are used
to hit a
golf ball. Each club is composed of a shaft with
a lance (grip) on the top end and a club head on the bottom. "Long"
clubs are those meant to propel the ball a comparatively longer
distance and "short" clubs a comparatively short distance.
Typically, the actual physical length of each club is longer or
shorter, depending on the distance the club is intended to propel
the ball. The "driver" is the largest-headed and "longest" club.
Woods are slightly shorter but
still comparatively large-headed clubs, used for long-distance
fairway shots. Woods are now typically made of metal; the
traditional name "woods" remains in general use but is gradually
being replaced by the term "fairway metal." Next shorter in length
are the
irons, the most
numerous and versatile class used for a wide variety of shots.
Hybrid clubs which embody
characteristics of both woods and irons in varying degrees, are
increasingly being used in preference to long irons in many places
because of they are easier for the average golfer to use. Last but
not least,
putters are used to roll
the ball across the green into the cup.
A maximum of 14 clubs is allowed in a player's bag at one time
during a
stipulated round. The choice of clubs is at the
golfer's discretion, although every club must be constructed in
accordance with parameters outlined in the rules. (Clubs which meet
these parameters are commonly called "conforming.") Violation of
these rules can result in disqualification.
The exact shot hit at any given time on a golf course, and which
club is used to accomplish the shot, are always completely at the
discretion of the golfer; in other words, there is no restriction
whatsoever on which club a golfer may or may not use at any time
for any shot.
Golf balls are spherical, usually
white (although other colours are allowed), and minutely
pock-marked by "dimples" that decrease aerodynamic drag by
decreasing air turbulence around the ball in motion, thereby
allowing the ball to fly farther.
A
tee is allowed only
for the first stroke on each hole, unless the player must hit a
provisional or replay his or her first shot from the tee.
Many golfers wear
golf
shoes with metal or plastic spikes designed to increase
traction, thus allowing for longer and more accurate shots. A
golf bag is used to
transport golf clubs. Golf bags have several pockets designed for
carrying equipment and supplies such as tees, balls, and gloves.
Golf bags can be carried, pulled on a two-wheel pull cart or
harnessed to a motorized
golf
cart during play. Golf bags have both a hand strap and
shoulder strap for carrying, and sometimes have retractable legs
that allow the bag to stand upright when at rest.
Stroke mechanics
Golfers start with the non-dominant side of the body facing the
target. At address the body and club are positioned parallel to the
target line. The feet are commonly shoulder width apart for middle
irons and putters, narrower for short irons and wider for long
irons and woods. The ball is positioned in the center of the
players stance for short irons and putters, more to the front for
middle irons and even more for long irons and woods. The golfer
chooses a
grip. The golfer chooses a
stroke
appropriate to the distance:
- The drive is used in long distance shots.
- The approach is used in long to mid distance
shots
- The chip is used for relatively short distance shots
around the green. The goal of the chip is to land the ball safely
on the green allowing it to roll out towards the hole.
- The putt is used in short distance shots on or near
the green. The goal of the putt is to get the ball in the hole or
as close to the hole as possible.
Scoring and handicapping
Par
A hole is classified by its
par; the number of
strokes a skilled golfer should require to complete play of the
hole. For example, a skilled golfer expects to reach the
green on a par-four hole in two
strokes(This would be considered a Green in Regulation or GIR): one
from the
tee (the "drive") and
another, second, stroke to the green (the "approach"); and then
roll the ball into the hole in two putts for par. A golf hole is
either a par-three, -four or -five, rarely -six, very rarely
-seven.
The key factor for classifying the par of a hole is the distance
from the tee to the green. A typical par-three hole is less than
250 yards (225 metres) in length, with a par-four hole ranging
between 251 and 475 yards (225–434 metres), and a par-five hole
being longer than 475 yards (435 metres). Although uncommon par-six
and even par-seven holes do exist, and can stretch well over 650
yards. The gradient of the course (uphill or downhill) can also
affect the par rating. If the tee-to-green distance on a hole is
predominantly downhill, it will play shorter than its physical
length and may be given a lower par rating and the opposite is true
for uphill holes. Par ratings are also affected by factors such as
the placement of hazards or the shape of the green which can
sometimes affect the play of a hole such that it requires an extra
stroke to avoid playing into hazards.
Eighteen hole courses may have four par-three, ten par-four, and
four par-five holes, though other combinations exist and are not
less worthy than courses of par 72. Many major championships are
contested on courses playing to a par of 70, 71, or 72. In some
countries, courses are classified, in addition to the course's par,
with a course classification describing the play difficulty of a
course and may be used to calculate a golfer's playing handicap for
that given course (
cf. golf
handicap).
Scoring
In every form of play, the goal is to play as few strokes per round
as possible. A "
hole in one" (or an
"ace") occurs when a golfer sinks his ball into the cup with his
first stroke (a drive from the tee). Common scores for a hole have
also have specific terms.
Basic forms of golf
Match play
In
match play, two players (or two teams)
play each hole as a separate contest against each other. The party
with the lower score wins that hole, or if the scores of both
players or teams are equal the hole is "halved" (tied). The game is
won by the party that wins more holes than the other. In the case
that one team or player has taken a lead that cannot be overcome in
the number of holes remaining to be played, the match is deemed to
be won by the party in the lead, and the remainder of the holes are
not played. For example, if one party already has a lead of six
holes, and only five holes remain to be played on the course, the
match is over. At any given point, if the lead is equal to the
number of holes remaining, the match is said to be "dormie", and is
continued until the leader increases the lead by one hole or ties
any of the remaining holes, thereby winning the match, or until the
match ends in a tie with the lead player's opponent winning all
remaining holes. When the game is tied after the predetermined
number of holes have been played, it may be continued until one
side takes a one-hole lead.
Stroke play
In
stroke play, the score achieved for
each and every hole of the round or tournament is added to produce
the total score, and the player with the lowest score wins. (Stroke
play is the game most commonly played by professional golfers.) If
there is a tie after the regulation number of holes in a
professional tournament, a playoff takes place between all tied
players. Playoffs are either sudden death or employ a
pre-determined number of holes, anywhere from three to a full
eighteen. In sudden death, a player who scores lower on a hole than
all of his opponents wins the match. If at least two players remain
tied after such a playoff using a pre-determined number of holes,
then play continues in sudden death format, where the first player
to win a hole wins the tournament.
Other forms of golf
Skins
In a
skins game, golfers compete on each
hole, as a separate contest. Played for prize money on the
professional level or as a means of a wager for amateurs, a
skin, or the prize money assigned to each hole, carries
over to subsequent holes if the hole is tied (or halved). If you
come to the end of the round and there are still skins left over,
play continues until the final skin has been decided.
Stableford
In
stableford the player gains points for
the score achieved on each hole of the round or tournament (1 point
for a bogey, 2 points for a par, 3 points for a birdie, 4 points
for an eagle). The points achieved for each hole of the round or
tournament is added to produce the total points score, and the
player with the highest score wins.
Team play
- A foursome (defined in
Rule 29) is played between two teams of two players each, in which
each team has only one ball and players
alternate playing it. For example, if players A and
B form a team, A tees off on the first hole,
B will play the second shot, A the third, and so
on until the hole is finished. On the second hole, B will
tee off (regardless who played the last putt on the first hole),
then A plays the second shot, and so on. Foursomes can be
played as match play or stroke play.
- A four-ball (Rules 30 and 31)
is also played between two teams of two players each, but every
player plays his/her own ball and for each team, the lower score on
each hole is counted. Four-balls can be played as match play or
stroke play.
There are also popular unofficial variations on team play:
- In scramble (also known as ambrose or best
shot), each player in a team tees off on each hole, and the
players decide which shot was best. Every player then plays his/her
second shot from within a clublength of where the best shot has
come to rest, and the procedure is repeated until the hole is
finished. In a champagne scramble, each player in a team tees off
on each hole. The best drive is used and all players play their own
ball from this spot. In best ball, each player plays the
hole as normal, but the lowest score of all the players on the team
counts as the team's score.
- In a greensome, also called modified alternate
shot, both players tee off, and then pick the best shot as in
a scramble. The player who did not shoot the best first shot plays
the second shot. The play then alternates as in a foursome.
- A variant of greensome is sometimes played where the
opposing team chooses which of their opponent's tee shots the
opponents should use. The player who did not shoot the chosen first
shot plays the second shot. Play then continues as a
greensome.
- There is also a form of starting called shotgun, which
is mainly used for tournament play. A shotgun start consists of groups starting
on different holes, allowing for all players to start and end their
round at the same time.
Handicap systems
A
handicap is a numerical measure of an amateur
golfer's ability to play golf over the course of 18 holes.
Handicaps can be applied either for
stroke
play competition or
match play
competition. In either competition, a handicap generally represents
the number of strokes above
par that a
player will achieve on an above average day (i.e., when playing
well).
In stroke play competition, the competitor's handicap is subtracted
from their total "gross" score at the end of the round, to
calculate a "net" score against which standings are calculated. In
match play competition, handicap strokes are assigned on a
hole-by-hole basis, according to the handicap rating of each hole
(which is provided by the course). The hardest holes on the course
receive the most handicap strokes, with the easiest holes receiving
the least handicap strokes.
Calculating a handicap is often complicated, but essentially it is
representative of the average over par of a number of a player's
previous above average rounds, adjusted for course difficulty.
Legislations regarding the calculation of handicaps differs among
countries. For example, handicap rules may include the difficulty
of the course the golfer is playing on by taking into consideration
factors such as the number of bunkers, the length of the course,
the difficulty and slopes of the greens, the width of the fairways,
and so on.
Handicap systems are not used in professional golf. Professional
golfers often score several strokes below par for a round and thus
have a calculated handicap of 0 or less, meaning that their
handicap results in the addition of strokes to their round score.
Someone with a handicap of zero or less is often referred to as a
scratch golfer.
Popularity
Golf course on the western coast of
India.
In 2005,
Golf Digest calculated
that the countries with most golf courses per capita, starting with
the best endowed were: Scotland, New Zealand, Australia, Republic
of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Canada, Wales, United States, Sweden,
and England (countries with fewer than 500,000 people were
excluded). Apart from Sweden, all of these countries have English
as the majority language, but the number of courses in new
territories is increasing rapidly.
The most notable example of this phenomenon is China. The first
golf course in the People's Republic of China opened in 1984, but
by the end of 2009 there were roughly 600 in the country. Jack
Nicklaus, who in late 2009 had either designed or had plans to
design 35 courses in China, claimed in October of that year that
China had plans to build 1,400 public courses in the next five
years (currently, only a small number of China's courses are
public), although a Chinese golf industry insider called Nicklaus'
claim "bullshit". For the last several years, development of new
golf courses has been officially banned, but the number of courses
has nonetheless tripled since 2004; the "ban" has been easily
evaded with the government's tacit approval simply by not
mentioning golf in any development plans.
In the United States, the number of people who play golf 25 times
or more per year decreased from 6.9 million in 2000 to 4.6 million
in 2005, according to the
National Golf Foundation. The NGF
reported that the number who played golf at all decreased from 30
to 26 million over the same period.
Professional golf
The majority of
professional
golfers work as club or teaching professionals (pros), and only
compete in local competitions. A small elite of professional
golfers are "tournament pros" who compete full time on
international "tours". Many club and teaching professionals working
in the golf industry start as
caddies or a
general interest in the game, finding employment at
golf courses and eventually moving on to
certifications in their chosen profession. These programs include
independent institutions and universities, and those that
eventually lead to a Class A golf professional certification.
Instruction
Golf instruction involves the teaching and learning of the game of
golf. Proficiency in teaching golf instruction requires not only
technical and physical ability, but also knowledge of the rules and
etiquette of the game. In some countries, golf instruction is best
performed by teachers certified by the
Professional Golfers
Association. Some top instructors who work with professional
golfers have become quite well-known in their own right.
Instructors use a combination of physical conditioning, mental
visualization, classroom sessions, club fitting, driving range
instruction, on-course play under real conditions, and review of
videotaped swings in slow motion to teach golf.
Golf tours
There are at least twenty professional golf tours, each run by a
PGA or an
independent tour organization, which is responsible for arranging
events, finding sponsors, and regulating the tour. Typically a tour
has "members" who are entitled to compete in most of its events,
and also invites non-members to compete in some of them. Gaining
membership of an elite tour is highly competitive, and most
professional golfers never achieve it.
The most widely known tour is the
PGA Tour,
which tends to attract the strongest fields, outside the four
Majors and the four World Golf Championships events. This is due
mostly to the fact that most PGA Tour events have a first prize of
at least US $800,000. The
PGA European
Tour, which attracts a substantial number of top golfers from
outside North America, ranks second to the PGA Tour in worldwide
prestige. Some top professionals from outside North America play
enough tournaments to maintain membership on both the PGA Tour and
European Tour.
The other leading men's tours include the
Japan Golf Tour, the
Asian Tour (Asia outside Japan), the
PGA Tour of Australasia, and the
Sunshine Tour (for Southern Africa,
primarily South Africa). These four tours, along with the PGA and
European Tours, are full members of the trade body of the world's
main tours, the International Federation of PGA Tours. Two other
tours, the
Canadian
Tour and the
Tour de las
Américas (Latin America), are associate members of the
Federation. All of these tours, except for the Tour de las
Américas, offer points in the
Official World Golf Rankings to
golfers who place sufficiently high in their events.
Golf is unique in having lucrative competition for older players.
There are several senior tours for men 50 and older, the best known
of which is the U.S.-based
Champions
Tour.
There are six principal tours for women, each based in a different
country or continent. The most prestigious of these is the United
States based
LPGA Tour.
All of the leading professional tours for under-50 players have an
official developmental tour, in which the leading players at the
end of the season will earn a tour card on the main tour for the
following season. Examples include the
Nationwide Tour, which feeds to the PGA
Tour, and the
Challenge Tour, which
is the developmental tour of the European Tour. The Nationwide and
Challenge Tours also offer Official World Golf Rankings
points.
Men's major championships
The major championships are the four most prestigious men's
tournaments of the year.
In chronological order they are: The
Masters
, the U.S.
Open,
The Open Championship (referred to in
North America as the
British Open) and the
PGA Championship.
The fields for these events include the top several dozen golfers
from all over the world.
The Masters has been played at Augusta National
Golf Club
in Augusta, Georgia since its inception in
1934. It is the only major championship that is played at
the same course each year. The U.S. Open and PGA Championship are
played at courses around the United States, while The Open
Championship is played at courses in the UK.
Prior to the advent of the PGA Championship and The Masters, the
four Majors were the U.S. Open, the U.S. Amateur, the Open
Championship, and the
British
Amateur.
Women's major championships
Women's golf does not have a globally agreed set of majors. The
list of majors recognised by the dominant women's tour, the
LPGA Tour in the U.S., has changed several
times over the years, with the last change in 2001. Like the PGA
Tour, the (U.S.) LPGA has four majors: the
Kraft Nabisco Championship, the
LPGA Championship, the
U.S. Women's Open
and the
Women's British Open.
Only the last of these is also recognised by the
Ladies European Tour. The other event
that it recognises as a major is the
Evian
Masters, which is not considered a major by the LPGA (but is
co-sanctioned as a regular LPGA event). However, the significance
of this is limited, as the LPGA is far more dominant in women's
golf than the PGA Tour is in mainstream men's golf. For example,
the
BBC has been known to use the U.S.
definition of "women's majors" without qualifying it. Also, the
Ladies' Golf Union, the governing
body for women's golf in the UK and Republic of Ireland, states on
its official website that the Women's British Open is "the only
Women's Major to be played outside the U.S." For many years, the
Ladies European Tour tacitly acknowledged the dominance of the LPGA
Tour by not scheduling any of its own events to conflict with the
three LPGA majors played in the U.S., but that changed in 2008,
with the LET scheduling an event opposite the LPGA Championship.
The second-richest women's tour, the
LPGA of Japan Tour, does not recognise
any of the U.S. LPGA or European majors as it has its own set of
three majors. However, these events attract little notice outside
Japan.
Senior major championships
Senior (50-and-over) men's golf does not have a globally agreed
upon set of majors. The list of senior majors on the U.S.-based
Champions Tour has changed over the
years, but always by expansion. The Champions Tour now recognises
five majors: the
Senior PGA
Championship, the
United
States Senior Open, the
Senior British Open
Championship,
The Tradition and
the
Senior Players
Championship.
Of the five events, the Senior PGA is by far the oldest, having
been founded in 1937. The other events all date from the 1980s,
when senior golf became a commercial success as the first golf
stars of the television era, such as
Arnold Palmer and
Gary
Player, reached the relevant age. The Senior British Open was
not recognised as a major by the Champions Tour until 2003. The
European Seniors Tour
recognises only the Senior PGA and the two Senior Opens as majors.
However, the Champions Tour is arguably more dominant in global
senior golf than the U.S. LPGA is in global women's golf.
Events
See also
References
- http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/438170/paganica
- [1]
- Online Etymology Dictionary definition of the word
Links
- 2008-2011 Rules of Golf (free download)
- There are several bodies known as the "LPGA", each based in a
different country or continent. The U.S. LPGA is the only one
without a geographic identifier in its name, as it was the first to
be founded. Typically, if the term "LPGA" is used without an
identifier, it refers to the U.S. body.
External links
.jpg/125px-2007_LPGA_Championship_-_Lorena_Ochoa_(1).jpg)
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