Golf

General Rules

Golf Etiquette

It is a set of practices designed to make the sport safer for the golfers and to minimize damage to the golf courses and equipment. If any player gets involve in serious breaching of these etiquettes, then he/she may be disqualified by the course authorities.

 

Some of the serious breaches are:-

• Actions intended to damage the course, other player’s equipment or facilities
• Deliberately injure other players or distract them while playing
• Delaying other players from continuing their game
• Actions made for gaining an unfair advantage in the game

 

Scoring

In golf, players mark each other’s scorecards and not their own. The score of the golfer is expressed as the difference between the no. of strokes and the par score. Certain scores are given names as below:-

 

• Par- A score equal to the par of a hole.
• Birdie- A score one less (or stroke) the par such as a three on a par-4.
• Eagle- Two strokes under par. A hole in one on a par-3 is an eagle.
• Albatross (Double eagle) - Three strokes under par, an extremely rare occurrence, even for the world’s best.
• Condor- Four strokes under par.
• Bogey- One stroke over par, for instance a six on a par-5.
• Double Bogey- Two strokes over par.
• Triple Bogey- Three strokes over par.

 

Penalty

In golf, a penalty is awarded in the form of an additional stroke or strokes are added to the golfer’ score for an infringement of the rules.

 

Some of the situations in which penalties are assessed are:-

• Declaring the ball unplayable in its current lie. In this situation, a substitute ball is placed at a penalty of one stroke.
• Hitting the ball where it can’t be played as it lies even though the golfer wishes to, like in a water hazard, out of bounds or in an area where it becomes lost. In this situation, a substitute ball is played at a penalty of one-stroke.
• Hitting the wrong ball like any other player’s ball or the abandoned ball. This awards a two-stroke penalty to the golfer.
• Interfering with the moving ball, i.e., stopping or deflecting the ball before it comes to rest. In this situation, a player receives a two-stroke penalty.

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Participants

Male and female athletes compete as individuals or in teams in golf events.

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Playing Area

There is no standardized playing area for golf. It is played on a course on which a series of 18 holes are arranged. Each hole must contain a tee box and a putting green which contains the actual hole or cup which is 4.25 inches in diameter and at least 4 inches deep.

 

There are other forms of terrain in between like the fairway, the rough and other hazards but each hole on the golf course has unique features with specific layout and arrangement. Most of the courses have par-3, 4, 5 or 6 holes.

 

The distances of the holes from standard tees vary according to the par. Many times, nine holes courses are used that are played twice for a full round of 18 holes.

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Officials

Referee: A referee is appointed by the Committee to apply the rules and decide questions of fact. He/she must act on any breaching of the rules that he/she observes or is reported to him/her.

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Events

Stroke Play

In this event, each golfer play the same course of 18 holes four times over four days and the one who has the lowest no. of strokes at the end wins the event.

 

Match Play

In this format, golfers compete hole by hole and the one who wins the most holes is declared the winner

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Techniques

Swing

A golf swing is a fundamental technique used to hit the ball with full force. The goal of swing is to direct the kinetic energy as much as possible to the club head so that when it hits the ball, all the energy will transfer to it, sending it into flight. A golf swing starts with a good setup and includes a good grip, correct stance, takeaway, the backswing, the downswing and impact and the follow-through.

 

Grips

A good grip on the club is a player’s only means of controlling the clubhead and bringing it into impact in a square (straight) position.

 

The three main types are:-

 

• Vardon overlap (overlapping) grip- In this grip, the little finger of the trailing hand is placed between the index and middle finger of the dominant/lead hand.
• Interlocking Grip- In this grip, the little finger interweaves with the index finger of the other hand. 
• Baseball (Ten fingers) grip- In this type of the grip, the little finger of the non-dominant hand is placed close to the index finger of the dominant/lead hand.

 

Stroke Types

There are three main types of strokes in golf:-

 

• Chip- This shot is generally used from very close to the green often 40 yards. The objective of this stroke is to land the ball safely on the green and to let it roll towards the hole. It is played with specially designed chipping clubs (chippers), although any club can be used.
• Pitch- This shot is played with high lofted clubs such as pitching wedge, sand wedge or a utility wedge which are capable of hitting the ball high from short distances, normally from 40-50 yards.
• Putt- It is used for putting the ball in the hole or close to the hole from the green. Putter (club) is used for the putt.

 

Types Of Shot:

Some of the shots played in golf are:-

 

• Drive- It is a long-distance shot played from the tee box, and is used to advance the ball to a large distance (towards the green) down the fairway.
• Approach- This shot is played to place the ball on the green.
• Bunker- It is a shot played from a sand trap. It is played with a lofted wedge and is used to hit the ball high to carry it over the lip of the bunker while staying on the green.
• Lay-up- It is played from the fairway after the drive shot, and is intended to travel a shorter distance. This hot is played to avoid the landing of the ball into a hazard in a fairway or to position the ball in a favorable position for the next shot.

General History

The ancient history of golf and its origins are quite debatable, but the modern game of golf is believed to be originated in 15th-century Scotland. The standard eighteen hole golf course was first created in 1764 in St Andrews' Old Course (also known as the cathedral of golf) while the sport’s first and the oldest major tournament - The British Open - was first played in 1860 in Ayrshire, Scotland.

 

The sport of golf later got international popularity in the early 19th century when it reached the other parts of the United Kingdom, and then toward the British Empire and the United States.

 

The first governing body of golf, the United States Golf Association aka the USGA, was found in 1894 until the current governing body in the sport of golf, the Professional Golf Association of America, took control in 1916.

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Equipment

Golf Balls

The earliest versions of gold balls were thin leather bags filled with bird feathers. Then came the gutta ball, made from the sap of gutta tree, which travelled faster than the previously used leather balls. Slowly and slowly, players started to notice that the balls which have been used for long and were weary and teary, tend to travel faster than the other newer balls. Thus, they intentionally started pitting them for achieving maximum distance. Then, later in 1905, golf ball manufacturer William Taylor became the first person to introduce the modern day design - the dimpled ball.

 

Golf Clubs

Initially, in the ancient days of golf, players used club-shaped tree branches to hit the shots. Then along with the evolution of modern golf, wooden golf clubs were introduced which later transformed into the current day versions.

 

Caddies

Golf bags were first introduced in the 1880s while the first motorised golf cart was invented in 1962 by Merlin L. Halvorson.

 

Golf Tees

The first account of using a portable golf tee came in 1889 when two Scottish golfers William Bloxsom and Arthur Douglas patented the concept. However, it was made from rubber and had three rubber legs to hold it on its place on the ground.

 

The pegging system was first used in 1892 while the cup that holds the ball was attached to the tee was introduced in 1897. Hence, the modern design of golf balls completed itself.

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Game Rules (major changes in rules)

Year 1618

The feather golf ball or 'Featherie' was introduced

 

Year 1848

The gutta-percha golf ball was invented

 

Year 1880s

Golf bags first came into use

 

Year 1898

Coburn Haskell introduced the one-piece rubber cored ball

 

Year 1905

The first time a dimple pattern was applied to a golf ball

 

Year 1908

Club head made with grooves for more backspin

 

Year 1925

Steel golf club shafts were introduced in the US golf at St Andrews golf at St Andrews

 

Year 1939 

The maximum of 14 clubs in a bag rule was introduced

 

Year 1951

The center shafted putter, was legalized

 

Year 1962

The first powered golf car appeared, invented by Merlin L. Halvorson.

 

Year 1963

The casting method of manufacturing clubs heads was introduced

 

Year 1972

Spalding introduced the first two piece ball, the Executive.

 

Year 1973

The graphite shaft was introduced

 

Year 1991

Big Bertha oversized wood which was introduced

Variants

Pitch and Put

Pitch and putt is a variant of sports which includes playing with holes which are less far from each other than standard golf holes. These holes are generally less than eighty yards from each other. It's played on artificial teeing surfaces and players are allowed to use only two clubs in which one must be a putter. The European Pitch and Putt association globally regulates this sport all around the world since 1999.

 

Snow Golf

Snow Golf is a variant of golf which is played on a golf course covered with ice instead of standard golf courses covered with grass. These courses are usually called whites, in contrast to standard golf courses being called greens. The balls used in this kind of golf are generally coloured to enhance its visibility among the ice.

 

Beach Golf

Beach golf is very surprisingly a team sports variant of standard golf. It was invented in 1999 in Italy. This type of golf is usually played in beaches or sandy places. There are two members in a team, and each one takes his turn in hitting the shot. The clubs used are wedges which are generally used in bunkers. A synthetic rug is used at the tee from which players start.

 

Urban Golf

Urban golf is an informal variant of golf that doesn't involve much strictness into implementing "standard' rules, i.e. it can be played anywhere, anything can be used as an obstacle, and any ball can be used.

 

Speed Golf

 

Speed golf is a variant of gold that involves completing the entire course in the minimum number of strokes and the quickest time possible. The rules included in playing golf and speed golf are almost identical except a few minor changes -

• Golfers are permitted to putt with the flagstick set in the hole.
• Players are allowed to wear running shoes.
• In case a ball gets lost or goes out-of-bounds, it can be played like a lateral hazard.

 

Mini-Golf

Crazy Golf is a putting only variant of golf usually played on an artificial surface. It's also called mini golf.

 

Target Golf

Target golf is a variant of golf in which players hit the golf ball into a large net of size 30x30 and score points depending on where their balls land. It also has a mini version for children, which involves using a small net of dimensions 15x15.

 

Disc Golf

Disc Golf is another variant of golf in which players throw a frisbee or a disc to cross a course. The objective is to traverse the full golf course in the fewest throws possible.

 

Foot Golf

Foot Golf is a variant of golf which is generally an amalgam of football and golf. The players have to kick the ball into the hole while taking the minimum number of shots. However, the distance of the hole from the tee is shorter in foot golf because it takes far more stress to putt a soft football than a hard golf ball.