How to Play Golf

Golf is a fun hobby and competitive sport where players try to hit their golf ball into different holes along a golf course in as few shots as possible. A standard golf course has 18 holes, although there are shorter 9-hole courses for beginners. Players start the game at the first hole on the course and move through all of the holes in order. At the beginning of each hole is a “tee off” area where players take their first shot for that hole. The smooth, short grass around the hole is called the “putting green,” and the grass between the tee off area and the putting green is called the “fairway.” On a player’s turn, they place their ball on a tee in the ground at the tee off area, choose a club to swing with, and use the club to hit the ball toward the hole. Once everyone in the group has taken their first shot, each player locates their golf ball and takes another turn, starting with the player who is furthest away from the hole. This continues until every player has made their golf ball in the hole, at which point the group moves onto the next hole and repeats the process. Players write down their score after each hole, with each stroke, or swing, they took for that hole counting as 1 point. For example, if it took a player 4 strokes to get their golf ball into the hole, they would score 4 points for that hole. Each hole on a golf course has an ideal number of strokes it should take to get the ball into the hole, called the “par.” A par 3 hole should ideally take 3 strokes to finish, for example. Finishing a hole 2 strokes under par is called an “eagle,” finishing one stroke under par is called a “birdie,” and finishing even with par is just called “par.” Finishing one stroke over par is called a “Bogey,” finishing two strokes over par is called a “Double Bogey,” and so on. The player with the lowest score after finishing all of the holes on the course wins the game. Players are allowed to carry multiple golf clubs with them on the course, and they choose which club they want to use depending on the shot they’re taking. Each type of golf club affects the height and distance the ball travels differently. The main types of golf clubs include woods, which are used to hit the ball long distances with minimal loft and are commonly used to hit the ball off of the tee or when it’s on the fairway; irons, which are used when the ball is less than 200 yards from the putting green and are numbered 1 through 9, with 9 having the most loft and 1 having the least; wedges, which have a high degree of loft and are used to hit the ball a short distance onto the putting green; and putters, which are used to roll the ball on the putting green toward the hole. To swing with a golf club, stand facing the ball with your feet hip-width apart, your knees slightly bent, and the head of the club next to your golf ball. Swing the club back and up behind you so it’s almost 180 degrees, then swing back down and make contact with the ball. Follow through on your swing by fully extending both of your arms. If you want to practice your swing before heading out on the golf course, visit a driving range, where you can practice hitting golf balls with different clubs until you get the hang of it. Keep reading to learn about the equipment you’ll need, like golf gloves and tees!