GOLF

Golf is as intellectual as it is relaxing. The number of different factors that effect a golf shot, may make you think it's more intellectually challenging than chess but when you consider the long walks through beautiful green pastures, birds whistling and the tranquil sound of water flowing across a lake, you may be mistaken as being in a Lux soap ad.

If you want to know a little more about the history of golf, how to play, the basic rules, golf clubs and balls, golfing accessories, where you play, why you should play?, a few golf tips and finally some advice and referencesto get you started.

History of golf

There is a lot of debate surrounding the history of golf and who actually invented the game, however it is clear that in Scotland the game grew.

In Victorian times the wealthy English went holidaying in Scotland and brought the game back with them. In England the game developed as a gentlemen's sport, but as the Scots travelling around the world, more people started to gain interest.

In Recent times as the sport has had more TV covered, interest has continued to grow and nowadays people of all age, race and class have learnt how to play the game.

How to play

How to play golf is simple, you need to get the ball in the hole.

Generally, you tee off at the marked tee; this involves looking at the hole's distance and selecting the appropriate club. You then place the ball on the tee and the hit in a full swing motion towards the hole. This continues until you get the ball in the hole or on the green. When hitting the ball on the green you use a putter, you use a grandfather clock motion to swing the club.

When the ball is in the hole, we continued to the next hole, until the match is complete.

Remembering the basics rules as you go along.

Basic rules

Before playing golf, there are a few basic rules you need to be aware of.

First, you do not move the ball except by a legal stroke of the club or in special occasions (like your ball lands out of bounds).

In match play, the goal is to sink your ball first on each hole. The winner being the player who is leading by a number of holes, greater then the number to be played.

In stroke play, the winner is the player who plays a round with lower number of strokes.

As well as many other tradition and local rules there are also rules governing golf clubs and balls.

Golf clubs

A golf club is an object composed of a shaft and a head, generally made of metal (traditionally wood).

A full set of clubs golf consists of 3 woods (1- driver, 3, 5), 6 irons, a sandwich, a pitcher and a putter.

The driver is used to tee off, the irons and some woods are used on the fairway and rough, the sandwich is used in a bunger, the pitcher is used to chip the ball on the green and finally the putter is used on the green.

The type of club you use is very important and so are the balls you use.

Balls

Just as Clubs we use to play golf have developed over the years, so have the balls.

Players first used a feathery ball to play golf, the guttie ball then replaced it, which was cheaper to make. Today there are typically 4 types of golf balls, each with there own unique properties. The ball that most golfers use is the two-piece Surlyn ball and if you are an amateur like me then this is the only ball you need to worry about. It has a thick skin so even your best attack on it will not leave too much damage. You have our clubs and balls sorted now you need the accessories.

Accessories

Bags, tees, marker, trundles, gloves, hat, clothes, shoes, golf has all the accessories.

Golf bags are a very good purchase, as they hold all your golfing essentials. You will also need tees if you plan to tee off and a trundle is a must if you don't want to carry your bag around 18 holes. Golf markers mark where your ball lies between shots.

Hats, Clothes, shoes I would take as being optional however there are sometimes golf dress codes depending on where you play.

Where you play

The question of where you play is a hard one to answer not because there aren't many golf facilities around but because there is a huge selection.

If you want to play a long 18-hole game then I would suggest looking in the yellow pages for a course and going for it. Most golf courses are open to non-members; you play a green fee (about $10 -$20), grab a scorecard and start your round.

There are many other places to play golf, putting greens to go to practise your putting, chip and putt courses to practise chipping and putting and driving ranges to practise driving.

You now know where to go and what to do but why should you play?

Why you should play?

The same arguments for why you should play any sport also apply to golf.

It is a great way to exercise while having fun. Golf is also a very social sport, which is one reason many companies take their workers on golfing holidays. Unlike most sports, golf is not physically aggressive. This makes it accessible to people of all age.

The myth that golf is expensive is unjustified, membership can cost as little an $80 -$100 a year and new clubs start at about $200.

With a lot of practise, you might find yourself playing along side Tiger Woods for a $3 million championship but first I'll give you few tips to get on your way.

Tips

There are many books and videos that offer secret golf tips, but like all sports, the trick to getting better is to practise.

Professionals are only as good as they are because they play all the time.

Hitting a golf ball is a very complex issue, if you start to think about what angle to hit the ball at, at what height If you think too much you will not hit the ball where you want to. Relax and swing the club naturally and ball will go where it should.

As well as tips on your game, there are a few pieces of advice i have for becoming a better golfer.

Advice

These are the 2 best pieces of advice I can offer you.

If you want to be the best golfer you can be, then get lessons straight away. It is very hard to correct a bad swing once it's a habit. If you learn the right way beforehand then you will continue to improve.

Golf clubs are like wives you have to get the right one for you, particular putters. When you go to buy a putter practise with it first make sure it's the right height and weight and that you can hit a ball straight with it.

There is plenty of golfing advice out there. The following are a few references you may want to start with.

References

I referenced the following pieces of literature while gathering ideas.

Golf your way, Andrisani, John, 1992

Golf basics, Lawerenson Derek, 1996

The Golfer's Companion, Frank James A., 1992

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If you have any comments or suggestions -
Please email Ben Walsh
Copyright 2001 - Ben Walsh