GOLF RULES

From its initial days, golf has been a sport unlike from many others. There is no physical contact in golf, and courtesy and propriety are two of the most crucial essentials of golf. Until the 1940s, golf athlete wore shirts and ties, a scary scenario for the jersey wholesalers who are such a part of many of today’s sports.

Golf is played on a course that generally includes eighteen holes with groups of between two and four persons. The rules of golfing prescribe that athletes can bring with them no more than 14 clubs. Today’s rules also specify what sort of technology is allowed in golf clubs. The golf holes extend in yardage from about one hundred and thirty yards to more than 600 yards. Each hole is given plentiful strokes that equals “par”, or the typical acceptable score on that hole. The number of strokes extends for three to five. The goal of golf is for golf players to shoot the ball from the tee to the green, and then into the hole, in the fewest number of strokes. Many courses have par totals for the round between seventy and 72. A player who beats par on a hole by one stroke has a “birdie”; while scoring two strokes under par on a hole is labeled an “eagle” and is unusual. A player who strikes the tee shot into the hole on a Par three hole records an eagle that is called a “hole-in-one”.

A stroke-play match is won by the athlete with the least number of shots for the 18-holes. Professional golf tournaments usually span over four days. In match play golf, a golf athlete plays heads-up versus his or her rival. The golf athlete who wins the most holes is declared the victor of the match. If no one is winning after eighteen holes, the match goes on until the first athlete wins a hole.

Golf, once named the gentlemen’s sport, maintains much of the flavor of its beginning years. Golf players no longer wear ties, but the outfits are more appropriate and regulations depend on athletes penalizing themselves.