CHS Physical Education Handout Overview o Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a using the fewest number of strokes. o It is one of the few ball games not to require a standardized playing area. Instead, the game is played on a "course", generally consisting of an arranged progression of either 9 or 18 "holes". o Each hole on the course must contain a " box" and a "putting green" with the actual hole, and there are various other standardized forms of terrain in between such as the fairway, rough, and hazards, but each hole on a course and indeed among virtually all courses is unique in its specific layout and arrangement. o An individual generally plays golf for the lowest number of strokes, this is known as .

Course Example Individual Hole Example

1 = Tee Box 2 = Water 3 = Rough 4 = Out of Bounds 5 = Bunker 6 = Water Hazard 7 = Fairway 8 = Putting Green 9 = Pin 10 = Hole.

History o The modern game of golf originated in 15th century . o The first written record of golf is James II's banning of the game in 1457. o Golf is documented as being played on , , Scotland as early as 2 March 1672, which is certified as the oldest golf course in the world by Guinness World Records. o The oldest surviving were compiled in March 1744 for the Company of Gentlemen Golfers. o The world's oldest golf tournament in existence and golf's first major championship, is , which was first played on 17 October 1860 at Prestwick , in Ayrshire, Scotland.

Major Golf Tournaments o 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 (often referred to as the British Open) and the PGA Championship. o The fields for these events include the top several dozen golfers from all over the world. o 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. o The U.S. Open and PGA Championship are played at courses around the United States, while the Open Championship is played at courses around the United Kingdom. Key Terms o Ace: Term given to a “hole in one”. This occurs when a golfer sinks his ball into the cup with his first stroke from the tee. o : The number of strokes a golfer is expected to need to complete an individual hole (example: par 4) – or the number of strokes a golfer is expected to need to complete an entire course (example: par 72). o Stroke: A swing that is completed with the intention of hitting the ball o Fore: A word of warning yelled out by a golfer who has hit an errant shot. o Tee: The little piece of equipment that raises the off the ground when playing the first stroke of a hole from the tee box. o Tee Box: (see individual hole diagram) The starting point on each hole of a golf course. It's the area covered by the space in-between two tee markers. o Water Hazard: (see individual hole diagram) Is a pond, lake, river, stream, sea, bay, ocean or any other open water on the course. 1/8/13 CHS Physical Education o Rough: areas on a golf course outside of the fairways that generally feature higher, thicker grass or naturally growing (un-kept and un-mowed) vegetation. o Fairway: The closely mown area that usually runs between the tee box and putting green of a golf hole, and is the target for golfers on all holes other than par-3s (where you take aim at the green). o Sand Hazard (Bunker): A hazard that is a hole or depression in the ground filled in with sand. Bunkers vary greatly in size and shape and depth. o Green: is the culmination of a golf hole, where the flagstick and hole are located. Getting the golf ball into the hole on the putting green is the object of the game of golf.

Rules, Regulations & Etiquette o There are too many rules in the game of golf to list them here, but the underlying principle of the rules is fairness. As stated on the back cover of the official rulebook: Play the ball as it lies, play the course as you find it, and if you cannot do either, do what is fair. o The rules of golf are internationally standardized and are jointly governed by The R&A and the United States Golf Association. o 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. o 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.

Equipment o Golf clubs are used to hit the golf ball. o Each club is composed of a with a grip on the top end and a club head on the bottom. o Long clubs, which have a lower amount of degreed loft, are those meant to propel the ball a comparatively longer distance, and short clubs a higher degree of loft and a comparatively shorter 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. o Golf clubs have traditionally been arranged into three basic types: o Woods - are large-headed, long-shafted clubs meant to propel the ball a long distance from relatively "open" lies, such as the tee box and fairway. Of particular importance is the driver or "1-", which is the lowest lofted wood club, and in modern times has become highly specialized for making extremely long-distance tee shots, up to 300 yards or more in the hands of a . o Irons - are shorter-shafted clubs with a metal head primarily consisting of a flat, angled striking face. Traditionally the club head was forged from ; modern iron club heads are investment-cast from a steel alloy. Irons of varying loft are used for a variety of shots from virtually anywhere on the course, but most often for shorter-distance shots approaching the green, or to get the ball out of tricky lies such as sand traps. o The - are virtually always used on the green or in the surrounding rough/fringe. It is used typically for finishing the hole and putting the ball into the hole o 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.

Scoring o The goal is to play as few strokes per round as possible. o A golfer's score is expressed as the difference between the player's number of strokes and the course’s par score. For example, if an 18-hole course has a par score of 72 and you complete the course in 75 strokes, your score would be a +3. o Common scores for a hole also have specific terms: o Albatross or Double Eagle = 3 strokes under par for a specific hole o Eagle = 2 strokes under par for a specific hole o Birdie = 1 stroke under par for a specific hole o Par = equal to par for a specific hole o Bogey = 1 stroke over par for a specific hole o Double Bogey = 2 strokes over par for a specific hole o Triple Bogey = 3 strokes over par for a specific hole o For example, if you are on a hole that is a par 4 and you complete the hole in 6 strokes, you would receive a +2 score for that hole or a double bogey

Shots o The : Is what starts any par-4 or par-5 hole. "Drive" refers to the first stroke played from the on longer (as opposed to par-3) holes. The stroke is most often played with a driver, hence the term "drive," and almost

1/8/13 CHS Physical Education always using a teed ball. A drive may be played with any club in the bag (although we don't recommend using a putter!), and 3-woods are also fairly common to use on drives. A golfer might even choose to drive with an iron if he or she is putting a premium on accuracy rather than distance. o Iron Play: Irons are the clubs most likely to be used from the fairway, although they are often hit from the tee, too (especially on par-3 holes). Irons feature thin, grooved faces of varying lofts. The most common array of irons carried in a set of golf clubs is 3-iron through pitching (3-, 4-, 5-, 6-, 7-, 8-, 9-irons and PW). o Chipping: A shot played from close to the green, usually within a few yards of the putting surface, that results in the ball popping into the air, then hitting the ground and rolling forward. Chip shots are typically played with the ball back in the golfer's stance, and using a wedge - although a golfer can chip with any club. o Putting: A shot played from on the green in an attempt to roll the ball into the hole. Putting is done with a special club called the putter.

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