Golfing has become phenomenally popular over the last 45 years, producing such world-class champions as Greg Norman, Arnold Palmer and Tiger Woods. Some first-class courses too have become household names; think of Wentworth, St. Andrews, Augusta and Pinewood.
Why should playing golf have taken off like that? I think it has to be because by playing golf you are being active outdoors with friends or colleagues competing in a leisurely game that you can never perfect.
Your scorecard shows your progress, or lack of it, and this can spur you on to want to play again.
This is the first lesson for the novice golfer who doesn’t know anything about golfing.
The typical round of golf is played on a course of eighteen holes, each or which has its own ‘par’. Par is the total number of shots it should take a player to complete that hole, ie all the tee shots (drives), fairway shots, chips (short shots onto the green) and puts into the hole.
‘Par’ is determined by the length and difficulty of each hole and can range from three to six. So, if you get the golf ball in the hole in six shots on a ‘par six’ hole, you ‘made par’; if you make it in five, it’s a “birdie” or seven, a “bogie”.
All the holes on a golf course will have at least one ‘hazard’ to make the game more challenging and therefore more interesting. These hazards are usually: sand traps, trees and bodies of water, which are set up in such a way as to be obstructive. A beginner at golf should seek out a course which has fewer and less obstructive hazards so it is easier to play.
Each player keeps his or her own score, marking the total number of shots for each hole. At the end, each person adds up their scores – the one with the lowest number is the winner.
It is important for beginner golfers to not take themselves too seriously. It takes a long time to get good at this game; even though the professionals make it look so easy.
It makes very good sense to take a few lessons from the course pro, when you are just beginning to learn to play golf, because then you will learn how to stand and swing the golf club correctly.
Are you new to golf? We have some great tips for the beginner golfer at Golfing Tips for Beginners
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