Sunday, June 21, 2009

Golfing for Novices: Part One

By Rhys Jones

The popularity of the game of golf has increased tremendously over the past forty-five years, giving us great champions like Arnold Palmer, Greg Norman, and Tiger Woods and world-renowned courses like Pinehurst, St. Andrews, Augusta National and the Blue Monster at Doral.

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 achievements are tallied on your scorecard for all time and the desire to improve your game can encourage you to play again and again.

Here is a very basic lesson in golf for the person who hasn't a clue about the game.

Golf is played on an eighteen-hole course. Each hole has its own "par" (value), which is the combined number of tee shots (drives), fairway shots, chips (short hits as you approach the green), and putts (on the green) you should need to take.

This 'par' value is based on the length and difficulty of the hole in question. Pars range from three to six, so if you get the ball into the hole in four shots on a 'par four' hole, you made 'par'. However, if you took three shots, it's called a 'birdie' or five shots 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 vital that beginners to golfing should not take the game too seriously, because it takes a very long time to play golf proficiently, even if the professionals on TV make it look so easy.

A good tip is to get the basics right from the start by taking a few lessons from the course 'pro', because then you will learn the correct posture and swing. - 16887

About the Author:

No comments: