3. INTRODUCTION- Golf, outdoor game in which individual players
use specially designed clubs to propel a small, hard ball over a
field of play known as a course or links. The object of the game is
to advance the ball around the course using as few strokes as
4. THE GOLF COURSE A golf course is divided into 18 sections,
called holes. The standard course is about 6,500 to 7,000 yd (about
5,900 to 6,400 m). The individual holes may vary in length from 100
to 600 yd (about 90 to 550 m). Each hole has at one end a starting
point known as a tee and, imbedded in the ground at the other end
and marked by a flag, a cup or cylindrical container (also called a
hole) into which the ball must be propelled to complete the hole.
The cup is usually made of metal or plastic, 4.25 in (10.8 cm) in
diameter, and at least 4 in (10 cm) deep.
5. Play begins at the first tee, a level area of turf
generallyraised slightly above the surrounding terrain. Fromhere
eachplayer tries to drive the ball onto the fairway, or mainpart of
the golf course, a carefullytended stripof land, 30 to 100 yd
(about 27 to 90 m) wide, on whichthe grass has been cut low to
provide a good playing surface for the ball. On either sideof the
fairway is therough, whichconsists of areas covered with long
grass, bushes, or trees, and which sometimes contains sandy, rough,
or marshy areas that force golfers to use additional skill and
judgmentin playing their shots. In the absenceof such natural
obstacles, artificial hazards may be constructed. Theseinclude
bunkers, also knownas traps, which are hollows dug in the earthand
usually filled with loose sand;mounds and other earthenembankments;
and waterhazards, such as ditches, creeks, ponds, or lakes. At the
far end of the fairway fromthe tee is the putting green, an areaof
closelycropped grass surrounding the hole or cup. The smoothsurface
of the putting greenis designedto provide a consistent path after
theball has beengivena tap or gentle stroke knownas a putt.
6. Pebble Beach Golf Links Pebble Beach Golf Links, on
Californias Monterey Peninsula, is one of the most scenic and
challenging golf courses in the world. Open to the public, Pebble
Beach gives recreational golfers the opportunity to play on a
professional-level course.
7. Saint Andrews The Old Course at Saint Andrews, Scotland, is
the worlds oldest surviving golf course. It is home to the Royal
and Ancient Golf Club of Saint Andrews, founded in 1754, which
traditionally governs the rules of the game. The course itself is
the type known as a links course, featuring a dunes-filled terrain,
heavy rough, deep traps, and other obstacles.
8. GOLF STROKES & GOLF EQUIPMENT Golf Clubs - Golf clubs
are generally divided into woods, primarily for tee shots, and
irons, for closer, more accurate shots. Each iron club head has a
distinct angle used to achieve varying loft heights when striking
the ball. Golfers select a club type and club head angle depending
on ball placement and shot distance. A putter, top, an iron,
center, and a wood, bottom, are shown here.
9. In addition to the putt, the specialized stroke used on the
green, two main types of shots are used in playing each hole: the
drive, which is a long shot from the tee onto the fairway; and the
approach shot, which is the shot used to hit the ball onto the
green. Shots of various lengths are played with different clubs,
according to the distance to be covered and the lie (position) of
the ball. A standard set of 14 golf clubs (the maximum that one
player may carry in tournament play) is divided into two main
types: woods and irons. Woods have larger heads and are so called
because for many years the heads were made of wood, but today they
are almost exclusively made of metal. Irons have heads made of
forged steel, sometimes chrome plated. The shafts of both types
usually are made of steel or cast graphite. Formerly, each club was
known by a distinctive name, but today most are designated by
numbers. The woods are customarily numbered 1 through 7 and the
irons 1 through 9, though usually a player only carries some of
these clubs during a round. The putter, an iron, has retained its
distinct name. Another class of clubs that retains its name is the
wedges, including the pitching wedge, sand wedge, and lob wedge,
which are used on short-range shots in an attempt to place the ball
on the green.
10. Different clubs are used to achieve varied distance,
height, or accurate placement of the ball; the angle of the club
face determines the trajectory of the ball. For making drives and
distance shots on the fairway, golfers use the woods (the most
popular of which are No. 1, or driver; No. 3; and No. 5) and the
so-called long irons (No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3). For the initial
shot on each hole, the ball is teed upthat is, placed on a small
wooden, rubber, or plastic peg, known as a tee. This action lifts
the ball off the ground, making it easier to hit cleanly. For long,
low shots on the fairway, the No. 2 wood is often used, and for
shorter, higher shots the higher-numbered woods are employed.
Approach shots to the green are generally played with irons. For
even shorter approaches, known as chip shots, the clubs with more
lofthigh irons and wedgesare used. The putter normally is used only
on the green or the apron (a fringe of less smooth grass) of the
green.
11. GOLF CLUB LOFT Golfers control the height and distance of
each shot primarily by their choice of club, each club having a
different loft (angle of the clubface). A typical set of clubs
includes irons numbered 3 through 9 plus a pitching wedge. All
things being equal, the lower the club number the farther a shot
will go, with a lower trajectory. For example, a shot with a 5-iron
will go farther at a lower angle to the ground than a similar shot
with a 9-iron. A pitching wedge has the highest loft and is used
for the shortest shots.
12. The game was originally played with a ball made of feathers
tightly packed inside a leather cover. About 1850 a ball made of
gutta-percha (a crude form of rubber) came into use. At the start
of the 20th century a two-piece ball with a rubber core enclosed in
gutta-percha, similar in design to the ball in use today, was
developed. After much experimentation, the pitted, or dimpled,
surface of modern golf balls was adopted to stabilize flight. Most
golf balls today have a cover made of a plastic resin called Surlyn
and a rubber core. All golf balls must have a diameter of no less
than 1.68 in (4.27 cm) and weigh not more than 1.62 oz (45.93
g).
13. FORMS OF COMPETITION Twobasic formsofcompetitionexistin
golf:matchplayand medalplay (alsoknown asstroke play).In
matchplaythe player (or, if morethan one player,theteam)takingthe
feweststrokes tosinktheballintoany particular holecalledholing
outis thewinnerofthe hole;the contest (match)is wonby the playeror
teamwinning themostholes.Ifeach player or
teamtakesthesamenumberofstrokeson any hole,the holeis
saidtobehalved(tied).A final score of 9and 8in matchplay meansthat
thewinner was9 holesaheadwith only 8lefttoplay,sufficienttoclinch
victory in thematch.When thematchgoestieduntilthe lasthole,the
winning score is1up. Ifeach player wins thesamenumberofholesthe
matchishalved,or play can beextendeduntiloneplayeremerges
victorious.
14. In medal or stroke play, nowthe more popularkindof play
inmajor tournaments, the winner of the contest is the team or
playertaking the fewest strokes over the total numberof holesagreed
upon.Althougha round usually consists of 9 or 18 holes, the play in
championshipcontests may cover 18, 36, 54, or 72 holes.In stroke
play, ties are decidedby playoffholesor rounds.
15. The U.S. Open has been held annually since 1895, with
interruptions only for World War I (1917 and 1918) and World War II
(1942-1945). Here, Arnold Palmer tees off during the 1963
tournament. The U.S. Open continues to be one of professional golfs
most prestigious tournaments, with amateur and professional players
from around the world vying for the title.
16. Theterm parrefersto the numberofproperlyplayed strokes
anexpert golfer would be expected to use in completing a particular
hole without mishap. Thecombined par for all ofthe holes is called
par for the course.Paris based primarily on thenumberof
strokesnecessaryto reachthe green, plus two putts. For a single
hole, par is generally threestrokes for a hole of 250 yd (229 m)
orless formen, and 210 yd (192 m) or less for women; fourstrokes
for a hole from 251 to 475 yd (230 to 434 m) formen, and 211 to 400
yd (193 to366 m) for women; and five strokes for a hole of 476 yd
(435 m) or more for men, and 401 yd (367 m) ormore for women. In
addition, for women, par is six strokesfor a hole of 576 yd (527 m)
or more. Occasionally, on a par-threehole, a player makes a
holeinonethat is, drives theball fromthe tee into the cup in one
strokealthough this is rare.A scoreofoneless thanpar is referredto
as a birdie, and two less thanpar (for example, a scoreofthree on a
par-five hole) is called an eagle. Threestrokes less thanpar is
known as a double eagle. Onestrokeover par is called a bogey;two
over par is a double bogey.
17. Some historians believe that golf originated in The
Netherlands (the Dutch word kolf means club), but the Romans had a
game played with a bent stick and a ball made of feathers that may
have been the original source of the game. It has been fairly well
established, however, that the game that is known today was
actually devised by the Scots in the 14th or 15th century. The game
became so popular in Scotland that in order to keep people from
playing golf when they should have been practicing archery, a
military necessity, the Scottish parliament passed a special law in
1457. The Scottish people, however, largely ignored this and
similar laws, and early in the 16th century James IV, king of
Scotland, took up the game of golf. His granddaughter Mary, later
Mary, Queen of Scots, played the game in France, where she was
raised. The young men who attended her on the golf links were known
as cadets (pupils); the term was adopted later in Scotland and
England and became caddie or caddy. (Caddies, once an integral
feature of the game, have now been replaced on many courses by
motorized carts and pull carts.) In England the game was made
popular by the attention given it by James VI of Scotland, later
James I of England, and his son Charles I.
18. Royalty Golfing in Old England Formal golf was developed in
14th- or 15th-century Scotland. The game soon spread to England,
where it became popular among nobility.
19. GOVERNING BODIES The rules of play for golf are numerous
and complex. The organizations that establish golf rules for the
world are the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of Saint Andrews and the
United States Golf Association (USGA), founded in 1894 and located
in Far Hills, New Jersey. The Professional Golfers' Association of
America (PGA) was organized in 1916, and annual tournaments were
started during the same year. The PGA is headquartered in Palm
Beach Gardens, Florida. Currently, there are more than 28,000
members of the PGA, most of whom assist amateur players as club or
resort instructors. The PGA Tour developed out of the PGA. It is
now a separate entity consisting of several hundred playing
professionals who tour the United States, and occasionally travel
outside the country, to compete for prize money in tournaments held
weekly at different locations. There is also a Senior PGA Tour for
professionals age 50 and over. The Ladies Professional Golf
Association (LPGA), headquartered in Daytona Beach, Florida, is an
organization with more than 1,000 teaching professionals, as well
as a year-round tour similar to the PGA Tour.
20. TOURNAMENTS
21. BOBBY JONES Bobby Jones (1902-1971), American amateur
golfer, winner of the grand slam of golf in 1930 and founder of the
prestigious golf tournament, the Masters. Jones is widely
considered the most accomplished amateur competitor in the history
of the sport. After winning numerous national and international
titles, golfer Bobby Jones was determined to become the first to
attain golfs grand slam by winning the British Open, the British
Amateur, the U.S. Open, and the U.S. Amateur in the same year.
22. International team matches are also an important part of
the sport. The Walker Cup (for men) and the Curtis Cup (for women)
are contests between amateur golfers from the United States and
Britain. The Ryder Cup is a competition for professional male
golfers, matching up the United States and Europe. (Before 1979 the
Ryder Cup was contested by American and British teams.) The
Presidents Cup (for men) and the Solheim Cup (for women) are
competitions between professional golfers from the United States
and the rest of the world. World competition tournaments for men
also include the Eisenhower Cup for amateurs and the World Cup for
professionals. World competition tournaments for women amateurs
also include the Espirito Santo Trophy. Because of scheduling
issues and travel requirements, many of these competitions are held
every other year.
23. The most famous feat in the history of golf wasachieved by
the American amateur player Bobby Jones, who in 1930 captured
hiseras grand slam by winning the British Open, the British
Amateur, the U.S. Open, and the U.S. Amateur. Noother player has
ever won the grand slam of golf in a calendar year, but American
Tiger Woods achieved the next best thing when he won the four
consecutive majors between June 2000 and April 2001. Besides Woods
and Jones, the only male players to win each major tournament at
least once during their careers are Americans Ben Hogan, Jack
Nicklaus,and Gene Sarazen; and South African Gary Player. Six
female players are credited with a so-called career grand slam, the
composition of which haschanged over the years. They are Americans
Pat Bradley, Juli Inkster, Louise Suggs, and Mickey Wright; Swedish
player Annika Srenstam; and Australian Karrie Webb.
24. There have beenmany other great players in the history of
golf.Other outstanding male golfersincludeAmerican playersWalter
Hagen, Arnold Palmer,Sam Snead, Lee Trevino, andTom Watson; British
playersHarry Vardon and NickFaldo; Australianplayer Greg Norman;
Zimbabweanplayer NickPrice;South Africanplayer Ernie Els; and
Spanish player SeverianoBallesteros.Other top women competitors
have includedAmericansPatty Berg, JoAnne Carner, Betsy King, Nancy
Lopez, Betsy Rawls, Patty Sheehan, Kathy Whitworth, and Babe
Didrikson Zaharias;Britains Laura Davies; and South Koreas Se Ri
Pak.
25. OTHER FORMS OF GOLF Variations on traditional golf, many of
which can be played in urban areas or at night under lights, have
been developed from time to time. Miniature golf, a putting game on
fancifully designed courses, became popular in the 1930s. Pitch and
putt is a shorter version of the standard game. Special putting
greens and driving ranges, which combine practice and recreation,
are another common way to participate in golf.
26. MINIATUREGOLF A miniature golf course consists of a series
of short, whimsical putting greens with obstacles and strange
angles. Miniature golf courses are often found at resort locations,
such as this one at Brighton, England, a popular seaside vacation
spot.
27. SOMEFAMOUS PERSONALITIESINGOLF
28. TIGER WOODS American golfer Tiger Woods hits out of the
rough during the second round of the 2000 British Open at St.
Andrews, Scotland. Woods won the tournament by eight strokes, the
second of what would become an unprecedented streak of four
consecutive major titles: the 2000 United States Open, the 2000
British Open, the 2000 Professional Golfers' Association (PGA), and
the 2001 Masters. Jack Nicklaus American professional golfer Jack
Nicklaus is considered by many to be the most talented golfer of
the 20th century. A large man with blonde hair, Nicklaus earned the
nickname the Golden Bear for his aggressive style of play.
29. Annika Srenstam Swedish golfer Annika Srenstam dominated
womens golf in the late 1990s and early 2000s, winning more
professional tournaments than any other player. In 2003 Srenstam
became the first female golfer to play in a Professional Golfers
Association (PGA) Tour event since 1945 at the Colonial tournament
in Fort Worth, Texas, where she missed the two-day cut. Michelle
Wie American golfer Michelle Wie has been compared to Tiger Woods
for her accomplishments at a young age. In 2002, at age 12, Wie
became the youngest player to participate in a Ladies Professional
Golf Association (LPGA) tournament.
30. Karrie Webb Australian golfer Karrie Webb displays her
trophy after winning the 1999 du Maurier Classic. Webb began
playing on the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) tour in
1996 and quickly emerged as one of the tours premier players.
Sergio Garcia Spaniard Sergio Garcia is one of the worlds top young
golfers. He became the youngest winner of the European Amateur
Championship when he won the title in 1995 at the age of 14. Garcia
turned professional in 1999 and immediately began challenging the
best in the sport, including a second-place finish at that years
Professional Golfers Association (PGA) Championship.