While golf has been quite a popular game throughout the world, there are still many people who have no idea what the game is really about. Some people even dismiss it as a stupid sport where people hit balls just to follow them endlessly. People are quite alienated with the game because many consider it as a sport of the elite, and thus are intimidated by it.
Golf is actually a sport where teams or individuals try to make a ball get into a hole by hitting it with a club within terrain. The game originated from Scotland and has been a popular sport in the British Isles for more than five centuries. The oldest existing course can be found in Musselburgh, the Old Links where the game has been played since 1672. Fairly recently this popular belief of golf’s origins has been contested by Chinese professor Ling Hongling of Lanzhou University, who acquired some evidence that a similar game has been played in China during the Tang Dynasty, which was more than half a century before the game first came into play in Scotland. While this may be true, the game as people know today is more similar to the one played in Scotland.
A game of golf occurs in a wide piece of land called the course. In the course, a series of holes is dug. Usually there are 9 to 18 holes in a golf course. Some people mention of a nineteenth hole, but that is just the slang for the bar or grill where players go to after a game. Each player makes his first stroke on the tee, a specially tended part of the course where the ball is first launched, and then makes the necessary successive stroked from the fairway – places in the course that are conducive for playing, or from the rough – places in the course that are more difficult to play in. Holes may have hazards which could be filled with water or sand, certain consequences are required for players who land their balls into hazards, these consequences are based on strict rules.
A golf player uses clubs to hit balls. Players can bring up to fourteen different types of clubs in a game. The general types of clubs are woods – used for long shots that require the travel of the ball at great distances, irons – used for shots that require more precision than power, and putters – used for playing in the green. Specialized clubs include wedges – irons that are used for shorter shots, and hybrids – combinations of the precision of irons and the power of woods. The golf ball has a diameter of at least 42.67 millimeters and a mass of no more than 45.93 grams. The golf ball has around 300 to 400 dimples on its surface, which are useful for the ball’s movement in the air.
Golf balls often have two to four layers made from synthetic materials. Golf carts are used as optional modes of transportation through long courses. The equipment used by players are placed in golf bags. Players wear special golf shoes that have spikes or plastic claws on their soles to maximize foothold on the green. Golfers often wear gloves to prevent blisters on their hands. Tees are used to position balls during the first stroke of each hole. A score card is used to keep a record of the game.
There are many other things to learn about golf such as the rules of the game, handicap systems, different techniques in putting, and so on. Luckily there are many books and magazines devoted to golf and most are available in local bookstores and magazine kiosks. There are also numerous of online golf resources on the internet.
Golfing can be a great pastime and a worthwhile activity for people of different backgrounds and ages. With a good grasp of what is to know about golf, the game can simply be a joy to play.
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