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Everything you ever wanted to know about your Golf Game from
Wikipedia,
the free encyclopedia
This article is about the sport. For other meanings, see Golf (disambiguation).
Golf is a sport in which individual players or teams hit a ball
into a hole using various clubs, and also is one of the few ball
games that does not use a fixed standard playing area. It is defined
in the Rules of Golf as "playing a ball with a club from the teeing
ground into the hole by a stroke or successive strokes in accordance
with the Rules." Golf is said to have originated in the Netherlands
(see History below), but has been played for at least five centuries
in the British Isles. Golf, in essentially the form we know today,
has been played on Scotland's Musselburgh Links (today's oldest
golf course world-wide) since 1672, while earlier versions of the
game had been played in the British Isles and the low-countries
of Northern Europe for several centuries before that. Although often
viewed as an upperclass pastime, golf is an increasingly popular
sport across all sections of society
Contents
- Anatomy of a golf course
1.1 Teeing Ground
1.2 Fairway & Rough
1.3 Hazards
1.4 Putting Green
1.5 Out of Bounds
1.6 Other Areas
1.7 Practice Facilities
1.8 Par
- Play of the game
2.1 Scoring
2.2 Fees
2.3 Team play
- Handicap systems
- Golf rules and other regulations
- Golf course architecture and design
- Hitting a golf ball
6.1 Types of shots
6.2 Poor shots
6.3 The golf swing
- Equipment
7.1 Golf clubs
7.2 Golf balls
7.3 Golf Shafts
7.4 Other equipment
- History
- Social aspects of golf
9.1 Cost to play
9.2 Cost of maintenance
- World popularity
- Professional golf
11.1 Golf tours
11.2 Men's major championships
11.3 Women's majors
11.4 Senior majors
- Environmental impact
- 13 Technology in Golf
13.1 Equipment
13.2 Health
13.3 Instruction
- Etymology
- Golf humour
- Golf movies
- Golf magazines
- See also
- Footnotes
- 20 External links
Anatomy of a golf course.
Tee for the first hole at The Links at Spanish Bay Golf is played
on an area of land designated as the course. The course consists
of a series of holes. A hole means both the hole in the ground into
which the ball is played (also called the cup), as well as the total
distance from the tee (a pre-determined area from where a ball is
first hit) to the green (the low cut area surrounding the actual
hole in the ground). Most golf courses consist of eighteen holes.
Teeing Ground
The first stroke on each hole is done from the Tee (officially,
teeing ground), where the player can use a tee (a small wooden or
plastic peg), which makes the tee shot easier. Before the modern
tee came into use, early golfers often used a small pyramid of sand
to hold the ball. Most courses offer a range of Tee boxes to play
from, making the hole longer or shorter depending on which Tees
the player starts at. Often, the different Tee boxes have names
associated with degree of competence (e.g., Professional and Amateur
Tees), or by sex and age (Men's, Ladies', Senior, etc.). In addition
to a difference in distance, the different Tees may also eliminate
or reduce the danger of some hazards for the "Forward" tees, such
as water hazards. Teeing grounds on most golf courses are relatively
flat, in order for the golfer to have a perfect lie for the first
shot on a hole.
Fairway & Rough
After teeing off, a player hits the ball towards the green again
from the position at which it came to rest, either from the fairway
or from the rough. Playing the ball from the fairway is an advantage
because the fairway grass is kept very short and even, allowing
the player to cleanly strike the ball, while playing from the rough
is a disadvantage because the grass in the rough is generally much
longer and the player doesn't have as good of an idea as to how
the ball will fly out of the rough.
Hazards
Many holes include hazards, which may be of two types: water hazards
(lakes, rivers, etc.) and bunkers. Special rules apply to playing
balls that come to rest in a hazard. For example, in a hazard, a
player must not touch the ground with his club before playing a
ball, not even for a practice swing. A ball in any type of hazard
may be played as it lies without penalty. If it cannot be played
from the hazard for any reason, the ball may be hit from another
location, generally with a penalty of one stroke. Exactly where
the ball may be played outside a hazard is governed by strict rules.
Bunkers (or sand traps) are hazards from which the ball is more
difficult to play than from grass. As in a water hazard, a ball
in a sand trap must be played without previously touching the sand
with the club. Bunkers at Filton Golf Club, Bristol, England
Putting Green
Once on the green, the ball is putted (struck with a flat faced
club which makes the ball roll along the ground) towards the hole
until the ball comes to rest in the cup. The grass of the putting
green (or more commonly the green) is cut very short so that a ball
can roll easily over distances of several yards. To putt means to
play a stroke, usually but not always on the green, wherein the
ball does not leave the ground. The direction of growth of individual
blades of grass often affects the roll of a golf ball and is called
the grain. The slope of the green, called the break, also affects
the roll of the ball. The cup is always found within the green,
and must have a diameter of 108 mm (4.25 in.) and a depth of at
least 100 mm (3.94 in.). Its position on the green is not static
and may be changed from day to day. The cup usually has a flag on
a pole positioned in it so that it may be seen from some distance,
but not necessarily from the tee. This flag and pole combination
is often called the pin. Putting greens are not of all the same
quality. Generally, the finest quality greens are well kept so that
a ball will roll smoothly over the closely mowed grass. Golfers
describe a green as being "fast" if a light stroke of the ball allows
it to roll a long distance. Conversely, a green is termed "slow"
if a stronger stroke is required to roll the ball the required distance.
Out of Bounds
The borders of a course are marked as such, and beyond them is
out of bounds, that is, ground from which a ball must not be played.
If a golfer hits the ball out of the course, into the "out of bounds",
he/she must hit a ball from the same position the last one was,
with a penalty of one stroke.
Other Areas
Some areas on the course may be designated as ground under repair,
or "G.U.R.". This is a part of the course where repairs are being
made by greenkeepers, or there is damage to the course. A ball coming
to rest in this spot may be lifted and then played from outside
such ground without penalty. Certain man-made objects on the course
are defined as obstructions (i.e. Distance posts, gardens etc.),
and specific rules determine how a golfer may proceed when the play
is impeded by these. [edit] Practice Facilities Practice range with
43 tees (20 covered) At most golf courses there are additional facilities
that are not part of the course itself. Often there is a practice
range or driving range, usually with practice greens, bunkers, and
driving areas (where long shots can be practiced). Markers showing
distances are usually included on a practice range to benefit the
golfer. There may even be a practice course (which is often easier
to play or shorter than other golf courses). A golf school is often
associated with a course or club.
Par
A hole is classified by its par. Par is the number of strokes that
a skilled golfer should require to complete the hole. For example,
a skilled golfer expects to reach the green on a par four hole in
two strokes, one from the tee (his "drive"), another to the green
(his "approach"), and then roll the ball into the hole with two
putts. A golf hole is traditionally either a par three, four, or
five. A few par six holes now exist, but will not be found on a
traditional golf course. The par of a hole is primarily, but not
exclusively, determined by the distance from tee to green. A typical
length for a par three hole is anywhere between 91 and 224 m (100
and 250 yds.), for a par four, between 225 and 434 m (251 and 475
yds.). Par five holes are typically at between 435 and 630 m (476
and 690 yds.), and untraditional par six holes are anything longer.
It should be noted that these distances are not absolute rules.
For example, it is possible that a 500 yard hole could be classed
as a par four since the par for a hole is determined by its 'effective
playing length.' If tee to green on a hole is predominantly downhill,
it will play shorter than its physical length and may be given a
lower par. Many 18-hole courses have approximately four par-three,
ten par-four, and four par-five holes, though other combinations
exist and are not less worthy than courses of par 72. Many major
championships are contested on courses playing to a par of 70 or
71, and it's not rare to find a worthy test (especially in the British
Isles) playing to a par of 69 or lower. In many countries courses
are classified by a course rating in addition to the course's par.
This rating describes the difficulty of a course and may be used
to calculate a golfer's playing handicap for that individual course
(see golf handicap).
Play of the game
Every game of golf is based on playing a number of holes in a given
order. A round typically consists of 18 holes that are played in
the order determined by the course layout. On a nine-hole course,
a standard round consists of two successive nine-hole rounds. A
hole of golf consists of hitting a ball from a tee on the teeing
box (a marked area designated for the first shot of a hole, a tee
shot), and once the ball comes to rest, striking it again. This
process is repeated until the ball is in the cup. Once the ball
is on the green (an area of finely cut grass) the ball is usually
putted (hit along the ground) into the hole. The idea of resting
the ball in the hole in as few strokes as possible may be impeded
by various hazards, such as bunkers and water hazards. Players walk
(or drive in motorized carts) over the course, either singly or
in groups of two, three, or four, sometimes accompanied by caddies
who carry and manage the players' equipment and give them advice.
Each player plays a ball from the tee to the hole, except that in
the mode of play called foursomes two teams of two players compete,
and the members of each team alternate shots using only one ball
until the ball is holed out. When all individual players or teams
have brought a ball into play, the player or team whose ball is
the farthest from the hole is next to play. In some team events
a player whose ball is farther from the hole may ask his partner
to play first. When all players of a group have completed the hole,
the player or team with the best score on that hole has the honor,
that is, the right to tee off first on the next tee. Each player
acts as marker for one other player in the group, that is, he or
she records the score on a score card. In stroke play (see below),
the score consists of the number of strokes played plus any penalty
strokes incurred. Penalty strokes are not actually strokes but penalty
points that are added to the score for violations of rules or utilizing
relief procedures.
Scoring
In every form of play, the goal is to play as few shots per round
as possible. Scores for each hole can be described as follows: Term
on a scoreboard Specific term Definition -3 albatross (or double-eagle)
three strokes under par -2 eagle (or double-birdie) two strokes
under par -1 birdie one stroke under par +0 par strokes equal to
par +1 bogey one stroke more than par +2 double bogey two strokes
over par +3 triple bogey three strokes over par +4 quadruple bogey
four strokes over par The two basic forms of playing golf are match
play and stroke play. * In match play, two players (or two teams)
play every hole as a separate contest against each other. The party
with the lower score wins that hole, or if the scores of both players
or teams are equal the hole is "halved" (drawn). The game is won
by the party that wins more holes than the other. In the case that
one team or player has taken a lead that cannot be overcome in the
number of holes remaining to be played, the match is deemed to be
won by the party in the lead, and the remainder of the holes are
not played. For example, if one party already has a lead of six
holes, and only five holes remain to be played on the course, the
match is over. At any given point, if the lead is equal to the number
of holes remaining, the match is said to be "dormie", and is continued
until the leader increases the lead by one hole, thereby winning
the match, or until the match ends in a tie. When the game is tied
after the predetermined number of holes have been played, it may
be continued until one side takes a one-hole lead, and thereupon
immediately wins by one hole. * In stroke play, every player (or
team) counts the number of shots taken for the whole round or tournament
to produce the total score, and the player with the lowest score
wins. A variant of stroke play is Stableford scoring, where a number
of points (two for the target score) are given for each hole, and
the fewer shots taken, the more points obtained, so the aim is to
have as many points as possible. Another variant of stroke play,
the Modified Stableford method, awards points on each hole in relation
to par and then adds the points over a round; for more details on
this method, see the article on The INTERNATIONAL, a tournament
that uses Modified Stableford scoring. There are many variations
of these basic principles, some of which are explicitly described
in the "Rules of Golf" and are therefore regarded "official". "Official"
forms of play are, among others, foursome and four-ball games.
Fees
One must pay certain fees to play on a golf course. There are two
different fees; the range fee, which is for the practice range,
and the green fee, which allows play on the course itself. For nearly
all courses, the range fee is not a prerequisite to play the course.
The green fee may vary from the equivalent of a few dollars for
communal courses in many countries, up to that of several hundred
dollars for public courses, e.g., greens fees at Pebble Beach can
run over $450. Many golf courses are not open to the public. These
private golf clubs also have green fees, but in order to play, one
generally must be invited by a member of the club. Discounts on
fees may be offered for players starting their round late (on some
courses, unusually early) in the day. If the course has golf carts,
there is usually a fee to use them. On some courses, walking is
prohibited, and the cart fee is often included with the green fee.
It is wise to ask if the green fee includes a cart, and if not,
what the cart fee is, as well as whether a cart is required.
Team play
A foursome (defined in Rule 29) is played between two teams of
two players each, in which each team has only one ball and players
alternate playing it. For example, if players A and B form a team,
A tees off on the first hole, B will play the second shot, A the
third, and so on until the hole is finished. On the second hole,
B will tee off (regardless who played the last putt on the first
hole), then A plays the second shot, and so on. Foursomes can be
played as match play or stroke play. A four-ball (Rules 30 and 31)
is also played between two teams of two players each, but every
player plays his own ball and for each team, the lower score on
each hole is counted. Four-balls can be played as match play or
stroke play. There are also popular unofficial variations on team
play. In a scramble, or ambrose, each player in a team tees off
on each hole, and the players decide which shot was best, Every
player then plays his second shot from where the best ball has come
to rest, and the procedure is repeated until the hole is finished.
In best ball, each player plays the hole as normal, but the lowest
score of all the players on the team counts as the team's score.
In a greensome, also called modified alternate shot, both players
tee off, and then pick the best shot as in a scramble. The player
who did not shoot the best first shot plays the second shot. The
play then alternates as in a foursome. A variant of greensome is
sometimes played where the opposing team choose which of their opponents
tee shots the opponents should use. The player who did not shoot
the chosen first shot plays the second shot. Play then continues
as a greensome. Such a format is known as either gruesomes, bloodsomes
or gruesome greensomes. There is also a form of starting called
"shotgun," which is mainly used for tournament play. A "shotgun"
start consists of groups starting at different tees, allowing for
all players to start and end their round at the same time.
Handicap systems Main article: Golf handicap
A handicap is a numerical measure of an amateur golfer's ability
to play golf over 18 holes. The 2 main formulas used in the game
are stroke play (also known as brutto or medal) and match play.
The Stroke play formula is an individual way of playing the game
as you are competing against the par of the course by striking the
ball the closest to the it. The Stroke play formula is simply the
sum of strokes player shoot over 18 holes and compares it to the
par (or the sum of a theoretical number of strokes per hole added
up over 18 holes). The difference between your number of strokes
and the par determines your handicap. The match play formula is
a game during which two players play against each other. In other
words, your score per hole depends on the other player's score.
This formula was - and still is - very much appreciated by golfers
as the state of mind is totally different from a stroke play game,
during which the golfer has to 'secure' each and single of his shots
in order to play the lower score (number of strokes) possible over
18 holes. In the contrary, the match play rule will allow the player
to approach the course in a more aggressive manner in order to win
the hole against his opponent. e.g. P1 plays 4 and P2 plays 5: P1
wins the hole and current score on the tee number 2 would be '1
up'. If P2 would like to mention the status of the score, he would
say: '1 down' (each player announces his position towards the game).
The so-called "net" score is a formula commonly preferred by players
from different proficiency to play against each other on equal terms.
Good Ones handicap is subtracted from their round score thus making
a game even between two players. e.g. player 1's round score: 90
handicap: 20 / the course's par: 70 / Player 2's round score: 100
handicap: 30 overall (par): 70. a players handicap determines the
quality of their game making a player with a lower handicap better
than one with a higher handicap. However, in practice, motivated
and ambitious high handicap players strive to lower their handicaps
and thus the current official one they show on their cards might
not be their real current level, which consequently might put them
in a favourable position when playing 'net' formula games. Handicaps
are complicated, but essentially are the average over par of a number
of previous rounds, adjusted for course difficulty. Legislations
regarding the calculation of handicaps differs among countries and
sometimes becomes so complicated that a golfer's handicap might
not always mirror his real level of play. For example, Swiss handicap
rules include the difficulty of the course the golfer is player
on by taking into consideration factors such as the number of bunkers,
the length of the course, the difficulty and slopes of the greens,
the width of the fairways, and so on. Handicap systems are not used
in professional golf. Professional golfers typically score several
strokes below par for a round thus have a handicap of 0 subtracting
0 from their round score.
Golf rules and other regulations
The rules of golf
- [1] [2] are internationally standardised and are jointly governed
by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews (R&A), which
was founded 1754 and the United States Golf Association (USGA).
By agreement with the R&A, USGA jurisdiction on the enforcement
and interpretation of the rules is limited to the United States
and Mexico. The national golf associations of other countries
use the rules laid down by the R&A and there is a formal procedure
for referring any points of doubt to the R&A. The underlying principle
of the rules is fairness. As stated on the back cover of the official
rule book: "play the ball as it lies", "play the course as you
find it", and "if you can't do either, do what is fair". Some
rules state that: * every player is entitled and obliged to play
the ball from the position where it has come to rest after a stroke,
unless a rule allows or demands otherwise (Rule 13-1) * a player
must not accept assistance in making a stroke (Rule 14-2) * the
condition of the ground or other parts of the course may not be
altered to gain an advantage, except in some cases defined in
the rules * a ball may only be replaced by another during play
of a hole if it is destroyed (Rule 5-3), lost (Rule 27-1), or
unplayable (Rule 28), or at some other time permitted by the Rules.
The player may always substitute balls between the play of two
holes. The Decisions on the Rules of Golf are based on formal
case decisions by the R&A and USGA and are revised and updated
every other year. There are strict regulations regarding the amateur
status of golfers
- [3]. Essentially, everybody who has ever received payment or
compensation for giving instruction or played golf for money is
not considered an amateur and may not participate in competitions
limited solely to amateurs. However amateur golfers may receive
expenses which comply with strict guidelines and they may accept
non-cash prizes within the limits established by the Rules of
Amateur Status. 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, easiness and
pace of play, and a player's obligation to contribute to the care
of the course. 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.
Golf course architecture and design
Strandhill Golf Club in Ireland is an example of a coastal links
course. While no two courses are alike, many can be classified into
one of the following broad categories: * Links courses: the most
traditional type of golf course, of which some centuries-old examples
have survived in the British Isles. Located in coastal areas, on
sandy soil, often amid dunes, with few artificial water hazards
and few if any trees. Traditional links courses, such as The Old
Course at St. Andrews or Machrihanish, are built on "land reclaimed
from the sea," land that was once underwater. Linksland is sometimes
said to "link" the beach to the arable land; however, the more likely
etymology is from the Middle English for "hill."
[4] It was historically suitable primarily for grazing sheep. *
Parkland courses: typical inland courses, often resembling traditional
British parks, with lawn-like fairways and many trees. * Xeriscape
courses: Similar to parkland courses, though these courses reduce
irrigation requirements by utilizing native, naturally growing plants
and ground cover as the rough and around the teeing box. Typically,
the native landscaping should require minimal or similar watering
requirements. * Heathland – a more open, less-manicured inland course
often featuring gorse and heather and typically less wooded than
“parkland” courses. Examples include Woodhall Spa in England and
Gleneagles in Scotland. * Desert courses: a rather recent invention,
popular in Australia, parts of the USA and in the Middle East. Desert
courses require heavy irrigation for maintenance of the turf, leading
to concerns about the ecological consequences of excessive water
consumption. A desert course also violates the widely accepted principle
of golf course architecture that an aesthetically pleasing course
should require minimal alteration of the existing landscape. Nevertheless,
many players enjoy the unique experience of playing golf in the
desert. * Browns courses: Akin to sand courses (see below), but
much more involved in terms of using layers of tar and gravel below
the sandy surface layer, to give firmness and support and ensure
a consistent bounce/roll. Common in arid parts of the Indian Subcontinent.
The world's highest course of any type is a 9-hole browns course
in Leh, Ladakh (J&K), maintained by the Indian Army. It is at 11,600
feet. Being beyond the Great Himalaya in an extension of the arid
Tibetan Plateau, the region lies in a rain shadow, which would make
a greens course impossible to water. Mixed courses that have both
brown and green holes are called 'browns-greens' courses; e.g.,
the green and the central fairway may be grass, but the tee and
rough would be brown. * Sand courses: instead of a heavily irrigated
'green', the players play on sand; holes are less 'involved' than
browns courses (see above), and are for the casual golfer. * Snow
courses: another rather recent invention; golf being played on snow,
typically with an orange colored or another brightly colored ball.
Can be played in Arctic or subarctic regions during winter. * Par
3 courses: The course consists entirely of holes with Par 3. These
are considered a good test of iron shot precision and short game,
as the driver is rarely used. They are also popular with beginners
and children. * Executive courses: A course which generally is smaller
than the typical 18-hole course, designed to cater to the fast-paced,
executive lifestyle. In the United States design varies widely,
with courses such as the entirely artificial Shadow Creek in Las
Vegas, where a course complete with waterfalls was created in the
desert, and on the other end of the spectrum, Rustic Canyon outside
of Los Angeles, which was created with a minimal amount of earth
moving resulting in an affordable daily green fee and a more natural
experience.
Hitting a golf ball
To hit the ball, the club is swung at the motionless ball on the
ground (or wherever it has come to rest) from a side stance. Many
golf shots make the ball travel through the air (carry) and roll
out for some more distance (roll). Every shot is a compromise between
length and precision, as long shots are generally less precise than
short ones. Obviously, a longer shot may result in a better score
if it helps reduce the total number of strokes for a given hole,
but the benefit may be more than outweighed by additional strokes
or penalties if a ball is lost, out of bounds, or comes to rest
on difficult ground. Therefore, a skilled golfer must assess the
quality of his or her shots in a particular situation in order to
judge whether the possible benefits of aggressive play are worth
the risks.
Types of shots
* A tee shot is the first shot played from a teeing ground. It
is often made with a driver (that is, a 1-wood) off a tee for long
holes, or with an iron on shorter holes. Traditionally a tee shot
will ideally have a rather shallow flight and long roll of the ball,
while tee shots on short holes are flighted higher and are expected
to stop quickly. However newer research is swaying the opinion of
most golf professionals to be the contrary of that belief. Recent
improvements in golf equipment and ball technology has changed the
optimum launch conditions to a higher launch angle and lower spin
rate. * A fairway shot is similar to a drive when done with a fairway
wood. If accuracy and distance control are required, irons are usually
played from the fairway. Irons or wedges are often used when playing
from the rough. A tee may not be used once the ball has been brought
into play. Hence, playing from the fairway may be more difficult
depending on how the ball lies. A clean downward strike is required
to "pinch" the ball against the turf in order to get the ball airborne.
Mis-hits from the fairway include thin shots, also known as "skulls",
and fat shots, also known as "chunks". Thin shots are characterized
by striking the middle of the ball, while fat shots occur when the
club strikes the turf behind the ball. * A bunker shot is played
when the ball is in a bunker (sand trap). It resembles a pitch and
is played with a "sand wedge". The sand wedge is designed with a
wider base allowing the club to skid in the sand. The bunker shot
differs from other golf shots in that the ball is not touched by
the clubhead, but is lifted together with an amount of sand. * Punch/Knockdown/Stinger:
a low shot that carries through the air in order to clear a low
hanging tree branch or sometimes high winds. This shot is usually
played with a long iron (3, 4 or 5 iron), but if needed, a shorter
iron may be used. * A putt is a shot taken on the green (normally),
using a putter, ideally to putt the ball in the hole. The ball rolls
on the ground, ideally never becoming air-borne. An approach shot
is played into the green from outside the green, usually over an
intermediate or short distance. Types of approach shots are: * Pitch:
an approach shot from anywhere between 30m and 90m from the green
that flies the ball onto or near the green. Depending upon conditions
(wind, firmness of fairway and green and/or contour of the green)
a skilled player may hit a high, soft landing shot with little roll
or a low running shot attempting to keep the ball in the air as
much as possible. Depending upon the way the ball is struck, this
shot may roll out, stop or even spin backwards towards the player.
Pitch shots are usually hit with any club from a six iron to a lob
wedge. * Flop: an even higher approach shot that stops shortly after
it hits the ground. It is used when a player must play over an obstacle
to the green. It is usually played with a sand wedge or a lob wedge,
with the face laid wide open. This shot has been popularized by
golfer Phil Mickelson. * Chip: a low approach shot where the ball
makes a shallow flight and then rolls out on the green. Chips are
made with a less lofted club than the "pitch" shot or "lob" shot
in order to produce the desired flatter trajectory.
Poor shots
There are several possible causes of poor shots, such as poor alignment
of the club, wrong direction of swing, and off-center hits where
the clubhead rotates around the ball at impact. Many of these troubles
are aggravated with the "longer" clubs and higher speed of swing.
Furthermore, the absolute effect of a deviation will increase with
a longer shot compared with a short one. For many people who play
golf, the number and variety of poor shots is larger than they would
like. Consequently, many, many words have been found to describe
the shots--some of them are quite colorful. Some of the more common
terms for the poor shots are explained below:
- * Hook : The ball flight curves sharply to the left for a right-handed
player (to the right for left-handed players). A severe hook is
commonly called a Duck-Hook or a Snap hook.
- * Slice : The ball curves sharply to the right for a right-handed
player (to the left for left-handed players). For beginning golfers
this is the typical outcome of most shots. A severe slice is commonly
referred to as a Banana-Slice or a Banana-Ball.
- * Pull : For a right-handed player the ball is 'pulled' across
the body and flies to the left of the intended target without
curvature (the ball flies to the right for left-handed players).
A Pull-Hook indicates that the ball started out left of target
and curved even further to the left. A Pull-Slice means the ball
starts out left then curves back to the right.
- * Push : The opposite of a Pull, where the ball is 'pushed'
away from the body. The ball flies to the right of the intended
target for right-handed players (to the left for left-handed players).
A Push-Slice indicates that the ball started out right of target
and curved even further to the right. A Push-Hook means the ball
starts out right then curves back to the left.
- * Shank : The ball is struck by the hosel or the outer edge
of the club rather than the clubface and shoots sharply to the
right for a right-handed player.
- * Thin or Blade or Skull : The ball is struck with the bottom
edge of the club and not its face. This may damage the surface
of a golf ball with a soft cover material, and may result in a
stinging sensation in one's hands on a cold day.
- * Fat : A fat shot occurs when the club strikes the ground before
the ball. A large divot is usually produced along with a clubface
covered in the divot.
- * Top : The topside of the ball is struck with the blade of
the club. The result usually consists of the ball rolling forward
on the ground with much topspin.
- * Sky Ball or Pop-Up : The opposite of a Top. This occurs most
frequently when teeing the ball up too high, though sometimes
a Sky Ball will occur when the ball is sitting on top of long
blades of grass and the club has space to pass under the ball.
The top side of the club strikes the bottom side of the ball and
forces the ball higher into the air than desired. A true sky ball
occurs when the ball travels farther vertically than it does horizontally.
- * Double-Hit : Hitting the ball twice in one swing. This occurs
most often in chipping or pitching, and is extremely rare in any
other kind of shot. This is commonly referred to as a T.C. Chen,
named for the Taiwanese golfer who lead the 1985 U.S. Open by
5 shots on Sunday, wherein he double-hit a chip on the fifth hole
and made an eight, costing him the championship.
- * Flyer : This type of shot usually occurs when playing from
deep rough. Grass blades come between the club face and the ball,
preventing the grooves of the club from imparting maximum backspin
on the ball. This loss of lift from backspin will typically cause
a lower, longer shot than a cleanly contacted shot. The resulting
flight of the ball is that the target is overshot by 10 or more
yards and the ball does not stop as quickly on the green.
- * Hood : Somewhere during the swing the clubface becomes more
perpendicular to the ground, or angled more toward the golfer.
The clubface may strike the ground first or get caught up in heavy
rough. This results in the ball flying lower to the ground than
intended and usually resulting in a Pull as well.
- * Worm burner, Groundhog Killer or Sally Gunnel : The ball is
hit extremely low to the ground, or bounces rapidly across the
ground, essentially "burning up worms" or hitting groundhogs as
it speeds along.
- * Chili Dip : A common miscue while chipping where the ball
is flubbed only a few feet forward. Sometimes referred to as a
Chunk.
- * Fried Egg: This situation occurs when the ball lands in a
sand bunker and does not move from its landing spot. A small crater,
or frying pan, encircles the "egg" (golf ball), and makes the
next shot a difficult one. This is more commonly known as "plugged".
- * Foot Wedge : An illegal act of literally kicking one's ball
to a better location. The character Judge Smails uses this technique
In the movie Caddyshack.
- * Whiff: Missing the ball completely after stepping up to hit
counts as a stroke. Usually results in a form of embarrassment,
followed by another shot. May be referred to as Practice Swing.
- * Iron Hooker: Holding the club too far forward causing a flicking
action which results in a major hook.
- * Gunnell: A Gunnell is a low shot where the club face makes
contact with the top of the ball. Shots that go ¾ distance in
this manner are usually referred to as a 'Gunnell', or 'A runner,
but not a looker'. The expression originated in England, and is
a reference to former Olympic sprinter Sally Gunnell
- * Lateral: also known as a shank, occurs when the ball is hit
off the hosel resulting in a shot that travels more laterally
than forward.
The golf swing
Putts and short chips are ideally played without much movement
of the body, but most other golf shots are played using variants
of the full golf swing. The full golf swing itself is used in tee
and fairway shots. A full swing is a complex rotation of the body
aimed at accelerating the club head to a great speed. For a right-handed
golfer, it consists of a backswing to the right, a downswing to
the left (in which the ball is hit), and a follow through. At address,
the player stands with the left shoulder and hip pointing in the
intended direction of ball flight, with the ball before the feet.
The club is held with both hands (right below left for right-handed
players), the clubhead resting on the ground behind the ball, hips
and knees somewhat flexed, and the arms hanging from the shoulders.
The backswing is a rotation to the right, consisting of a shifting
of the player's body weight to the right side, a turning of the
pelvis and shoulders, lifting of the arms and flexing of the elbows
and wrists. At the end of the backswing the hands are above the
right shoulder, with the club pointing more or less in the intended
direction of ball flight. The downswing is roughly a backswing reversed.
After the ball is hit, the follow-through stage consists of a continued
rotation to the left. At the end of the swing, the weight has shifted
almost entirely to the left foot, the body is fully turned to the
left and the hands are above the left shoulder with the club hanging
down over the players' back. The full golf swing is an unnatural,
highly complex motion and notoriously difficult to learn. It is
not uncommon for beginners to spend several months practising the
very basics before playing their first ball on a course. It is usually
very difficult to acquire a stable and successful swing without
professional instruction and even highly skilled golfers may continue
to take golf lessons for many years. One can also purchase or use
a new golf simulator that can cost upwards of $50,000. Relatively
few golfers play left-handed (i.e., swing back to the left and forward
to the right). The percentage of golfers in the U.S. who play left-handed
is estimated to be anywhere from 4 percent to 7 percent in the U.S.
according to http://www.pga.com/equipment/focus-on/lefthandedequipment050503.cfm.
Even players who are strongly left-handed in their daily life preferring
the right-handed golf swing. In the past, this may have been due
to the difficulty of finding left-handed golf clubs. Today, more
manufacturers provide left-handed versions of their club lines,
and the clubs are more readily purchased from mail-order and Internet
catalogues, as well as golf stores. A golfer who plays right-handed,
but holds the club left-hand-below-right is said to be "cack-handed".
It is difficult to obtain the same consistency and power with this
arrangement as is possible with conventional technique. Besides
the physical part, the mental aspect contributes to the difficulty
of the golf swing. Golfers play against the course, not each other
directly, and hit a stationary object, not one put into motion by
an opponent. This means that there is never anyone to blame but
oneself for a bad result, and in most competitive formats there
are no teammates to directly help one out. Knowledge of this creates
a great deal of psychological pressure on the golfer; this pressure
exists at all levels of play. Even the best professional golfers
sometimes succumb to this pressure, such as getting the "yips" (an
infamous affliction of Bernhard Langer) a severe putting disorder
caused by uncontrolled muscle spasms of the arms, resulting in a
jerking motion during the follow through of the putt causing the
ball to go much farther than desired, or having collapses of their
full swing (as with Ian Baker-Finch). A golf ball acquires spin
when it is hit. Backspin is imparted for almost every shot due to
the golf club's loft (i.e., angle between the clubface and a vertical
plane). A spinning ball deforms the flow of air around it [5] similar
to an airplane wing; a back-spinning ball therefore experiences
an upward force which makes it fly higher and longer than a ball
without spin. The amount of backspin also influences the behavior
of a ball when it impacts the ground. A ball with little backspin
will usually roll out for a few yards/meters while a ball with more
backspin may not roll at all, even backwards. Sidespin occurs when
the clubface is not aligned perpendicularly to the plane of swing.
Sidespin makes the ball curve left or right: a curve to the left
is a draw, and to the right a fade (for right-handed players). Accomplished
golfers purposely use sidespin to steer their ball around obstacles
or towards the safe side of fairways and greens. But because it's
sometimes difficult to control or predict the amount of sidespin,
balls may take an undesirable trajectory, such as hook to the left,
or slice to the right (for right-handed players).
Equipment
Below is a summary of the main features of golf equipment. Golf
clubs Main article:
Golf club (equipment)
A golfer uses his Putter from just off the 18th green at Medinah
Country Club in Illinois, USA. A player usually carries several
clubs during the game (but no more than fourteen, the limit defined
by the rules). There are three major types of clubs, known as woods,
irons, and putters. Wedges are irons used to play shorter shots.
Woods are played for long shots from the tee or fairway, and occasionally
rough, while irons are for precision shots from fairways as well
as from the rough. A new type of wood known as a "hybrid" combines
the straight-hitting characteristics of irons with the easy-to-hit-in-the-air
characteristics of higher-lofted woods. A "hybrid" is often used
for long shots from difficult rough. Hybrids are also used by players
who have a difficult time getting the ball airborne with long irons.
Wedges are played from difficult ground such as sand or the rough
and for approach shots to the green. Putters are mostly played on
the green, but can also be useful when playing from bunkers or for
some approach shots. The putter has minimal loft, forcing the ball
to stay on the putting surface while struck.
Golf balls
Golfballs with a tough rubber core (with 1 Euro coin for size reference)
The minimum allowed diameter of a golf ball is 42.67mm and its mass
may not exceed 45.93g. Modern golf balls have a two-, three-, or
four-layer design constructed from various synthetic materials.
The surface usually has a pattern of 300-400 dimples designed to
improve the ball's aerodynamics. The method of construction and
materials used greatly affect the ball's playing characteristics
such as distance, trajectory, spin and feel. Harder materials, such
as Surlyn, usually result in the ball's traveling longer distances,
while softer covers, such as Balata, tend to generate higher spin,
more "feel" and greater stopping potential. Golf balls are separated
into three groups depending on their construction: two-, three-,
or four-piece covers. Generally four-piece golf balls tend to be
the most expensive, though price is no assurance of quality. As
of 2006 there are golf balls that utilize RFID technology, which
allow golfers to locate errant shots easily using a handheld homing
device. The first type of golf ball was the feathery, made out of
leather and feathers.
Golf Shafts
Golf shafts are used between the grip and the club head. The profile
of the golf shaft is circlular in shape and is usually thicker at
the grip end than at the club head end. Any strong and light material
may be used to make the golf shaft. Almost all shafts today are
made of either graphite or tempered steel, although other materials
either have been used (the first shafts were made from hickory wood)
or have been tried (like titanium and aluminum). The tapering of
the shaft is important to some players - the shaft can be smoothly
tapered or it can be tapered in steps. The rules of golf allow the
shaft of the putter to be bent in some specific ways, but all the
other club shafts must be straight.
Other equipment
Golf tees, used to prop up the ball Sometimes transport is by special
golf carts. Clubs and other equipment are carried in golf bags.
Golf buggies are trolley-like items designed to carry such a bag,
allowing the golfer to drag his or her bag around the course, rather
than carrying it on their back. Golfers wear special shoes with
exchangeable spikes (or small plastic claws termed soft spikes)
attached to the soles, designed to increase grip on greens or in
general wet conditions. Golfers also often wear gloves that help
grip the club and prevent blistering. This, however is not always
necessary, as at the end of all clubs lies a grip, which is designed
to do the same thing. Golf tees resemble nails with a small cup
on the head and are usually made of wood or plastic. A tee is an
object (wooden or plastic) that is pushed into the ground to rest
a ball on top of for an easier shot; however, this is only allowed
for the first stroke (tee shot or drive) of each hole (There is
also a variation of the tee which rsembles the egular form, which
the point cut off. This is used when teeing off with irons). When
on the green, the ball may be picked up to be cleaned or if it is
in the way of an opponent's putting line; its position must then
be marked using a ball marker (usually a flat, round piece of plastic
or a coin). A ball mark repair tool (or pitchfork) is used to repair
a ball mark (depression in the green where a ball has hit the ground).
Some tees contain such a tool at the end, for pure convenience when
on the green. To repair a ball mark, one pushes the tool under the
mark, and lifts upwards gently, loosening the compacted turf to
allow rapid regrowth of grass, and then flattens the ballmark with
the golf shoe. Scores are recorded on a score card during the round.
History See also Timeline of golf history 1353-1850, Timeline
of golf history 1851-1945, Timeline of golf history 1945-1999 and
Timeline of golf (2000-present). The origin of golf is open to debate
among Chinese, Dutch and Scottish. Golf was first mentioned in Dongxuan
Records (Chinese:???), a Chinese book of 11th Century. It was also
mentioned in February 26 in the year 1297 in the Netherlands in
a city called Loenen aan de Vecht. Here the Dutch played a game
with a stick and leather ball. Whoever hit the ball in a target
several hundreds of meters away the least number of times, won.
The Scots however regard golf to be a Scottish invention, as the
game was supposedly mentioned in two 15th-century laws prohibiting
the playing of the game of "gowf". Scholars, however, suggest that
this refers to another game which is much akin to shinty or hurling,
or to modern field hockey rather than golf. They point out that
a game of putting a small ball in a hole in the ground using golf
clubs was played in 17th-century Netherlands rather than Scotland.
This is backed up by the fact that the term golf is an alteration
of Dutch "kolf" meaning "stick, "club" and "bat" [6] (see: Kolven).
There are reports of even earlier accounts of golf from continental
europe [7] and an image in Gloucester cathedral showing golf dates
from 1350[8]. The oldest playing golf course in the world is The
Old Links at Musselburgh. Evidence has shown that golf was played
on Musselburgh Links in 1672 although Mary, Queen of Scots reputedly
played there in 1567. Golf courses have not always had eighteen
holes. The St Andrews Links occupy a narrow strip of land along
the sea. As early as the 15th century, golfers at St. Andrews established
a customary route through the undulating terrain, playing to holes
whose locations were dictated by topography. The course that emerged
featured eleven holes, laid out end to end from the clubhouse to
the far end of the property. One played the holes out, turned around,
and played the holes in, for a total of 22 holes. In 1764, several
of the holes were deemed too short, and were therefore combined.
The number was thereby reduced from 11 to nine, so that a complete
round of the links comprised 18 holes. The major changes in equipment
since the 19th century have been better mowers, especially for the
greens, better golf ball designs, using rubber and man-made materials
since about 1900, and the introduction of the metal shaft beginning
in the 1930s. Also in the 1930s the wooden golf tee was invented.
In the 1970s the use of metal to replace wood heads began, and shafts
made of graphite composite materials were introduced in the 1980s.
Ming Emperor Xuande putting for a par? In January 2006, new evidence
re-invigorated the debate concerning the origins of golf. Recent
evidence unearthed by Prof. Ling Hongling of Lanzhou University
suggests that a game similar to modern-day golf was played in China
since Southern Tang Dynasty, 500 years before golf was first mentioned
in Scotland.[9] Dongxuan Records (Chinese:???) from the Song Dynasty
describe a game called chuiwan (??) and also include drawings.[10]
It was played with 10 clubs including a cuanbang, pubang, and shaobang,
which are comparable to a driver, two-wood, and three-wood. Clubs
were inlaid with jade and gold, suggesting golf was for the wealthy.
Chinese archive includes references to a Southern Tang official
who asked his daughter to dig holes as a target.[11] Ling suggested
golf was exported to Europe and then Scotland by Mongolian travellers
in the late Middle Ages.[12] A spokesman for the Royal and Ancient
Golf Club of St. Andrews, one of the oldest Scotland golf organization,
said "Stick and ball games have been around for many centuries,
but golf as we know it today, played over 18 holes, clearly originated
in Scotland." [13] [14]
Social aspects of golf
In the United States, golf is the unofficial sport of the business
world. It is often said that board meetings merely confirm decisions
that are actually made on the golf course. For this reason, the
successful conduct of business golf (which extends beyond merely
knowing the game) is considered a useful business skill; various
schools, including prestigious universities such as Stanford University,
have started both undergraduate and graduate-level courses that
teach "business golf". The PGA of America, an organization separate
from the PGA Tour, helps to sponsor these programs at universities
nationwide. The 19th Hole is a common reference to having a drink
in the clubhouse following a round of golf. Often, this is where
wagers are tallied and paid out.
Cost to play
The cost of an average round of golf in the United States is USD
$36 [15], and the sport is regularly enjoyed by over 26 million
Americans and many more world-wide. Most regions of the U.S. feature
public courses which strive to be affordable for the average golfer.
Excepting public courses subsidized by local governments ("municipal
courses"), green fees tend to be lower in areas of inexpensive real
estate, especially the American South and Midwest. Michigan has
more courses open to the public than any other U.S. state [16].
By contrast, green fees are more expensive, sometimes dramatically
so, in more urban areas with high real estate values. Also, greens
fees at some of the more picturesque and prestigious courses can
be quite sizeable. Despite golf's popularity in densely populated
East Asian countries such as South Korea and Japan, the citizen
of average means is limited to hitting balls on driving ranges as
play on an actual course requires memberships priced at several
times the average worker's annual salary. The fact that golf tends
to be a sport associated with wealthy businesspeople and professionals
(doctors playing golf on Wednesdays, corporate golf days, etc),
not to mention the high prices and wealthy clientele that can afford
to pay to join elite country clubs, contribute to the perception
that golf is expensive. By contrast, there is no other single sport
that might be compared to golf as a sport for affluent people. (Hunting
may be on par, so to speak, as the sport of business in the American
south, but golf is still pervasive in the south. Hunting is common
in the American north and midwest, but is less prevalent as a business
sport -- golf remains the standard). To compare golf against other
sports is to quantify what makes it more expensive: * Golf is not
a game in which equipment can be comfortably shared. By comparison,
22 people can share one soccer ball and 10 people can share one
basketball. Buying or even renting an entire set of golf clubs immediately
becomes more expensive. * Playing golf requires paying greens fees
to enter a golf course. By comparison, playing soccer or touch-football
or basketball at a school field or public playground is free of
cost. * Exposure to golf is also not as accessible as other sports.
For example, many children will play baseball, hockey, American
football or soccer in school or youth programs, and the equipment
is provided (often for a registration fee that has been subsidized
or sponsored privately). However, few high schools or youth programs
offer a golf program where kids can be exposed to and learn the
game at a relatively cheaper price. Those that do usually provide
access to a golf course with unlimited access. * Comparing golf
to other individual (rather than team) sports, golf is still more
expensive. One racquet for a racquet sport (tennis, squash, racquetball)
is still much cheaper than a set of clubs, and registration at a
racquet club or even a local YMCA for a month can be cheaper than
one day at the golf course. Moreover, kids can borrow an old racquet
and hit a ball against a school wall for free. It is difficult for
a golfer to practice hitting shots longer than short pitch shots
unless one pays to play golf or pays to practice at a driving range
or indoor golf training facility. Further, the social status of
better (and usually more expensive) equipment cannot be overlooked.
Few will notice or care the condition of a baseball glove as long
as it can catch a baseball adequately. Similarly, as long as a basketball
has enough air to bounce evenly, its brand name and condition are
mostly irrelevant. Yet, in order to be outfitted with the latest
golf equipment, including rather expensive clothing, shoes and gloves,
one can end up spending quite a sum. Because golf has become the
platform through which business people interact, evaluate each other,
and generally talk/negotiate, the game presents opportunties from
which commerce emerges through the development of personal relationships.
Cost of maintenance
The maintenance and upkeep of a golf course demands significant
expense. The sheer size of a golf course (on average, 75 acres)
demands no small amount of crew and equipment. But, not just any
crew or any equipment - specialized groundskeepers and specialized
equipment must be used to maintain a stimulating and beautiful tee,
fairway, green, as well as bunkers, water hazards, etc. Public outdoor
tennis courts also require fees which are allocated in part to maintenance
and upkeep. However, unlike a tennis or basketball court, grass
on a golf course continues to grow, as do weeds, trees, etc, which
must be continually and regularly trimmed and kept in order to maintain
a clean course. Also, families of local fauna must be kept in check,
because while squirrels and foxes can make for picturesque scenes,
skunks and raccoons can't be permitted to take up residence. Quality
grasses, soils, flora, and a high degree of ever-changing technology
requires that a golf club can't really "go cheap" and expect to
remain profitable.
World popularity
In 2005 Golf Digest calculated that there were nearly 32,000 golf
courses in the world, approximately half of them in the United States.
[17] The countries with most golf courses in relation to population,
starting with the best endowed were: Scotland, New Zealand, Australia,
Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Canada, Wales, United States,
Sweden, and England (countries with fewer than 500,000 people were
excluded). Apart from Sweden all of these countries have English
as the majority language, but the number of courses in new territories
is increasing rapidly. For example the first golf course in the
People's Republic of China only opened in the mid-1980s, but by
2005 there were 200 courses in that country. The professional sport
was initially dominated by British golfers, but since World War
I, America has produced the greatest quantity of leading professionals.
Other Commonwealth countries such as Australia and South Africa
are also traditional powers in the sport. Since around the 1970s,
Japan, Scandinavian and other Western European countries have produced
leading players on a regular basis. The number of countries with
high-class professionals continues to increase steadily, especially
in East Asia. South Korea is notably strong in women's golf. The
last decade or so has seen a marked increase in specialised golf
vacations or holidays worldwide. This demand for travel which is
centered around golf has lead to the development of many luxury
resorts which cater to golfers and feature integrated golf courses.
Professional golf
Golf is played professionally in many different countries. The
majority of professional golfers work as club or teaching professionals,
and only compete in local competitions. A small elite of professional
golfers are "tournament pros" who compete full time on international
"tours".
Golf tours
Tiger Woods, who is currently the leading professional golfer in
the world. [18] Main article: Professional golf tours There are
at least twenty professional golf tours, each run by a PGA or an
independent tour organisation, which is responsible for arranging
events, finding sponsors, and regulating the tour. Typically a tour
has "members" who are entitled to compete in most of its events,
and also invites non-members to compete in some of them. Gaining
membership of an elite tour is highly competitive, and most professional
golfers never achieve it. The most widely known tour is the PGA
TOUR (officially rendered in all caps), which attracts the best
golfers from all the other men's tours. This is due mostly to the
fact that most PGA TOUR events have a first prize of at least USD
800,000. The European Tour, which attracts a substantial number
of top golfers from outside North America, ranks second to the PGA
TOUR in worldwide prestige. Some top professionals from outside
North America play enough tournaments to maintain membership on
both the PGA TOUR and European Tour. There are several other men's
tours around the world. Golf is unique in having lucrative competition
for older players. There are several senior tours for men 50 and
older, the best known of which is the U.S.-based Champions Tour.
There are five principal tours for women, each based in a different
country or continent. The most prestigious of these is the U.S.-based
LPGA Tour.
Men's major championships
The major championships are the four most prestigious men's tournaments
of the year. In current chronological order they are: * The Masters
* U.S. Open * The Open Championship (referred to in North America
as the British Open) * PGA Championship The fields for these events
include the top several dozen golfers from all over the world. 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. The U.S. Open and PGA
Championship are played at various courses around the United States,
while The Open Championship is played at various courses in the
UK. The number of major championships a player accumulates in his
career has a very large impact on his stature in the sport. Jack
Nicklaus is widely regarded as the greatest golfer of all time,
largely because he has won a record 18 professional majors, or 20
majors in total if his two U.S. Amateurs are included. Tiger Woods,
who may be the only golfer likely to challenge Nicklaus's record,
has won twelve professional majors (15 total if his three U.S. Amateurs
are included), all before the age of thirty-one. (To put this total
in perspective, Nicklaus had won eight professional majors and two
U.S. Amateurs at the same age.) Woods also came closest to winning
all four current majors in one season (known as a Grand Slam completed
first by Bobby Jones) when he won them consecutively across two
seasons: the 2000 U.S. Open, Open Championship, and PGA Championship;
and the 2001 Masters. This feat has been frequently called the Tiger
Slam. Prior to the advent of the PGA Championship and The Masters,
the four Majors were the U.S. Open, the U.S. Amateur, the Open Championship,
and the British Amateur. These are the four that Bobby Jones won
in 1930 to become the only player ever to have earned a Grand Slam.
Women's majors
Women's golf does not have a globally agreed set of majors. The
list of majors recognized by the dominant women's tour, the LPGA
Tour in the U.S., has changed several times over the years, with
the last change in 2001. Like the PGA TOUR, the (U.S.) LPGA[19]
currently has four majors: * Kraft Nabisco Championship * U.S. Women's
Open * LPGA Championship * Women's British Open Only the last of
these is also recognized by the Ladies European Tour. The other
event that it recognizes as a major is the Evian Masters, which
is not considered a major by the LPGA (but is co-sanctioned as a
regular LPGA event). However, the significance of this is limited,
as the LPGA is far more dominant in women's golf than the PGA Tour
is in mainstream men's golf. For example, the BBC has been known
to use the U.S. definition of "women's majors" without qualifying
it. Also, the Ladies European Tour tacitly acknowledges the dominance
of the LPGA Tour by not scheduling any of its own events to conflict
with the three LPGA majors played in the U.S. The second-richest
women's tour, the LPGA of Japan Tour, does not recognize any of
the U.S. LPGA or European majors. It has its own set of three majors.
However, these events attract little notice outside Japan.
Senior majors
Like women's golf, senior (50-and-over) men's golf does not have
a globally agreed set of majors. The list of senior majors on the
U.S.-based Champions Tour has changed over the years, but always
by expansion; unlike the situation with the LPGA, no senior major
has lost its status. The Champions Tour now recognizes five majors:
* Senior PGA Championship * U.S. Senior Open * Senior British Open
* The Tradition * Senior Players Championship Of the five events,
the Senior PGA is by far the oldest, having been founded in 1937.
The other events all date from the 1980s, when senior golf became
a commercial success as the first golf stars of the television era,
such as Arnold Palmer and Gary Player, reached the relevant age.
The Senior British Open was not recognized as a major by the Champions
Tour until 2003. The European Seniors Tour recognizes only the Senior
PGA and the two Senior Opens as majors. However, the Champions Tour
is arguably more dominant in global senior golf than the U.S. LPGA
is in global women's golf.
Environmental impact
Del Monte Forest, Monterey Peninsula, showing encroachment of golf
course and other development, reducing biodiversity. Environmental
concerns over the use of land for golf courses have grown over the
past 50 years. Specific concerns include the amount of water and
chemical pesticides and fertilizers used for maintenance, as well
as the destruction of wetlands and other environmentally important
areas during construction. A notable toxic chemical used on golf
courses is diazinon; however, this substance was banned in the United
States as of the year 2004. These, along with health and cost concerns,
have led to significant research into more environmentally sound
practices and turf grasses. The modern golf course superintendent
is often trained in the uses of these practices and grasses. This
has led to some mitigation in the amount of chemicals and water
used on courses. The turf on golf courses is an excellent filter
for water and has been used in many communities to cleanse grey
water, such as incorporation of bioswales. Many people continue
to oppose golf courses for environmental and human survival reasons,
as they impede corridors for migrating animals and sanctuaries for
birds and other wildlife. In fact, the effective non-native monoculture
of golf courses systematically destroys biodiversity. A major result
of modern equipment is that today's players can hit the ball much
further than previously. In a concern for safety, modern golf course
architects have had to lengthen and widen their design envelope.
This has led to a ten percent increase in the amount of area that
is required for golf courses today. At the same time, water restrictions
placed by many communities have forced many courses to limit the
amount of maintained turf grass. While most modern 18-hole golf
courses occupy as much as 60 ha (150 acres) of land, the average
course has 30 ha (75 acres) of maintained turf. (Sources include
the National Golf Foundation and the Golf Course Superintendents
Association of America [GCSAA].) Wildlife is sometimes seen on golf
courses, but is not encouraged due to damage it causes to the course.
Golf courses are built on many different types of land, including
sandy areas along coasts, abandoned farms, strip mines and quarries,
deserts and forests. Many Western countries have instituted significant
environmental restrictions on where and how courses can be built[20][21].
In some parts of the world, attempts to build courses and resorts
have led to significant protests along with vandalism and violence
by both sides. Although golf is a relatively minor issue compared
to other land-ethics questions, it has symbolic importance as it
is a sport normally associated with the wealthier Westernized population,
and the culture of colonization and globalization of non-native
land ethics. Resisting golf tourism and golf's expansion has become
an objective of some land-reform movements, especially in the Philippines
and Indonesia. In Saudi Arabia, golf courses have been constructed
on nothing more than oil-covered sand. However, in some cities such
as Dhahran, modern, grass golf courses have been built recently.
In Coober Pedy, Australia, there is a famous golf course that consists
of nine holes dug into mounds of sand, diesel and oil and not a
blade of grass or a tree to be seen. You carry a small piece of
astroturf from which you tee. In New Zealand it is not uncommon
for rural courses to have greens fenced off and sheep graze the
fairways. Many golf courses have been displaced by urban planning
practices. Many things that displace golf courses range from neighborhoods
to shopping malls. At the 125-year-old Royal Colombo Golf Club in
Sri Lanka steam trains, from the Kelani Valley railway, run through
the course at the 6th hole.
Technology in Golf
Equipment: As golf has grown more competitive, players have wanted
equipment that performs better. Golf balls have changed from feather-filled
leather sacs to complex composites. Golf clubs have changed from
wooden shafts and club heads to carbon fiber shafts and precisely
engineered club heads.
Health: As sports nutrition has increased, treatment of injuries
improved and knowledge of the human body grown, athletic potential
has increased. Athletes today are now able to play at an older age,
recover more quickly from injuries, and train more effectively than
in previous generations.
Instruction Golf has often been in the forefront of technological
advances in sport. Systems have been developed that measure the
speed and spin of golf balls after they are hit, measure club head
speed and even how the body moves during the golf swing. Video motion
capture has played a large role in measuring aspects of golf that
are difficult if not impossible to measure and understand with the
human eye. Tools such as launch monitors are able to measure club
head speed as well as golf ball speed and spin, projecting the most
likely flight path of the ball. Video capture devices allow body
position and angles to be determined at different points of the
swing. Motion capture devices allow for most information to be gathered
at one time, measuring position, angles, orientations, as well as
velocities at many points of the swing. The benefit of motion capture
devices is that they utilize computers, which are cheaper to store
data on than high speed video and are more precise.
Etymology:The word golf was first mentioned in writing in 1457
on a Scottish statute on forbidden games as gouf, possibly derived
from the Scottish word goulf (variously spelled) meaning "to strike
or cuff". This word may, in turn, be related to the Dutch word kolf,
meaning "bat," or "club," and the Dutch sport of the same name.
But there is an even earlier reference to the game of golf and it
is believed to have happened in 1452 when King James II of Scotland
baned the game because it kept his subjects from their archery practice.
Golf Timeline [22]. There is a persistent urban legend claiming
that the term derives from an acronym "Gentlemen Only, Ladies Forbidden".
This is almost certainly false as acronyms being used as words is
a fairly modern phenomenon, making the expression more likely to
be a backronym [23].
Golf humour
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Many jokes revolve around the game of golf, either as a setting
for an otherwise generic punchline or as the target of a barb. Mark
Twain's definition of golf was "a good walk spoiled."[24] John McEnroe
asked rhetorically, in reference to whether golf is a sport, "I
thought a sport was where you had to run or something." Some business
people like to say, "The worst day on the golf course is better
than the best day at work." It is also noted that J.R.R. Tolkien
said that golf originated from hobbits, after Bullroarer Took knocked
the goblin king Golfimbul's head off with a wooden club, sending
it down a rabbit hole thus winning the battle and inventing golf
at the same time. During a stand up comedy act, Robin Williams did
an entire set related to the invention of the sport by drunk Scots.
Golf movies
* A Gentlemen's Game * Happy Gilmore * The Greatest Game Ever Played
* The Legend of Bagger Vance * Tin Cup * Caddyshack * Caddyshack
II * Bobby Jones: Stroke of a Genius * Follow The Sun * Dead Solid
Perfect * Banning * The Story of Golf * Dead Solid Perfect * Den
ofrivillige golfaren
Golf magazines
* Golf Digest * Scoregolf * Travel and Leisure: Golf * Golf Illustrated
* Golf Magazine * Golf Week * Golf Punk * Golf Connoisseur [edit]
See also Golf Portal Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Golf
Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Golf * Golf
glossary * List of golfers * List of golfers with most major title
wins * Golfers with most PGA Tour wins * PGA TOUR * PGA European
Tour * Ryder Cup * The Golf Channel * Golf instruction * Golf etiquette
There are several bodies known as the "LPGA", each based in a different
country or continent. The U.S. LPGA is the only one without a geographic
identifier in its name, as it was the first to be founded. Typically,
if the term "LPGA" is used without an identifier, it refers to the
U.S. body. 20. ^ C.M. Hogan, G. Deghi, M. Papineau et. al., Environmental
Impact Report for the Pebble Beach Properties project by Del Monte
Forest, Earth Metrics Inc. Prepared for the city of Monterey and
State of California Clearinghouse (1992) 21. ^ U.S. Federal Register:
August 2, 1995 (Volume 60, Number 148, Pages 39326-39337 22. ^ see
article at About. 23. ^ See article at Snopes. 24. ^
External links
* The R&A * United States Golf Association * International Association
of Golf Club Presidents * International Golf Federation * European
Golf Association * The Official site of the Professional Golf Association
* Golf Course Superintendents Association of America * Latin America's
Golf Cup Int'l Circuit
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