The Basics of Learning Golf

Par (score) ... Some golf courses feature par-sixes and, albeit very rarely, par-sevens, although the latter are not recognised by the United States Golf Association... Typical championship golf courses have par values of 72, comprising four par-threes, ten par-fours, and four par-fives...

Pitching Wedge ... This is for a number of reasons: first, before the term "wedge" became common for high-loft short irons, the pitching wedge was actually numbered as the "10-iron" of a matched set, and to this day it follows the normal loft progression of the numbered irons. Also, even though it has been named a wedge, many matched iron sets for retail sale include the pitching wedge even when not including other wedges...

Golf Cart ... Golf cars come in a wide range of formats and are more generally used to convey small numbers of passengers short distances at speeds less than 15 mph (24 km/h) per ANSI Standard z130.1 as originally manufactured... The price of a golf car can range anywhere from $3,000 - $15,000 per car, depending on several factors... These factors may include whether or not a fleet of cars is being purchased for a golf course or a country club, for example, and whether the cars are new or used...

Professional Golfer ... Professional golfers are divided into two main groups, with a limited amount of overlap between them: The great majority of professional golfers (at least 95%) make their living from teaching the game, running golf clubs and courses, and dealing in golf equipment... The senior professional golfer at a golf club is usually referred to as the club professional, but at a large golf club or resort with several courses his job title is likely to be director of golf... A golfer who concentrates wholly or nearly so on giving golf lessons is a teaching professional, golf instructor or golf coach...

Golf Instruction ... Proficiency in teaching golf instruction requires not only technical and physical ability, but also knowledge of the rules and etiquette of the game... Golf instruction is best performed by recognised teachers certified by the relevant bodies; in the United States, the recommended teachers are those who are PGA Class A Professionals although many of the greatest teachers are not affiliated to the PGA ... Instructors use a combination of physical conditioning, mental visualization, classroom sessions, club fitting, driving range instruction, on-course play under real conditions, and review of videotaped swings in slow motion to teach golf...

Hybrid (golf) ... For many players, long irons (numbers 1-4) are difficult to hit even with modern clubfaces, due to the low trajectory and very small face of the low-loft clubhead. Players tend to avoid these clubs in favor of fairway woods, but such woods, having longer shafts, have a different swing mechanic that is sometimes difficult to master...

Golf Ball ... Under the Rules of Golf, a golf ball weighs no more than 1.620 oz (45.93 grams), has a diameter not less than 1.680 in (42.67 mm), and performs within specified velocity, distance, and symmetry limits... Like golf clubs, golf balls are subject to testing and approval by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews and the United States Golf Association, and those that do not conform with regulations may not be used in competitions (Rule 5-1)... History Hard Wooden balls were the first used golf balls until the early 17th century, when the featherie ball added a new and exciting feature to the game of golf...

Different Types Of Golf GPS Navigation Systems ... As the technology has become more popular among golfers so has the variety of golf GPS systems available to them... Different golfers want and need different information as they seek to improve their game, so in choosing a golf GPS system, the golfer needs to know exactly what he or she is looking for, while also considering price and convenience in using each type of system. One type of golf GPS system is a sports watch with GPS capabilities... These watches are very convenient since the golfer does not have to carry around an extra piece of equipment with him or her while on the golf course...

Iron (golf) ... A standard set of 14 golf clubs will contain many irons, which are customarily differentiated by the angle of loft on the clubface, although they will also vary in clubhead size, shaft length, and hence lie angle...

Wedge (golf) ... Pitching wedge A pitching wedge is a type of golf club used to hit a shot with higher and shorter trajectory than a 9-iron and a lower and longer trajectory than a gap wedge...

Tee ... A standard golf tee is 2.125" (two and one eighth inches = 5.4 cm) long, but both longer and shorter tees are permitted... There are also many biodegradable, ecological and recycable golf tees that diminish the number trees cut down to manufacture the tees and allow golf courses to lower costs by not having to deal with the broken wooden tees on their courses... According to the R& A rule book, for a tee to be legal, "It must not be longer than 4 inches (101.6 mm) and it must not be designed or manufactured in such a way that it could indicate the line of play or influence the movement of the ball." History The development of the tee was the last major change to the rules of golf...

Rules Of Golf ... In addition to the rules golf adheres to a code of conduct, known as etiquette, which generally means playing the game with due respect for the golf course and other players... History Before the rules of golf were standardised golf clubs commonly had their own set of rules, which while broadly the same had subtle differences, such as allowing for the removal of loose impediments, e.g... The earliest surviving written rules of golf were produced by the Gentlemen Golfers of Leith on 7 March 1744, for a tournament played on 2 April...

Slope Rating ... The USGA slope rating of a golf course is a mark that describes the measure of difficulty for a bogey golfer relative to a scratch golfer at a specific set of tees...

Putter ... Putters usually have a loft of 5° but cannot be more than 10°. The putter is the only club that may have a grip that is not perfectly round; "shield"-like cross-sections with a flat top and curved underside are most common...

Hazard (golf) ... which may be of three types: (1) water hazards such as lakes and rivers; (2) man-made hazards such as bunkers; and (3) natural hazards such as dense vegetation. Special rules apply to playing balls that fall in a hazard...

History Of Golf ... 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... Andrews, one of the oldest Scottish golf organisations, 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." The word golf, or in Scots gouf, is usually thought to be a Scots alteration of Dutch "colf" or "colve" meaning "stick, "club", "bat", itself related to the Proto-Germanic language *kulth- as found in Old Norse kolfr meaning "bell clapper", and the German Kolben meaning "mace or club"...

Men's Major Golf Championships ... Masters" outside North America) is played at the same course, Augusta National Golf Club, every year, while the other three rotate courses (the Open Championship, however, is always played on a links course)... Each of the majors has a distinct history, and they are run by four different golf organizations, but their special status is recognized worldwide... Major championship winners receive the maximum possible allocation of 100 points from the Official World Golf Ranking, which is endorsed by all of the main tours, and major championship prize money is official on the three richest regular (i.e...

Driving Range ... Driving ranges are particularly popular in Japan where golf courses are overcrowded and often very expensive...

Shaft (golf) ... Prior to 1935, hickory was the dominant material for shaft manufacturing, but it proved difficult to master for most golfers, as well as being quite frail. Steel would become the ubiquitous choice for much of the second half of the twentieth century...