Golf is an outdoor game where individual players or teams hit a small ball into holes using various clubs. 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 believed to have originated in Scotland and has been played for several centuries in the British Isles. Although often viewed as an elite pastime, golf is now increasingly popular and continues to attract ever more players around the world.

A game of golf consists of playing a round of several holes. A hole of golf consists of hitting a ball from a tee (a marked area designated for the first shot of a hole), and continuing to strike the ball till it is holed. Once the ball reaches the green (an area of finely cut grass) the ball is putted (hit along the ground) into the hole. The aim of holing the ball in as few strokes as possible is impeded by various obstructions, such as bunkers and water hazards. Most golf courses consist of eighteen holes (though some have nine).

Competitive golf can be played by individual players (single) or by teams. Scoring can be done as stroke play or match play.

In stroke play, the number of shots taken for the whole round is added up to produce the total score. 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. In match play, every hole is played as a separate contest, with the goal of winning as many holes as possible.

 

Brief History of the Sport

Golf is usually regarded as a Scottish invention, as the game was mentioned in two 15th century laws prohibiting the playing of the game of "gowf". Some scholars however suggest that this refers to another game which is much akin to modern field hockey. They point out that a game of putting a small ball in a hole in the ground using golf clubs was played in the 17th century Netherlands. The term golf is believed to have originated from a Germanic word for "club".

The modern game evolved in the second half of the 19th century in Scotland. The rules of the game and the design of equipment and courses greatly resemble those of today. The major changes in equipment since then 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.

 

Play of the Game

Golf is played by holes. 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.

Players usually walk (or sometimes drive) over the course 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 foursomes, one player from each team tees off and the players then take alternate shots until the ball is holed out.

When individual players have all brought a ball into play, the player whose ball is the farthest from the hole is next to play. In some teams events, a player who is farthest from the hole may ask his or her partner who may be closer to the hole 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 play 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 penal points that are added to the score for violations of rules or for making use of relief procedures in certain situations.

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 that party that wins more holes than the other.
• In stroke play, every player (or team) counts the total number of strokes for a set number of holes and the party with the lower total score wins.

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.

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 do 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 does 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 the lower score on each hole is counted. Four-balls can be played as match play or stroke play.

A popular non-"official" form of team play is the 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 that spot. and the procedure is repeated until the hole is finished.

Handicap Systems

A handicap is a numerical measure of an amateur golfer's ability. It can be used to calculate a so-called "net" score from the number of strokes actually played, thus allowing players of different proficiency to play against each other on equal terms. Handicaps are administrated by golf clubs or national golf associations.

Handicap systems are not used in professional golf. Most touring professionals play several strokes per round better than scratch.

Golf Rules and Regulations

The rules of golf are internationally standardized and are jointly governed by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews (R&A) 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 rules continue to evolve; amended versions of the rule book are usually published and made effective in a four-year cycle.

The underlying principle of the rules is fairness. As declared 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 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 if it is destroyed, lost, or unplayable, and a penalty is incurred in the latter cases

The Decisions on the Rules of Golf are based on formal case decisions by the R&A and USGA and are published regularly.

The etiquette of golf, although not formally equivalent to the rules, are included in the publications on golf rules and are considered binding for every player. They cover matters such as safety, fairness, easiness and pace of play, and players' obligation to contribute to the care of the course.

There are strict regulations regarding the amateur status of golfers. Essentially, everybody who has ever taught or played golf for money (or even accepted a trophy of more than a modest monetary value) is not considered an amateur and must not participate in amateur competitions..