The Rules: Basics of How to Play a Round of Golf

By JA Francis

Golf Course

Golf is played on an large area of land (the course) consisting 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 teeing box (starting point for each hole) to the green (the low cut area surrounding the actual hole in the ground). Most golf courses consist of eighteen holes.

Hole and Par

At the beginning of each hole, a ball may be placed upon a tee to steady the ball and help the golfer achieve more loft on his shot.  After tee off, a player must strike the ball where it lies on the ground. The golf ball is struck by a club with the objective of putting the ball in a hole in as few strokes (shots) as possible.  Each hole has a Par, which 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 (drive), another to the green (approach), and then to roll the ball into the hole with two putts. A golf hole is traditionally either a par three, four, or five.

Fairway or Rough

Between the swing and the putt the ball will land either on the fairway or in 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. 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.

Hazards

All holes include some hazards, which may be water hazards (lakes, rivers, etc.) or sand bunkers. Special rules apply to playing balls that come to rest 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 but if it cannot be reached, the ball may be hit from another location, generally incurring a penalty of one stroke. Exactly where the ball may be played outside a hazard is governed by the rule book.There is a predefined boundary, and if the ball goes out of bounds a penalty stroke is awarded and the player must take the shot again from the original position.

Putting on the green

Once a golfer reaches the green, he’ll use a putter, a club with a flat clubface, to roll the ball towards the hole and into it. The growth direction of individual blades of grass (grain) and the slope of the green, (break)  often affects the roll of a golf ball.  The cup is always found within the green but is not static and may be moved from day to day. It is marked with a small flag on a pole (pin) so it may be seen from a distance, but not necessarily from the tee. The pole may be removed during the putting shot.

A round of golf

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 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.

Taking your turn and scoring golf

Each player plays a ball from the tee to the hole. 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. When all players of a group have completed the hole, the player or team with the best score on that hole has the honor, or 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 , the score consists of the number of strokes played plus any penalty strokes.( Points that are added to the score for violations of rules or a ball rescued from a hazard.) For information on par, birdies and bogies see the scoring