GOLF: A SPORT ACTIVITY FOR LEISURE

^{Golf as a leisure activity}

Golf, a sport activity also known as a club-and-ball sport is a great sport to do in your leisure time as well as play with friends and colleagues. It is sometimes called the rich man’s game. One can learn to play golf by learning to hit the ball correctly, understanding the basics of the game, and practicing the skills involved.

History of Golf
Golf is said to start on February 26, 1297, in Loenen aan de Vecht. The Dutch who lived by that time, used sticks and leather balls to play the game. They consider a player who was able to hit the ball into the hole several hundred yards away as the winner of the game. This same type of game was also played in Scotland about 17th century. The governing body in Golf game started first as the United States Golf Association (USGA) and was instituted in 1894. It was later reformed to the Professional Golf Association of America in the year 1916.

How Golf is Played
The equipment needed to play golf includes;

The golf ball
Club of different sizes
Gloves
Golf bag
The tee and the tee box

A maximum of 14 clubs is allowed in the club bag at one round and a player is allowed to use any of the club suitable for him or her. These clubs though different sized, must be constructed to specifications.

^{Man attempting to hit ball into the hole}

Golf is played by attempting to hit balls into each hole on a golf course using a club. This is done by applying a few strokes as possible. Golf does not actually require a standard playing area like that of a football. Golf is played on a “golf course” which may have 9 or 18 holes on it. The 9 holes course is mostly common and is usually played twice through for 18 holes. A round is defined by 18 holes according to the type of course layout. The main aim of the game is to get the golf ball into the holes in the “green” (area marked green) on the golf course with a few “swing” as possible.

10 Most Used Terminologies in Golf

1. The stroke
This is the shot on the golf ball in an attempt to hit the ball into the hole. The total number of strokes for a successful putting the ball (“holing” the ball) into the hole is counted. A player usually aims at using a least number of strokes in holing the ball.

2. Penalties
There are several ways according to the rules governing the golf game that a player can attract a penalty. These are; if a player hits the ball out of the playable area (out of bounds), if a player hits a wrong ball or hits a fellow golfer’s ball. Penalties can lead to disqualification.

3. The golf ball
A golf ball is spherical in shape. It is pocked on the surface to reduce drag as a result of air thereby making the ball to propel fast in air.

4. The tee
A tee is the small elevation provided to the ball by a player. The tee is always applied only to the first stroke. If a player wants to replay his first stroke, he can use the tee. But after the first stroke, no more tee.

5. The Golf shoes
The golf shoe is the kitted shoes worn by a golfer on the course. It is usually designed with metallic of plastic spikes to enable traction which will support longer and better shots.

6. A Golf bag
A golf bag is used in carrying the club, ball, the tees and the gloves. It can be carried, pulled on two rollers, or in a motorized cart.

7. The golf swing
To make a swing, the player stands facing the target, the feet spread shoulder width apart, and then hit the ball into the holes. “A drive” is when the ball is tee-off from the tee box. “The approach” is when the ball is hit for mid and long distances. “The chip” is used in a short distance stroke usually around the green so as to make the ball to roll towards the hole. “The putt” is used for short distance strokes to make ball close to the green as possible.

8. Par
A par is the term used for a defined number of strokes that is assigned to move the ball from the tee into the hole. A hole may be par three (i.e. the maximum number of permitted stroke to hole the ball is three), par four, par five. If a hole is par four, a player will aim at putting the ball into the hole with less than four strokes and this will be considered as GIR (Green in Regulation). A player is allowed to use as many strokes as possible, but to be on the safer side, it is best to use a less number of strokes as specified by the par of a hole.

9. The course
A full course is made up of 18 holes. If it has 9 holes, that means the tournament must be played twice to have 18 holes in a round. A course may have 4 par-five holes, 4 par-three holes, and 10 par-four holes making up to 18 holes.

10. Scoring
There are 3 ways of calculating the scores in the golf game. These are;

Stroke play: here the total number of strokes to successfully put the ball into each of the holes is counted and tally up. A player who has a low stroke wins the game.
Match play: here the total number of strokes per hole is taken and compared to the opponent’s corresponding hole, the player with the least number of strokes wins on that particular hole. At the end of the tournament, the player with the highest number of winning holes, win the game.
Stableford system: the score as related to the par per hole is calculated and taken as a point. The player with the highest points wins the game.

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