Rules of play

The game of golf is based upon hitting a golfball into a designated hole, within a minimum amount of strokes. The golf course consits of 18 holes. All 18 holes add up to a total distance of about 6000 meters. Length of single holes is between 100 and 600 meters. Depending on the length, each hole has a par, meaning a regulated amount of strokes, with which a very good player should tackle the hole. Short holes up to 230 meters are considered a par 3, average holes up to 450 meters are considered a Par 4, longer holes are Par 5s. The ball is struck with golfclubs, which vary. The choice of the club is determined by distance and favored trajectory of the desired shot.

The spot from where the players starts to play each hole is called a Tee Box or Tee. From there on the ball is struck on to the Fairway in ideal circumstances. The Fairway looks like a big path (road), which consits of short, well maintained turf. It can vary between about 15 and 50 meters in width and ends around the Green.

The Green is an even better maintained area, with very short and delicate grass, similar to a carpet. The Hole with the Flagstick in its centre is located on the Green. Between the Tee and the Green a player has to cope with a variety of obstacles, for example the Rough (high grass which surrounds the Fairway), Bunkers (big sandy holes on the Fairway), water hazards (ponds, lakes or rivers), trees, bushes and the shape of the terrain (hills and slopes).

A group of players, a so-called Flight, can exist of a maximum of 4 players. Each player hits one ball from the Tee Box, one after another. Then each player walks up to his/her ball and strikes the ball again towards the flag. The order of play is deteminated by whose ball is furthest from the flag. The furthest hits first, then the next furthest and so on; until each player has put his or her ball into the hole on the Green. The following group of players (next Flight) can only proceed, if the preceding Flight is at a safe distance! The results (number of strokes) needed by each payer to complete one hole are noted down on a Score Card before commencing the next hole.

A player’s bag can contain a maximum of 14 clubs. These clubs differ in length, weight, clubhead shape and clubface angle (Loft) which determine the flight of the ball.

Woods are clubs with which a player can strike the ball the furthest. They are the longest and the lightest, their clubheads are bulky and the clubface has a small Loft. An average player has two to three woods in his/her golfbag. Excellent players manage to hit the ball over 300 meters with these clubs.
The second type of clubs used are Irons. A player can have around 10 of these Irons in his/her bag. All of them slightly vary from eachother. All irons are numbered (usually fom 9 to 3). The lower the club number the further the ball could be struck. Every consecutive club should send the ball about 10 meteres further than the previous club. Ball hit by iron club can travel from around 100 to 200 meters far.

The third type of club is used on the Green , to make the ball roll into the hole. It is called a Putter. Another type of club which one could find in a golfbag, is the wedge: It looks like an Iron (or a big spoon) with a big clubface angle (Loft) , so as to hit the ball higher and shorter distance. One type of wedge is the Sand wedge, which is used to hit the golfball out of the Bunker. Most players have 2 wedges in their bag, some players use up to 4 different wedges.

The last type of club worth mentioning is the so-called Rescue or Utility club. This kind is becomming more and more popular; it looks like a mixture of an Iron and a Wood (a hybrid). It is mostly used instead of the long Irons, for long distance shots.