Prize Golf Game

A golfer in the finishing position after hitting a tee shotHighestFirst playedCharacteristicsContactNoTypeOutdoorEquipment,GlossaryPresence,Golf is a club-and-ball in which players use various to hit into a series of holes on a in as few strokes as possible.Golf, unlike most, cannot and does not utilize a standardized playing area, and coping with the varied terrains encountered on different courses is a key part of the game. The game at the usual level is played on a course with an arranged progression of 18 holes, though recreational courses can be smaller, often having nine holes. Each hole on the course must contain a to start from, and a containing the actual hole or cup 4 1⁄ 4 inches (11 cm) in diameter. There are other standard forms of terrain in between, such as the fairway, rough (long grass), bunkers (or 'sand traps'), and various hazards (water, rocks) but each hole on a course is unique in its specific layout and arrangement.Golf is played for the lowest number of strokes by an individual, known as, or the lowest score on the most individual holes in a complete round by an individual or team, known as.

Stroke play is the most commonly seen format at all levels, but most especially at the elite level.The modern game of golf. The 18-hole round was created at the at in 1764.

Golf's first major, and the world's oldest tournament in existence, is, also known as the British Open, which was first played in 1860 in Ayrshire, Scotland. This is one of the four in men's professional golf, the other three being played in the United States:, the, and the.

The MacDonald boys playing golf, attributed to William Mosman. 18th century,.While the modern game of golf originated in, the game's ancient origins are unclear and much debated.Some historians trace the sport back to the Roman game of, in which participants used a bent stick to hit a stuffed leather ball. One theory asserts that paganica spread throughout Europe as the Romans conquered most of the continent, during the first century BC, and eventually evolved into the modern game.Others cite (捶丸; 'chui' means striking and 'wan' means small ball) as the progenitor, a game played between the eighth and fourteenth centuries. A scroll by the artist Youqiu dating back to 1368 entitled 'The Autumn Banquet' shows a member of the Chinese Imperial court swinging what appears to be a golf club at a small ball with the aim of sinking it into a hole.

The game is thought to have been introduced into Europe during the Middle Ages.Another early game that resembled modern golf was known as in England and chambot in France. The Persian game is another possible ancient origin. In addition, (a game involving a ball and curved bats) was played annually in Loenen, Netherlands, beginning in 1297, to commemorate the capture of the assassin of, a year earlier. Female golfer in a competition in Spain in 1915.The modern game, where the first written record of golf is 's banning of the game in 1457, as an unwelcome distraction to learning archery. Lifted the ban in 1502 when he became a golfer himself, with golf clubs first recorded in 1503–1504: 'For golf clubbes and balles to the King that he playit with'. To many golfers, the at, a dating to before 1574, is considered to be a site of pilgrimage.

In 1764, the standard 18-hole golf course was created at St Andrews when members modified the course from 22 to 18 holes. Golf is documented as being played on, East Lothian, Scotland as early as 2 March 1672, which is certified as the oldest golf course in the world by Guinness World Records. The oldest surviving were compiled in March 1744 for the Company of Gentlemen Golfers, later renamed, which was played at, Scotland. The world's oldest golf tournament in existence, and golf's first major, is, which was first played on 17 October 1860 at Prestwick Golf Club, in Ayrshire, Scotland, with.

Two Scotsmen from, John Reid and Robert Lockhart, first demonstrated golf in the U.S. By setting up a hole in an orchard in 1888, with Reid setting up America's first golf club the same year, in Yonkers, New York. Main article:A golf course consists of either 9 or 18 holes, each with a that is set off by two markers showing the bounds of the legal tee area, and other, and the surrounded by the fringe with the pin (normally a flagstick) and cup.The levels of grass are varied to increase difficulty, or to allow for putting in the case of the green.

While many holes are designed with a direct line-of-sight from the teeing area to the green, some holes may bend either to the left or to the right. This is commonly called a 'dogleg', in reference to a dog's knee. The hole is called a 'dogleg left' if the hole angles leftwards and 'dogleg right' if it bends right.

Sometimes, a hole's direction may bend twice; this is called a 'double dogleg'.A regular golf course consists of 18 holes, but nine-hole courses are common and can be played twice through for a full round of 18 holes.Early Scottish golf courses were primarily laid out on links land, soil-covered sand dunes directly inland from beaches. This gave rise to the term 'golf links', particularly applied to seaside courses and those built on naturally sandy soil inland.The first 18-hole golf course in the United States was on a sheep farm in, in 1892. The course is still there today. Play of the game.

1=teeing ground, 2=water hazard, 3=rough, 4=out of bounds, 5=, 6=water hazard, 7=fairway, 8=putting green, 9=flagstick, 10=holeEvery round 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. Each hole is played once in the round on a standard course of 18 holes. The game can be played by any number of people, although a typical group playing will have 1-4 people playing the round. The typical amount of time required for pace of play for a 9-hole round is two hours and four hours for an 18-hole round.Playing a hole on a golf course is initiated by putting a ball into play by striking it with a club on the (also called the tee box, or simply the tee).

For this first shot on each hole, it is allowed but not required for the golfer to place the ball on a prior to striking it. A tee is a small peg that can be used to elevate the ball slightly above the ground up to a few centimetres high. Tees are commonly made of wood but may be constructed of any material, including plastic. Traditionally, golfers used mounds of sand to elevate the ball, and containers of sand were provided for the purpose. A few courses still require sand to be used instead of peg tees, to reduce litter and reduce damage to the teeing ground. Tees help reduce the interference of the ground or grass on the movement of the club making the ball easier to hit, and also places the ball in the very centre of the striking face of the club (the 'sweet spot') for better distance.When the initial shot on a hole is intended to move the ball a long distance, typically more than 225 yards (210 m), the shot is commonly called a 'drive' and is generally made with a long-shafted, large-headed club called a 'driver'. Shorter holes may be initiated with other clubs, such as higher-numbered woods.

Once the ball comes to rest, the golfer strikes it again as many times as necessary using shots that are variously known as a 'lay-up', an 'approach', a 'pitch', or a ', until the ball reaches the green, where he or she then ' the ball into the hole (commonly called 'sinking the putt' or 'holing out'). In 1953The rules of golf are internationally standardised and are jointly governed by The R&A, spun off in 2004 from (founded 1754), and the (USGA).The underlying principle of the rules is fairness. As stated 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 cannot do either, do what is fair.There are strict regulations regarding the amateur status of golfers. Essentially, anybody who has ever received payment or compensation for giving instruction, or played golf for money, is not considered an amateur and may not participate in competitions limited solely to amateurs. However, amateur golfers may receive expenses that comply with strict guidelines and they may accept non-cash prizes within the limits established by the Rules of Amateur Status.In addition to the officially printed rules, golfers also abide by a set of guidelines called.

Etiquette guidelines cover matters such as safety, fairness, pace of play, and a player's obligation to contribute to the care of the course. Though there are no penalties for breach of etiquette rules, players generally follow the rules of golf etiquette in an effort to improve everyone's playing experience.Penalties. Main article:Penalties are incurred in certain situations. They are counted towards a player's score as if there were extra swing(s) at the ball.

Strokes are added for rule infractions or for hitting one's ball into an unplayable situation.A lost ball or a ball hit out of bounds result in a penalty of one stroke and distance (Rule 27–1). A one-stroke penalty is assessed if a player's equipment causes the ball to move or the removal of a loose impediment causes the ball to move (Rule 18–2). A one-stroke penalty is assessed if a player's ball results into a red or yellow staked hazard (Rule 26).

If a golfer makes a stroke at the wrong ball (Rule 19–2) or hits a fellow golfer's ball with a putt (Rule 19–5), the player incurs a two-stroke penalty. Most rule infractions lead to stroke penalties but also can lead to disqualification. Disqualification could be from cheating, signing for a lower score, or from rule infractions that lead to improper play. A positioned ready to be swung and to strike aare used to hit the. Each club is composed of a shaft with a lance (or 'grip') on the top end and a club head on the bottom. Long clubs, which have a lower amount of degree loft, are those meant to propel the ball a comparatively longer distance, and short clubs a higher degree of loft and a comparatively shorter distance. The actual physical length of each club is longer or shorter, depending on the distance the club is intended to propel the ball.Golf clubs have traditionally been arranged into three basic types.

Are large-headed, long-shafted clubs meant to propel the ball a long distance from relatively 'open' lies, such as the tee box and fairway. Of particular importance is the driver or '1-wood', which is the lowest lofted wood club, and in modern times has become highly specialized for making extremely long-distance tee shots, up to 300 yards (270 m), or more, in a professional golfer's hands. Traditionally these clubs had heads made of a hardwood, hence the name, but virtually all modern woods are now made of metal such as titanium, or of composite materials. Are shorter-shafted clubs with a metal head primarily consisting of a flat, angled striking face. Traditionally the clubhead was forged from iron; modern iron clubheads are investment-cast from a steel alloy. Irons of varying loft are used for a variety of shots from virtually anywhere on the course, but most often for shorter-distance shots approaching the green, or to get the ball out of tricky lies such as sand traps. The third class is the, which evolved from the irons to create a low-lofted, balanced club designed to roll the ball along the green and into the hole.

Putters are virtually always used on the green or in the surrounding rough/fringe. A fourth class, called, evolved as a cross between woods and irons, and are typically seen replacing the low-lofted irons with a club that provides similar distance, but a higher launch angle and a more forgiving nature.A maximum of 14 clubs is allowed in a player's bag at one time during a stipulated round. The choice of clubs is at the golfer's discretion, although every club must be constructed in accordance with parameters outlined in the rules. Main article:The golf swing is outwardly similar to many other motions involving swinging a tool or playing implement, such as an axe or a baseball bat. However, unlike many of these motions, the result of the swing is highly dependent on several sub-motions being properly aligned and timed. These ensure that the club travels up to the ball in line with the desired path; that the clubface is in line with the swing path; and that the ball hits the centre or 'sweet spot' of the clubface. The ability to do this consistently, across a complete set of clubs with a wide range of shaft lengths and clubface areas, is a key skill for any golfer, and takes a significant effort to achieve.StanceStance refers to how the golfer positions themselves in order to play a stroke; it is fundamentally important in being able to play a stroke effectively.

The stance adopted is determined by what stroke is being played. All stances involve a slight crouch. This allows for a more efficient striking posture whilst also the muscles of the legs and core; this allows the stroke to be played more dynamically and with a greater level of overall control. When adopting their stance golfers start with the non-dominant side of the body facing the target (for a right-hander, the target is to their left).

Setting the stance in regard to the position of the ball, and placing the clubhead behind the ball, is known as being at address; when in this position the player's body and the centerline of the club face are positioned parallel to the desired line of travel, with the feet either perpendicular to that line or slightly splayed outward. The feet are commonly shoulder-width apart for middle irons and putters, narrower for short irons and wider for long irons and woods. The ball is typically positioned more to the 'front' of the player's stance (closer to the leading foot) for lower-lofted clubs, with the usual ball position for a drive being just behind the arch of the leading foot. The ball is placed further 'back' in the player's stance (toward the trailing foot) as the loft of the club to be used increases.

Most iron shots and putts are made with the ball roughly centered in the stance, while a few mid- and short-iron shots are made with the ball slightly behind the centre of the stance to ensure consistent contact between the ball and clubface, so the ball is on its way before the club continues down into the turf.StrokesThe golfer chooses a golf club, grip, and stroke appropriate to the distance:. The 'drive' or 'full swing' is used on the teeing ground and fairway, typically with a wood or long iron, to produce the maximum distance capable with the club.

In the extreme, the windup can end with the shaft of the club parallel to the ground above the player's shoulders. The 'approach' or '3/4 swing' is used in medium- and long-distance situations where an exact distance and good accuracy is preferable to maximum possible distance, such as to place the ball on the green or 'lay up' in front of a hazard. The windup or 'backswing' of such a shot typically ends up with the shaft of the club pointing straight upwards or slightly towards the player. The 'chip' or 'half-swing' is used for relatively short-distance shots near the green, with high-lofted irons and wedges. The goal of the chip is to land the ball safely on the green, allowing it to roll out towards the hole. It can also be used from other places to accurately position the ball into a more advantageous lie.

The backswing typically ends with the head of the club between hip and head height. The 'putt' is used in short-distance shots on or near the green, typically made with the eponymous 'putter', although similar strokes can be made with medium to high-numbered irons to carry a short distance in the air and then roll (a 'bump and run'). The backswing and follow-through of the putt are both abbreviated compared to other strokes, with the head of the club rarely rising above the knee. The goal of the putt is usually to put the ball in the hole, although a long-distance putt may be called a 'lag' and is made with the primary intention of simply closing distance to the hole or otherwise placing the ball advantageously.Having chosen a club and stroke to produce the desired distance, the player addresses the ball by taking their stance to the side of it and (except when the ball lies in a hazard) grounding the club behind the ball. The golfer then takes their backswing, rotating the club, their arms and their upper body away from the ball, and then begins their swing, bringing the clubhead back down and around to hit the ball.

A proper golf swing is a complex combination of motions, and slight variations in posture or positioning can make a great deal of difference in how well the ball is hit and how straight it travels. The general goal of a player making a full swing is to propel the clubhead as fast as possible while maintaining a single 'plane' of motion of the club and clubhead, to send the clubhead into the ball along the desired path of travel and with the clubhead also pointing that direction.Accuracy and consistency are typically stressed over pure distance. A player with a straight drive that travels only 220 yards (200 m) will nevertheless be able to accurately place the ball into a favourable lie on the fairway, and can make up for the lesser distance of any given club by simply using 'more club' (a lower loft) on their tee shot or on subsequent fairway and approach shots.

However, a golfer with a drive that may go 280 yards (260 m) but often doesn't fly straight will be less able to position their ball advantageously; the ball may 'hook', 'pull', 'draw', 'fade', 'push' or 'slice' off the intended line and land out of bounds or in the rough or hazards, and thus the player will require many more strokes to hole out.MusculatureA golf stroke uses the muscles of the (especially and when turning),. Stronger muscles in the wrist can prevent them from being twisted during swings, whilst stronger shoulders increase the turning force.

Weak wrists can also transmit the force to elbows and even neck and lead to injury. (When a muscle contracts, it pulls equally from both ends and, to have movement at only one end of the muscle, other muscles must come into play to stabilize the bone to which the other end of the muscle is attached.) Golf is a unilateral exercise that can break body balances, requiring exercises to keep the balance in muscles.

Types of puttingPutting is considered to be the most important component of the game of golf. As the game of golf has evolved, there have been many different putting techniques and grips that have been devised to give golfers the best chance to make putts. When the game originated, golfers would putt with their dominate hand on the bottom of the grip and their weak hand on top of the grip. This grip and putting style is known as 'conventional'.

There are many variations of conventional including overlap, where the golfer overlaps the off hand index finger onto off the dominant pinky; interlock, where the offhand index finger interlocks with the dominant pinky and ring finger; double or triple overlap and so on. Recently, 'cross handed' putting has become a popular trend amongst professional golfers and amateurs.

Cross handed putting is the idea that the dominant hand is on top of the grip where the weak hand is on the bottom. This grip restricts the motion in your dominant hand and eliminates the possibility of wrist breakdowns through the putting stroke.Other notable putting styles include 'the claw', a style that has the grip directly in between the thumb and index finger of the dominant hand while the palm faces the target. The weak hand placed normally on the putter. Anchored putting, a style that requires a longer putter shaft that can be anchored into the player's stomach or below the chin; the idea is to stabilize one end of the putter thus creating a more consistent pendulum stroke. This style has been banned on professional circuits since 2016. Scoring and handicapping Par. A marker stone indicating that this hole is a par-5 holeA hole is classified by its par, meaning the number of strokes a skilled golfer should require to complete play of the hole.

The minimum par of any hole is 3 because par always includes a stroke for the tee shot and two putts. Pars of 4 and 5 strokes are ubiquitous on golf courses; more rarely, a few courses feature par-6 and even par-7 holes.

Strokes other than the tee shot and putts are expected to be made from the fairway; for example, a skilled golfer expects to reach the on a par-4 hole in two strokes—one from the tee (the 'drive') and another, second, stroke to the green (the 'approach')—and then roll the ball into the hole in two putts for par. Putting the ball on the green with two strokes remaining for putts is called making 'green in regulation' or GIR. Missing a GIR does not necessarily mean a golfer will not make par, but it does make doing so more difficult as it reduces the number of putts available; conversely, making a GIR does not guarantee a par, as the player might require three or more putts to 'hole out'. Professional golfers typically make between 60% and 70% of greens in regulation.The primary factor for classifying the par of a relatively straight, hazard-free hole is the distance from the tee to the green, and they can vary between tournament play and casual play.

A typical casual play par-3 hole is less than 250 yards (230 m) in length, with a par-4 hole ranging between 251–450 yards (230–411 m), and a par-5 hole being longer than 450 yards (410 m). The rare par-6s can stretch well over 650 yards (590 m). These distances are based on the typical scratch golfer's drive distance of between 240 and 280 yards (220 and 260 m); a green further than the average player's drive will require additional shots from the fairway. However, other considerations must be taken into account; the key question is 'how many strokes would a scratch golfer take to make the green by playing along the fairway?' The grade of the land from the tee to the hole might increase or decrease the carry and rolling distance of shots as measured linearly along the ground.

Sharp turns or hazards may require golfers to 'lay up' on the fairway in order to change direction or hit over the hazard with their next shot. These design considerations will affect how even a scratch golfer would play the hole, irrespective of total distance from tee to green, and must be included in a determination of par. However, a par score never includes 'expected' penalty strokes, as a scratch player is never 'expected' to hit a ball into a water hazard or other unplayable situation. So the placement of hazards only affect par when considering how a scratch golfer would avoid them.Eighteen-hole courses typically total to an overall par score of 72 for a complete round; this is based on an average par of 4 for every hole, and so is often arrived at by designing a course with an equal number of par-5 and par-3 holes, the rest being par-4.

Many combinations exist that total to par-72, and other course pars exist from 68 up to 76, and are not less worthy than courses of par-72. Additionally, in some countries including the United States, courses are classified according to their play difficulty, which may be used to calculate a golfer's playing for a given course.The two primary difficulty ratings in the U.S. Are the Course Rating, which is effectively the expected score for a zero-handicap 'scratch golfer' playing the course (and may differ from the course par), and the Slope Rating, which is a measure of how much worse a 'bogey golfer' (with an 18 handicap) would be expected to play than a 'scratch golfer'. These two numbers are available for any USGA-sanctioned course, and are used in a weighted system to calculate handicaps (see below).The overall par score in a tournament is the summation of all the par scores in each round. A typical four-round professional tournament played on a par-72 course has a tournament par of 288.ScoringThe goal is to play as few strokes per round as possible. A golfer's number of strokes in a hole, course, or tournament is compared to its respective par score, and is then reported either as the number that the golfer was 'under-' or 'over-par', or if it was 'equal to par'.

A (or an 'ace') occurs when a golfer sinks their ball into the cup with their first stroke from the tee. Common scores for a hole also have specific terms. Numeric termNameDefinition−4Condorfour strokes under par−3Albatross (Double Eagle)three strokes under par−2Eagletwo strokes under par−1Birdieone stroke under parEequal to par+1Bogeyone stroke over par+2Double bogeytwo strokes over par+3Triple bogeythree strokes over parIn a typical professional tournament or among 'scratch' amateur players, 'birdie-bogey' play is common; a player will 'lose' a stroke by bogeying a hole, then 'gain' one by scoring a birdie. Eagles are uncommon but not rare; however, only in a men's major championship.Basic forms of golfThere are two basic forms of golf play, match play and stroke play.

Stroke play is more popular.Match playTwo players (or two teams) play each hole as a separate contest against each other in what is called. The party with the lower score wins that hole, or if the scores of both players or teams are equal the hole is 'halved' (or tied). The game is won by the party that wins more holes than the other. In the case that one team or player has taken a lead that cannot be overcome in the number of holes remaining to be played, the match is deemed to be won by the party in the lead, and the remainder of the holes are not played. For example, if one party already has a lead of six holes, and only five holes remain to be played on the course, the match is over and the winning party is deemed to have won '6 & 5'. At any given point, if the lead is equal to the number of holes remaining, the party leading the match is said to be 'dormie', and the match is continued until the party increases the lead by one hole or ties any of the remaining holes, thereby winning the match, or until the match ends in a tie with the lead player's opponent winning all remaining holes. When the game is tied after the predetermined number of holes have been played, it may be continued until one side takes a one-hole lead.

Stroke playThe score achieved for each and every hole of the round or tournament is added to produce the total score, and the player with the lowest score wins in. Stroke play is the game most commonly played by professional golfers. If there is a tie after the regulation number of holes in a professional tournament, a playoff takes place between all tied players. Playoffs either are sudden death or employ a pre-determined number of holes, anywhere from three to a full 18. In sudden death, a player who scores lower on a hole than all of his opponents wins the match. If at least two players remain tied after such a playoff using a pre-determined number of holes, then play continues in sudden death format, where the first player to win a hole wins the tournament.Other forms of playThe other forms of play in the game of golf are bogey competition, skins, 9-points, stableford, team play, and unofficial team variations.Bogey competitionA bogey competition is a scoring format sometimes seen in informal tournaments. Its scoring is similar to match play, except each player compares their hole score to the hole's par rating instead of the score of another player.

The player 'wins' the hole if they score a birdie or better, they 'lose' the hole if they score a bogey or worse, and they 'halve' the hole by scoring par. By recording only this simple win-loss-halve score on the sheet, a player can shrug off a very poorly-played hole with a simple '-' mark and move on. As used in competitions, the player or pair with the best win-loss 'differential' wins the competition.SkinsThe is a variation on the match play where each hole has an amount of money (called 'skin') attached to it. The lump sum may be prize money at the professional level (the most famous event to use these rules was the ', played at in California until 2008), or an amount wagered for each hole among amateur players. The player with the lowest score on the hole wins the skin for that hole; if two or more players tie for the lowest score, the skin carries over to the next hole. The game continues until a player wins a hole outright, which may (and evidently often does) result in a player receiving money for a previous hole that they had not tied for.If players tie the 18th hole, either all players or only the tying players repeat the 18th hole until an outright winner is decided for that hole—and all undecided skins.9-PointsA nine-point game is another variant of match play typically played among threesomes, where each hole is worth a total of nine points. The player with the lowest score on a hole receives five points, the next-lowest score 3 and the next-lowest score 1.

Ties are generally resolved by summing the points contested and dividing them among the tying players; a two-way tie for first is worth four points to both players, a two-way tie for second is worth two points to both players, and a three-way tie is worth three points to each player. The player with the highest score after 18 holes (in which there are 162 points to be awarded) wins the game. This format can be used to wager on the game systematically; players each contribute the same amount of money to the pot, and a dollar value is assigned to each point scored (or each point after 18) based on the amount of money in the pot, with any overage going to the overall winner. StablefordThe system is a simplification of stroke play that awards players points based on their score relative to the hole's par; the score for a hole is calculated by taking the par score, adding 2, then subtracting the player's hole score, making the result zero if negative. Alternately stated, a double bogey or worse is zero points, a bogey is worth one point, par is two, a birdie three, an eagle four, and so on. Main article:A handicap is a numerical measure of an amateur golfer's ability to play golf over the course of 18 holes.

A player's handicap generally represents the number of strokes above par that the player will make over the course of an above-average round of golf. The better the player the lower their handicap is.

Someone with a handicap of 0 or less is often called a scratch golfer, and would typically score or beat the course par on a round of play (depending on course difficulty).Calculating a handicap is often complicated, the general reason being that golf courses are not uniformly challenging from course to course or between skill levels. A player scoring even par on Course A might average four over par on course B, while a player averaging 20 over par on course A might average only 16 over on course B. So, to the 'scratch golfer', Course B is more difficult, but to the 'bogey golfer', Course A is more difficult.

The reasons for this are inherent in the types of challenges presented by the same course to both golfers. Distance is often a problem for amateur 'bogey' golfers with slower swing speeds, who get less distance with each club, and so typically require more shots to get to the green, raising their score compared to a scratch golfer with a stronger swing. However, courses are often designed with hazard placement to mitigate this advantage, forcing the scratch player to 'lay up' to avoid bunkers or water, while the bogey golfer is more or less unaffected as the hazard lies out of their range. Finally, terrain features and fairway maintenance can affect golfers of all skill levels; narrowing the fairway by adding obstacles or widening the rough on each side will typically increase the percentage of shots made from disadvantageous lies, increasing the challenge for all players.By USGA rules, handicap calculation first requires calculating a 'Handicap Differential' for each round of play the player has completed by strict rules. That in itself is a function of the player's 'gross adjusted score' (adjustments can be made to mitigate various deviations either from strict rules or from a player's normal capabilities, for handicap purposes only) and two course-specific difficulty ratings: the Course Rating, a calculated expected score for a hypothetical 'scratch golfer': and the Slope Rating, a number based on how much worse a hypothetical 20-handicap 'bogey golfer' would score compared to the 'scratch golfer'. The average Slope Rating of all USGA-rated courses as of 2012 is 113, which also factors into the Differential computation.The most recent Differentials are logged, up to 20 of them, and then the best of these (the number used depends on the number available) are selected, averaged, multiplied by.96 (an 'excellence factor' that reduces the handicap of higher-scoring players, encouraging them to play better and thus lower their handicap), and truncated to the tenths place to produce the 'Handicap Index'. Additional calculations can be used to place higher significance on a player's recent tournament scores.

A player's Handicap Index is then multiplied by the Slope Rating of the course to be played, divided by the average Slope Rating of 113, then rounded to the nearest integer to produce the player's Course Handicap.Once calculated, the Course Handicap is applied in stroke play by simply reducing the player's gross score by the handicap, to produce a net score. So, a gross score of 96 with a handicap of 22 would produce a net score of 74. In match play, the lower handicap is subtracted from the higher handicap, and the resulting handicap strokes are awarded to the higher handicapper by distributing them among the holes according to each hole's difficulty; holes are ranked on the scorecard from 1 to 18 (or however many holes are available), and one stroke is applied to each hole from the most difficult to the least difficult. So, if one player has a 9 handicap and another has a 25 handicap, the 25-handicap player receives one handicap stroke on each of the most difficult 16 holes (25-9).

If the 25-handicapper were playing against a 'scratch golfer' (zero handicap), all 25 strokes would be distributed, first by applying one stroke to each hole, then applying the remaining strokes, one each, to the most difficult 7 holes; so, the handicap player would subtract 2 strokes from each of the most difficult 7 holes, and 1 each from the remaining 11.Handicap systems have potential for abuse by players who may intentionally play badly to increase their handicap ('throwing their 'cap') before playing to their potential at an important event with a valuable prize. For this reason, professional golf associations do not use them, but they can be calculated and used along with other criteria to determine the relative strengths of various professional players. Touring professionals, being the best of the best, often have negative handicaps; they can be expected, on average, to score lower than the Course Rating on any course.Popularity. An aerial view of a golf course in ItalyIn 2005 calculated that the countries with most golf courses per capita, in order, were: Scotland, New Zealand, Australia, Ireland, Canada, Wales, United States, Sweden, and England (countries with fewer than 500,000 people were excluded).The number of courses in other territories has increased, an example of this being the expansion of.

The first golf course in China opened in 1984, but by the end of 2009 there were roughly 600 in the country. For much of the 21st century, development of new golf courses in China has been officially banned (with the exception of the island province of ), but the number of courses had nonetheless tripled from 2004 to 2009; the 'ban' has been evaded with the government's tacit approval simply by not mentioning golf in any development plans.In the United States, the number of people who play golf twenty-five times or more per year decreased from 6.9 million in 2000 to 4.6 million in 2005, according to the. The NGF reported that the number who played golf at all decreased from 30 to 26 million over the same period.In February 1971, became the first person to golf anywhere other than. He smuggled a golf club and two golf balls on board with the intent to golf on the. He attempted two drives. He shanked the first attempt, but it is estimated his second went more than 200 yards (180 m).

Golf courses worldwideNumber of golf courses by country in 2015. Below are the top 18 countries that have the most golf courses.

CountryNumber of courses%USA15,37245%Japan2,3837%Canada2,3637%England2,0846%Australia1,6285%Germany7472%France6482%Scotland5522%South Africa5122%Sweden4911%China4731%Ireland4721%South Korea4471%Spain4371%New Zealand4181%Argentina3191%Italy2851%India2701%Rest of the world4,11012%Total34,011Professional golf. Main article:The majority of work as club or teaching professionals ('pros'), and only compete in local competitions. A small elite of professional golfers are 'tournament pros' who compete full-time on international 'tours'.

Many club and teaching professionals working in the golf industry start as or with a general interest in the game, finding employment at and eventually moving on to certifications in their chosen profession. These programs include independent institutions and universities, and those that eventually lead to a Class A golf professional certification. Touring professionals typically start as amateur players, who attain their 'pro' status after success in major tournaments that win them either prize money and/or notice from corporate sponsors., for example, gained widespread notice by finishing second in the 1960 to champion, with a 72-hole score of 282 (the best score to date in that tournament by an amateur). He played one more amateur year in 1961, winning that year's, before turning pro in 1962.Instruction. Main article:Golf instruction involves the teaching and learning of the game of golf.

Proficiency in teaching golf instruction requires not only technical and physical ability but also knowledge of the rules and etiquette of the game. In some countries, golf instruction is best performed by teachers certified by the.

Some top instructors who work with professional golfers have become quite well known in their own right. Professional golf instructors can use 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 to prepare the golfer for the course.Golf tours. Main article:The major championships are the four most prestigious men's tournaments of the year.

In chronological order they are:, the, (referred to in North America as the British Open) and the.The fields for these events include the top several dozen golfers from all over the world. The Masters has been played at in Augusta, Georgia, since its inception in 1934. It is the only major championship that is played at the same course each year. Open and PGA Championship are played at courses around the United States, while the Open Championship is played at courses around the United Kingdom.Prior to the advent of the PGA Championship and The Masters, the four Majors were the U.S. Open, the U.S.

Amateur, the Open Championship, and the.Women's major championships. Main article:Women's golf does not have a globally agreed set of majors. The list of majors recognised by the dominant women's tour, the in the U.S., has changed several times over the years, with the most recent changes occurring in 2001 and 2013. Like the PGA Tour, the (U.S.) LPGA tour long had four majors, but now has five: the (previously known by several other names, most recently the Kraft Nabisco Championship), the (previously known as the LPGA Championship), the, the (which replaced the as a major in 2001) and (added as the fifth major in 2013). Only the last two are also recognised as majors by the. However, the significance of this is limited, as the LPGA is far more dominant in women's golf than the PGA Tour is in mainstream men's golf.

For example, the has been known to use the U.S. Definition of 'women's majors' without qualifying it. Also, the, the governing body for women's golf in Great Britain and Ireland, stated on its official website that the Women's British Open was 'the only Women's Major to be played outside the U.S.' (this was before the elevation of The Evian Championship to major status). For many years, the Ladies European Tour tacitly acknowledged the dominance of the LPGA Tour by not scheduling any of its own events to conflict with the three LPGA majors played in the U.S., but that changed beginning in 2008, when the LET scheduled an event opposite the LPGA Championship. The second-richest women's tour, the, does not recognise any of the U.S. LPGA or European majors as it has its own set of majors (historically three, since 2008 four).

However, these events attract little notice outside Japan.Senior major championships. Main article:Senior (aged fifty and over) men's golf does not have a globally agreed set of majors. The list of senior majors on the U.S.-based has changed over the years, but always by expansion. PGA Tour Champions now recognises five majors: the, the, the, and.Of the five events, the Senior PGA is by far the oldest, having been founded in 1937.

The other events all date from the 1980s, when senior golf became a commercial success as the first golf stars of the television era, such as and, reached the relevant age. The Senior Open Championship was not recognised as a major by PGA Tour Champions until 2003. The recognises only the Senior PGA and the two Senior Opens as majors.

However, PGA Tour Champions is arguably more dominant in global senior golf than the U.S. LPGA is in global women's golf.Olympic Games. Main article:After a 112-year absence from the Olympic Games, golf returned for the.

41 different countries were represented by 120 athletes. Controversy WomenIt wasn't until 1552 that the first woman golfer played the game. However, it wasn't until the 20th century that women were taken seriously and eventually broke the 'Gentlemen Only, Ladies Forbidden' rule. Many men saw women as unfit to play the sport due to their lack of strength and ability.In the United States, 1891 was a pivotal year for ladies golf because the nine-hole course was built in Southampton, New York, for women and was the first club to offer membership to women golfers. Four years later, in 1895, The U.S. Golf Association held the first Women's Amateur Championship tournament.Just like professional golfer, was considered to be a star in the 1920s.

Jones praised Wethered in 1930 after they had played an exhibition against each other. He doubted that there had ever been a better golfer, man or woman. However, Bobby Jones' comment wasn't enough for others to change their views on women golfers.The s club refused entry of 's wife into the clubhouse in the late 1940s. The secretary of the club released a statement saying, 'No woman ever has entered the clubhouse and, praise God, no woman ever will.' However, American golfer and all-around athlete, didn't have to enter the clubhouse. She was able to prove herself on the course, going on to become the first American to win the British Women's Amateur title in 1947. The following year she became the first woman to attempt to qualify for the, but her application was rejected by the.

They stated that the event was intended to be open to men only.The was formed in 1950 as a way to popularize the sport and provide competitive opportunities for golfers. The competitions were not the same for the men and women.

It wasn't until 1972 that passed the. 'No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any education program or activities receiving Federal financial assistance.' American moved to the UK in the 1970s to further her career, and became the first woman to play in a British men's tournament in 1977.Today, women golfers are still fighting and working hard to have the same opportunities as men golfers. There is still a big pay gap in the USGA.

The USGA has a long history of writing bigger checks to winners of the men's U.S. Open than the U.S. Women's Open.

Price Gold American 1 Oz Gold Eagle Coin

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Prize Golf Game Online

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I made what I thought was a hole in one on a rainy day,But in removing the impacted ball from the back of the cup with a divot tool, I did not do what I thought was ridiculous waste of time in then placing the ball on the edge of the cup where it would have fallen to the bottom of the cup.The Club Pro asked me whether I had placed the ball on the edge of the cup? I said of course not and he then disqualified me for signing an incorrect scorecard since a shot is not considered a hole in one until it lands in the bottom of the cup.My partner did not bother to put his birdie since we thought it was a given that it was a hole in one.Our opponents congratulated me for what they also thought was a hole in one.The USGA confirmed the PRO correctly applied the Rule.Not all of the Rules of Golf make any practical sense!