Golf as a sport has increased in popularity in recent years due in some part to Tiger Woods and other prominent players. Golfing is great exercise giving you a whole body workout using all of your major muscle groups. Exercise is great for reducing stress levels and improving overall health and golfing is no exception.

Knowing how the Game of Golf is Played

Golf courses are made up of holes. Each hole is given a rating of a par. Par is the standard number of shots you should expect to make to get the ball in the hole on the green. Par is determined by calculating the distance and difficulty of each hole. Golf courses are made up of either 9 or 18 holes ranging in pars from 3 to 6. If you are shooting on a par 4 hole on your local course and get your ball in the hole in 4 strokes then you have “made par”.

Most beginners try to shoot par, but you can also get eagles, birdies, and bogies. An Eagle is 2 under par. Birdie is 1 under par. Bogie is 1 over par and double bogie is 2 over par. The ever sought after Ace of course is a hole in one.

Strategically placed areas to increase the difficulty of play on a hole are called “Hazards”. Hazards can be anything from trees to bodies of water but are usually created with sand traps near the greens. Some beginners seek out courses with little to no hazards but hazards are a regular part of golf and really new golfers should not avoid them as they should learn to deal with hazards in the regular course of play from the beginning.

Keeping Score

Each player is given a score card in the beginning of play. Each golfer keeps their own score for each hole. After each hole you write down how many strokes it took you to complete the hole. At the end of your round you add up your score to get your total number of strokes for the round. This is your total score for that game. Your aim is to have the lowest score.

Tips for Golf Beginners

If you are just beginning in your golf game take some lessons to learn proper grip, stance and swing techniques. This will eliminate a lot of frustration when you first start to play the game. A lot of beginning golfers make the mistake of just going out and playing on a local course without first getting instruction on the proper techniques of the game. This starts you out at a disadvantage and also allows you to develop bad habits in your swing and grip.

It’s easier to start playing right rather than trying to correct problems in your swing and technique after you’ve already developed those bad habits.

Relax, it’s just a game. Golf is meant for enjoyment and relaxation. You’re probably not going to playing the 6th hole at Scottsdale to packed stands anytime soon so don’t stress out about each and every shot. Don’t worry about the other golfers around you, they all had to start somewhere too. Only compete with your last score trying to improve upon yourself. Go play some golf, it’s a great game to learn.