INTRODUCTION
Golf is a sport in which a player hits a ball with a club from a prepared location, known as the “teeing ground,” through the fairway and rough to a second prepared area, known as the “putting green,” which has a hole in it. The goal of the game is to complete a hole by hitting a ball from the teeing ground into the hole on the putting green in the shortest amount of strokes feasible. A+ “A ’round of golf’ is comprised of 18 such holes.
There are basically two forms of play, one which is decided by holes won and lost (match play) and the other which is decided by the total number of strokes taken to complete the round (stroke play) (stroke play).
When playing golf, there are three key principles to remember:
Play the course exactly as it is. Play the ball exactly as it is.
If you can’t do both, do what’s right.”
To do what is right, you must first understand the rules. The Rules of Golf are summarised below, and where possible, they have been simplified.
ETIQUETTE
Courtesy and Priority on the Course, as well as Course Care, are all covered by etiquette. While the following points are not rules in and of themselves, they are essential to the game.
1 Avoid moving, talking, or standing too close to a player who is making a stroke.
2 Don’t start playing until the group in front of you has moved out of the way.
3 Always play with no pauses. When all of the players in your group have holed out, exit the putting green.
4 Inviting faster groups to play through is a good idea.
5 Divots should be replaced. In bunkers, there are smooth footprints.
6 Don’t step on another player’s putt line.
7 Make sure you don’t drop your clubs on the putting green.
8 Carefully replace the flagstick.
DEFINITIONS
The Rules of Golf include approximately forty definitions in the Definitions section, which serve as the foundation for the Rules of Play. The correct implementation of the Rules will be aided by a thorough understanding of the described words. These are some of them:
- Teeing Ground – the hole’s beginning point, marked by two tee-markers.
- The whole area of the golf course minus the teeing ground and putting green of the hole being played, as well as all hazards, is known as the “Through the Green.”
- Any bunker or water danger is a hazard.
- A putting green is a properly prepared area with a hole that is 41/2 inches in diameter.
- Out of Bounds – territory off-limits to play, i.e. not on the course. When a ball is completely out of bounds, it is considered out of bounds.
- Natural things like as stones, leaves, and twigs can be used as loose impediments if they are not permanent or growing, are not completely entrenched, and do not attach to the ball.
- Obstructions include any man-made object, with the exception of: (1) objects that define out-of-bounds.
- (2) any part of an immovable man-made item that is out of bounds; and (3) any construction designated as an integral component of the course by the Committee in the Local Rules.
- Any temporary collection of water on the course that is visible before or after the player sets his stance is known as casual water (dew and frost are not casual water).
- The Committee has designated any segment of the course as Ground Under Repair. Material heaped for removal and a hole dug by a greenkeeper, even if not clearly indicated, are also included.