The Game Named Golf

Golf is a very popular sport especially among the elite. It is played in a vast expanse of land covering many acres and is generally known as the golf course. The golf course has a number of holes mostly eighteen into which the ball is hit from the designated area called the teeing ground.

The player plays his first stroke on each hole from the teeing ground using a small wooden or plastic peg called the tee. There are a wide range of tee boxes which comply to any type of players whether amateurs, professional or skilled players. The teeing grounds are mostly flat enabling the player to have a perfect shot.

Two important terms used in the game of golf is fairway and tough. The first stroke of the ball might land the ball either in the fairway or rough. Fairway is that area where the grass is neatly trimmed short and even, thereby helping the player to hit the ball with ease. Whereas landing the ball in rough means to hit the ball in the rough area of grass which is rough and longer. It is rather hard hit the ball in this area and the it affects the flight of the ball.

Although the holes are placed straight ahead of the teeing ground, some holes are bent either to the left or right like a dog's leg and thus aptly known as 'dogleg left' or 'dogleg right'. Many holes are addressed as hazards and they are of three types. Manmade dugout or trenches are a hazard, lakes, rivers etc are known as waterhazards, and gardens, bushes and dense vegetation are called as lateral hazard. There are a set of special rules which imply while playing in these hazards.

The cup or the hole into which the ball is to be sent should be 108mm or 4.2 inches in diameter and mostly 100mm or 3.94 inches deep. The cup is not permanently established it can change positions day to day. A flag is usually positioned inside the cup so that it can be seen from the distance. The grass or the green should me maintained and kept short enabling the ball to smoothly roll over it.

The ball when hit outside the borders of the golf course which is generally termed as 'out of bounds' should be hit back from the same place with a penalty of a stroke. But if the ball happens to land in an area under repair or ground under repair the player can be placed outside the 'G.U.R' area and hit it again without penalty. Other note worthy playing areas is the practice or driving range which is specially designed to hlp the beginners practice the game.

Players thus keeps on hitting the ball from one hole to another and the player who rests the ball in the holes with few strokes emerges as the winner. Usually golf players walk around the golf course in a groups and the caddies or helpers carry the game equipments of the players.