Golf
State Goal: 19A, 19B, 19C, 21A, 21B
Outcome: The students will demonstrate, explain and identify basic
strategies of golf.
Components:
• Demonstrate stance, swing and follow through when
hitting a golf ball.(11-12)
• Diagnose shot making based on course configuration and
pin placement.(11-12)
• Exhibit rules through game play.(11-12)
Golf can be tracked to many similar games through-out time, but most directly to
15th century Scotland. From the oldest golf course, to the courses of today, golf
represents a game where each course offers a unique experience. The mid 18th century
saw the first set of rules. During the 19th century, with the arrival of a low cost ball made
from rubber (instead of the high cost leather and goose feather), the game found itself
expanding quickly in popularity. The PGA (Professional Golfers Association) was
formed in the early 1900’s and the Ladies PGA in the mid 1900’s
Starting Game Play: The first to play their ball (called “honors”) is decided by some
random means (for the first hole) or the winner of the previous hole. The ball is then
struck from between or a little behind the appropriate tee-off markers. After the first hit,
the player farthest from the hole will hit next.
Beginner/Ladies
Intermediate/Mens
Advanced/Professional
TEE BOX: The colors may vary
depending upon the course and there
may also be more options available.
The distance from one color to the
next may also vary.
Parts of a golf hole:
• Tee Box:
The area at the start of each golf hole that is used for a player’s first swing.
There are usually three sets of markers to tell a player (based on gender or
ability).
Ladies tee:
o Usually red in color.
o Closest option to the pin.
Men’s tee:
o Usually white in color.
o Midrange option to the pin.
Professional’s tee:
o Usually blue in color.
o Farthest option to the pin.
A player must be even with or a little behind (up to two club lengths) these
markers.
All or some of these markers may be found in the same tee box or
separated into their own.
Golf Balls may be placed on a tee.
• Fairway:
Centralized length of ground on the hole.
Contains short cut grass and optimal conditions for hitting the ball.
• Rough:
Lies beyond the fairway.
Contains longer cut grass.
• Deep Rough:
Can lie beyond the rough.
Natural non-landscaped land.
• Out-of-Bounds:
The outer most region of a golf hole.
Can be marked by a fence, wood posts or other means.
• Hazards:
Sand Trap or Bunker:
o An area of sand that varies in size and shape.
o They can be put anywhere on a golf course (usually in strategic
places to add difficulty to a hole) and in any number.
Water hazard:
o An area of water that varies in size and shape.
o Can be naturally occurring (lake, stream, etc…) or man-made.
• Drop area:
Spot designated by the course as the location a player make take a drop
ball.
Resembles a mini tee-box where the markers are usually yellow in color
and a tee may not be used.
This is mainly used for a ball that has been lost or deamed unplayable due
to a hazard (usually water).
•
•
Green:
Target area for the golfer which contains the hole.
Contains very short cut grass.
Can be contoured to add difficulty.
Fringe:
Area surrounding the green.
Slightly longer cut grass than the green.
Clubs:
• Clubs can be made from different materials and can come in many shapes, sizes
and lengths (they can also be tailored to a specific person’s preferences).
• Clubs are referred to as either woods or irons:
o Woods:
Usually used in situations when a lot of distance needs to be
covered (usually the first and sometimes second hit of the ball).
The Driver (1 wood) is the longest in length and has a large club
face with very little angle.
Other woods are called fairway woods.
o Irons:
Usually used for mid-range and approach hits onto the green where
a degree of loft is required.
The Wedges (Pitching and Sand) are the irons that are shortest in
length and the club faces have the most severe angle.
• Clubs are numbered to indicate the amount of angle to the club head:
o The lower the number the less angle the club face has.
o Traditionally Woods are numbered 1, 3 and 5 (and sometimes greater).
o Traditionally Irons are numbered 3 through 9 (1 and 2 irons are not
commonly used.
• A player may not have more than 14 clubs in their bag.
Skills:
• Grip:
Personal preference and comfort dictate a golfers grip.
Interlocking:
o One of the most common methods.
o Pinky finger of the lower hand and the index finger of the upper
hand are intertwined.
Overlapping:
o One of the most common methods.
o Pinky finger of the lower hand rest in the groove
between the index and middle finger of the upper hand.
• Address:
The stance a player chooses may depend upon personal preference and the
lie of the ball.
Closed Stance:
o General stance used in most situations.
o Feet are square to the ball.
•
•
•
Open Stance:
o Generally used in uphill or downhill lie situations.
o Can also be used in putting and hitting out of a sand trap.
The position of the ball is dependent upon the club selected for use:
o Longer clubs such as the Woods will see the ball closer to the lead
foot.
o Irons and Putting will see the ball equidistant between the feet.
Swing:
Used to put the ball into play from the tee-box and subsequent hits.
Manipulating certain aspects of the swing will cause the ball to react
differently in the air due to spin.
Errors in the swing may cause the ball to take an unexpected path.
A ball may be hit on the upswing (Woods) or the downswing (Irons).
Chipping:
An arcing, short range hit(s) used as approach shot(s) onto the green.
Wedges or High number irons are generally used.
Putting:
Final shot(s) used on the green or Fringe to put the ball into the hole.
A special flat faced club called a Putter is used.
Scoring:
• Match play:
Each individual hole is contested separately.
The person with the fewest strokes taken wins the hole.
If players are tied, no one wins the hole.
The person with the most won holes is the winner of the contest.
If players have an equal number of won holes a sudden death playoff
hole(s) may be played or left a tie.
• Stroke play:
The total number of strokes taken to complete all holes is added together.
The person with the fewest strokes is declared the winner.
If players are tied, then a playoff hole will be played to determine the
winner:
o Playoff holes are played in descending order from the last hole
played.
o Playoff hole(s) are sudden death.
• Par:
A term used to represent the number of strokes it should take to finish the
hole (as determined by the course) usually based on the distance from teebox to the center of the green.
A Birdie is finishing a hole one stroke less than par.
An Eagle is finishing a hole two strokes less than par.
A Bogey or Double Bogey is finishing one or two strokes more than par
respectively.
A person may finish the course with a stroke count less/more than what is
determined to be par. The score may be referred to based on this instead
of stoke total (ex: two under par would be a score of -2…even with par
would be 0…two above par a 2).
Fouls and Hazards:
• A player must play the ball as it lies.
A player may not break/bend any natural growth in an attempt to clear a
path for the flight of the ball.
A player may not touch a hazard with the club during the address of the
ball or the backswing.
Artificial or man-made obstructions may be moved (ex: bunker rakes).
While on the green, leaves, twigs and other items may be moved to clear a
path for the ball.
Water hazards:
o Player may play a dropped ball from the spot of the last swing.
o Player may play a dropped ball from behind the water hazard (as
far as the player wishes).
Lateral Hazard:
o Runs parallel to or adjacent to the line of play.
o Player may play a dropped ball from the spot of the previous
swing.
o Player may play a dropped ball two club lengths from the spot the
ball last crossed into the hazard no nearer the hole.
• Dropping a ball:
Used when a ball is unplayable or in unplayable area as designated by the
course (ground repair areas).
Stand straight with the arm straight out to the side and release the ball.
Obstructions:
o Man-made or artificial items that block a player’s swing or stance.
o Moveable obstructions can be relocated.
o Unmovable obstructions can see the ball dropped one club length
distance from the obstruction not nearer the hole.
Courses may designate a specific area “Drop area” where drop balls are to
be taken.
• Penalty strokes:
Added strokes to a person’s score based on a rule violation or unplayable
ball.
o Touching the ball with the club during the Address.
o Water hazards to deep to play out of.
o A lost ball or a ball hit out-of-bounds.
Penalty strokes add one to a person stroke count.
Miscellaneous Terms and Rules:
• If the ball falls of the tee accidentally, a player may replace it without penalty.
• A “Pin” is another name for the flagstick. It will remain in the hole until all
players are on the green. Once on the green the Pin is removed and placed out of
the way.
•
•
•
•
•
•
A “Dog leg” is a sharp turn or curve in the fairway.
A “Hook” is motion on the ball that moves in towards the golfer due to spin.
A “Slice” is motion on the ball that moves away from the golfer due to spin.
A holes difficulty is measured by handicap. The course will determine which
holes are the easiest and number them starting at 18 and descending down to a 1
handicap (the most difficult hole).
A round of golf is played using 9 holes or 18 holes. Some tournaments require a
player to play multiple rounds of 18 holes.
When a player(s) are in danger of being struck by a ball a golfer should yell
“FORE” as a warning.
Created by: David Lichamer