Golf Guide - Rules for Beginners

Golf is one of the most popular outdoor sports in the world with millions of players, fans and followers all over the globe. Despite having a single, simple objective - to use a club to hit a ball into a hole with the smallest number of strokes - it is a highly skilled and extremely demanding game.

Play for each hole begins at the teeing area. Depending on the distance between the tee and the green, a golfer may need more than one short in order to reach it. The total number of strokes is known as the par for that hole and the number is usually either 3, 4 or 5.

A hole with a par of 3 means you should be able to get the ball into the hole with three shots or less and hit the green with your first shot. On a hole with a par of 5, your first shot will probably land the ball on the fairway and a second will be needed to get to the green.

A golden rule of golf is that, after the ball has left the tee, it may not be touched again by a player until it has fallen into the hole, expect with a golf club. This links with the rule that the next shot must be played from exactly where the ball falls. You are not allowed to improve the area around you ball to make it easier to hit although if a removable item is causing an obstruction, it can be moved.

If a ball is lost, you can play a new ball but add an extra shot to your score. In such cases the new ball is not allowed to be closer to the hole than the one which was lost.

As a beginner it will almost certainly take far longer for you to compose your shots and decide how to play a particular hole than it will for a more experienced player. Golf etiquette says you should always let faster groups play through rather than risk holding them up. If this happens, remember to be as quiet as possible while members of the other group are taking their shots.

Courses are usually designed so that, as you make your way round the holes, you finish off back at the clubhouse where you started. The design also helps to ensure that players on one hole are not in any danger from stray balls being struck at another. Despite this, it is considered good etiquette to shout out `fore` if you think there is a chance of your ball hitting another player or a spectator.

Golf can be an expensive game to play but this need not always be the case. Discounts and special deals regularly crop up and in particular <a href="http://www.2fore1.co.uk">2 for 1 golf</a> packages offer superb value for money and allow you and a friend to play a round of golf for half the usual fee.