The sport of golf has increased in popularity of the last couple of years. This may have something to do with the celebrity power of Tiger Woods. No matter what the reason golf is great exercise using all of your major muscle groups and giving you a great whole body workout. Exercise can reduce stress and improves your mood and overall health with golfing being no exception.

Knowing how the Game of Golf is Played

Golf is played on a golf course made up of either 9 or 18 holes. Each hole is rated by being assigned a par. Par is the number of shots it should take you to finish the hole. Par is calculated by determining the distance and difficulty of the hole. Most golf courses have a range of holes from 3 par to 6 par. If on a par 4 hole you finish the hole in 4 shots then you have “made par”.

There are some odd phrases used in golf. Eagle,Birdie,Par,Bogie these are references to how many strokes you have made on a given hole. An Eagle is when you hole your ball 2 strokes under par. So if you’re on a Par 5 hole and you get your ball in the hole in 3 strokes that is an “Eagle”. A Birdie is 1 under Par. A Bogie is 1 over par.

Hazards are strategically placed areas on each hole to increase the difficulty of play. Some hazards are trees, sand traps, and even bodies of water. Beginners can seek out courses with less hazards to limit frustration if you like. Although hazards are a standard part of golf and it may benefit even the beginning golfer to get used to playing a standard course and just deal with hazards from the outset.

Keeping your Score

Scores are kept by writing the number of strokes it takes you to finish a hole on your score card, usually provided by the course. Each golfer keeps track of their own score. At the end of play you total the strokes for all of your holes and this is your total score for the round of play. Your aim is to have the lowest score possible for you.

Tips for Golf Beginners

Beginner golfers sometimes make the mistake of starting to play on their own. You will be better served and have less frustration by taking some beginning golf lessons first. A good golf instructor will give you the basic correct techniques for a proper swing, grip and stance. This is the foundation of your game.

It’s much easier to begin your game right by taking the time for a few lessons than to fix a problem game with bad habits you’ve learned on your own.

Relax, it’s just a game. Golf is meant for fun 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.

About the Author:

Andy is an avid golfer and enjoys using golf gps rangefinder and golf rangefinder laser to improve his game.

Get valuable ideas in the sphere of web traffic - welcome to your individual knowledge base.

Source: [1] Golf