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GOLF 101

• Golf competition is generally played for the lowest number of strokes by an individual, known simply as stroke play, or the lowest score on the most individual holes during a complete round by an individual or team, known as match play.

• The underlying principle of the rules is fairness. As stated on the back cover of the official rule book: Play the ball as it lies, play the course as you find it, and if you cannot do either, do what is fair.

• Understanding the golf stroke is easier if one first understands the golfer's role. The golfer does not "hit the ball". The golfer's role is to swing the club, which then strikes the ball.

• A handicap is a numerical measure of an amateur golfer’s playing ability based on the tees played for a given course. The lower the handicap, the better.

• Handicap systems are not used in professional golf. Professional golfers often score several strokes below par for a round and thus have a calculated handicap of 0 or less, meaning that their handicap results in the addition of strokes to their round score. Someone with a handicap of 0 or less is often called a scratch golfer.

• A golf course consists of a series of holes, each with a teeing ground that is set off by two markers showing the bounds of the legal tee area, fairway, rough, and other hazards, and the putting green surrounded by the fringe with the pin (normally a flagstick) and cup.

• The levels of grass are varied to increase difficulty. While many holes are designed with a direct line-of-sight from the teeing area to the green, some holes may bend either to the left or to the right. This is commonly called a dogleg, in reference to a dog's knee. The hole is called a "dogleg left" if the hole angles leftwards and "dogleg right" if it bends right. Sometimes, a hole's direction may bend twice; this is called a double dogleg.

• A round is an 18-hole golf course. Nine-hole courses are common and can be played twice through for a full round of 18 holes.

• When the initial shot on a hole is a long-distance shot intended to move the ball a great distance down the fairway, this shot is commonly called a drive. Once the ball comes to rest, the golfer strikes it again as many times as necessary using shots that are variously known as a lay-up, an approach, a pitch, or a chip, until the ball reaches the green, where s/he then putts the ball into the hole (commonly called "sinking the putt").

• A note on clubs: The player can use whichever club they want at any time. The longer the club, the longer the distance the ball will travel. The driver is the largest-headed and longest club. Woods are slightly shorter but still comparatively large-headed clubs, used for long-distance fairway shots. Woods are now typically made of metal. Next shorter in length are the irons, which are very versatile. Hybrids combine both woods and irons in varying degrees and are generally easier for the average golfer to use. Finally, the putter is used to roll the ball across the green into the cup.

• A maximum of 14 clubs is allowed in a player's bag during every round. The choice of clubs is at the golfer's discretion.

• Penalties are incurred in certain situations. They are counted towards a player's score as if there were extra swing(s) at the ball. Strokes are added for rule infractions or for hitting one's ball into an unplayable situation.

• A hole is classified by its par, meaning the number of strokes a skilled golfer should require to complete play of the hole.  For example, a skilled golfer expects to reach the green on a par-4 hole in two strokes. A hole is either a par-3, -4 or -5. Par-6 holes are extremely rare.

• The key factor for classifying the par of a hole is the distance from the tee to the green, as well of the gradient of the par (downhill or uphill). A typical par-3 hole is less than 250 yards  in length, with a par-4 hole ranging between 251 - 475 yards, and a par-5 hole being longer than 475 yards. The rare par-6s can stretch well over 650 yards.

• Scoring: In every form of play, the goal is to play as few strokes per round as possible. A hole in one/ “ace” occurs when a golfer sinks his ball into the cup with his first stroke from the tee. Common scores for a hole also have specific terms.

Tiger Woods – Masters’ 2010 Augusta, GA: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLBsppBqR0A&feature=related
K.J. Choi wins championship: http://search.espn.go.com/golf/videos/6