接受的英文GOLF

2021年1月20日发(作者：冰库)
Golf
1
．
The History Of Golf
Golf ball is a great ball game .G is on behalf of the Green , Green is the color in nature,
Green nature environment of thick and golf is the symbol of nature, enjoying nature of the
representative
Oxygen,
Green
plants.
L
is
for
the
sun
(Light),
and
the
sun
is
all
the
beginning of life; F is for Friendship, this is also the topic of golf ball game, the players
keep a noble interpersonal relationship in the game.


Golf
as
we
know
it
today
originated
from
a
game
played
on
the
eastern
coast
of
Scotland in the Kingdom of Fife during the 15th century. Players would hit a pebble around
a
natural
course
of
sand
dunes,
rabbit
runs
and
tracks
using
a
stick
or
primitive
club.
There
is
an
interesting
story
about
the
origin
of
Golf
in
Scotland.
It
is
told
that
when
shepherds used to get tired of grazing their sheep they used to hit round stones exactly in
the rabbit holes and thus the game was born.
Early golf in Scotland.


The
modern
game
of
golf
is
generally
considered
to
be
a
Scottish
invention.
A
spokesman for the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, one of the oldest Scottish
golf organisations, said
golf as we know it today, played over 18 holes, clearly originated in Scotland.
golf, or in Scots golf, is usually thought to be a Scots alteration of Dutch
meaning
in Old Norse kolfr meaning
The Dutch term Kolven refers to a related sport.


The
first
documented
mention
of
golf
in
Scotland
appears
in
a
1457
Act
of
the
Scottish Parliament, an edict issued by king James II of Scotland prohibiting the playing of
the games of golf and football as these were a distraction from archery practice for military
purposes. Bans were again imposed in Acts of 1471 and 1491, with golf being described
as
playing golf, after her second husband Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley, was murdered in 1567.
George Buchanan subsequently wrote that she had been playing
unsuitable
to
women
Golf
was
banned
again
by
parliament
under
king
James
VI
of
Scotland, but golf clubs and balls were bought for him in 1502 when he was visiting Perth,
and on subsequent occasions when he was in St Andrews and Edinburgh. Golf's status
and popularity quickly spread throughout the 16th century due to it's royal endorsement.
King
Charles
I
popularised
the
game
in
England
and
Mary
Queen
of
Scots,
who
was
French, introduced the game to France while she studied there. Indeed the term 'caddie
stems from the name given to her helpers who were the French Military, known in french
as
cadets. The premier golf course of the
time
was Leith near Edinburgh. Indeed
King
Charles I was on the course when given the news of the Irish rebellion of 1641. Leith was
also
the scene
of the first international golf match in
1682
when
the Duke
of York and
George
Patterson
playing
for
Scotland
beat
two
English
noblemen.
The
Gentlemen
Golfers
of
Leith
(1744)
was
the
first
club
and
was
formed
to
promote
an
annual
competition with a silver golf club as the prize. Duncan Forbes drafted the club's rules.



You must tee your ball within one club's length of the hole.


Your tee must be on the ground.


You are not to change the ball which you strike off the tee


You are not to remove stones, bones or any break club for the sake of playing your
ball, except on the fair green, and that only within a club's length of your ball.


If your ball comes among water, or any watery filth, you are at liberty to take out your
ball and bringing it behind the hazard and teeing it, you may play it with any club and allow
your adversary a stroke for so getting out your ball.


If your balls be found anywhere touching one another you are to lift the first ball till
you play the last.


At holeing you are to play your ball honestly for the hole, and not to play upon your
adversary's ball, not lying in your way to the hole.


If you should lose your ball, by its being taken up, or any other way, you are to go
back to the spot where you struck last and drop another ball and allow your adversary a
stroke for the misfortune.


No man at holeing his ball is to be allowed to mark his way to the hold with his club or
anything else.


If a ball be stopp'd by any person, horse or dog, or anything else, the ball so stopp'd
must be played where it lyes.


If
you
draw
your
club
in
order
to
strike
and
proceed
so
far
in
the
stroke
as
to
be
bringing down your club; if then your club shall break in any way, it is to be accounted a
stroke.


He who whose ball lyes farthest from the hole is obliged to play first.


Neither trench, ditch or dyke made for the preservation of the links, nor the Scholar's
Holes or the soldier's lines shall be accounted a hazard but the ball is to be taken out, teed
and play'd with any iron club.





The
club
was
later
renamed
the
Honourable
Company
of
Edinburgh
Golfers
with
a
clubhouse erected in 1768 (moved to Musselburgh, Lothian in 1836).


The first reference to golf at the historic town of St Andrews was in 1552. The clergy
allowed public access to the links a year later. In 1754 the St Andrews Society of Golfers
was formed to compete in it's own annual competition using Leith's rules. Stroke play was
introduced in 1759 and in 1764, the 18-hole course was constructed which has of course
become a de- facto standard. The first women's golf club in the world was formed there in
1895. King William honoured the club with the title 'Royal & Ancient' in 1834 and the new
famous clubhouse was erected in 1854. The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews
(R&A) became the premier golf club because of it's fine course, the publication of rules,
it's royal patronage and it's promotion of the game as a proper sport.

Of course, by this time golfers were using proper clubs and balls. Club heads were
made
from beech or the
wood
of fruit trees
such as
apple. Some
club
heads
for were
made
from
hand-forged
iron.
Shafts
were
usually
ash
or
hazel.
Balls
were
made
from
tightly
compressed
feathers
wrapped
in
a
stitched
horse
hide
sphere.
The
sport
was
somewhat
exclusive
due
to
the
expense
of
the
handcrafted
equipment.
After
1826,
perimmon
and
hickory
were
imported
from
the
USA
to
make
club
heads
and
shafts
respectively. Today these antiques are highly prized by collectors.

The
first
golf
club formed
outside
Scotland
was
Royal
Blackheath
(near
London)
in
1766. However golf is believed to have been played there since 1608. The first golf club
outside Britain was the Bangalore, India (1820). Others were the Royal Calcutta (1829),
Royal
Bombay
(1842),
Royal
Curragh,
Ireland
(1856),
the
Pau,
France
(1856),
the
Adelaide
(1870),
Royal
Montreal
(1873),
Cape
T
own
(1885),
St
Andrew's
of
New
York
(1888)
and
Royal
Hong
Kong
(1889).
Some
say
that
the
South
Carolina
Golf
Club,
Charlestown of 1786 precedes all of these.


The Victorian Industrial Revolution brought with it many social and economic changes.
The
growth
of
the
railways
gave
birth
to
the
mass
tourism
industry.
For
the
first
time,
ordinary people could explore the country as day-trippers or weekend visitors. Golf clubs
popped up all over the country and people could enjoy the challenge of playing a different
one every weekend.


Hitherto golf equipment was handcrafted and therefore expensive. Golf was therefore
the
preserve
of
the
affluent.
Once
metal
club
heads
and
shafts
and
gutta
percha
balls
(1848) began rolling off the production lines, the average person was able to afford to play
golf. Both of these factors directly contributed to the phenomenal growth of The Prestwick
Golf Club was formed in 1851. The precursor to the British Open, the first major national
championship, was played there for the first time in 1860 with Willie Park as winner. The
legend
of
Old
Tom
Morris
was
born
when
he
won
the
event
in
1862,
1864
and
1867.
However his son, Young Tom Morris, was the first great champion winning the event a
record four consecutive times from 1869. Other illustrious winners were JH T
aylor in 1894
and Harry Vernon in 1896. Together with James Braid, these three men were known as
the Great Triumvirate.


Besides the few sponsored events such as the British Open, most golf professionals
made
a
living
from
competitions
by
betting
against
their
opponent.
Professionals
also
earned a living from tuition, ball and club making and caddying.


The
growth
of
golf
as
an
organized
competitive
sport
in
the
United
Kingdom
was
paralleled abroad in India and the USA. Gate receipts were used as prize money for the
first time in 1892 in Cambridge, England. The first international golf tournament was the
Amateur Golf Championship of India and the East in 1893. In 1894, the United States Golf
Association
(USGA)
was
established
to
regulate
the
game
in
the
United
States
and
Mexico. Besides rules it manages the handicapping system and conducts research into
grass. The US Open US Ladies Amateur Open were inaugurated in 1895.

By 1900 there were more than 1000 golf clubs in the USA. Chicago was the first to
have 18 holes. Significantly American golf courses were usually specifically landscaped
parklands unlike those in the United Kingdom, which were typically links courses.


The
game
attracted
the
attention
of
the
media
and
business
sponsorship
which
raised it's profile enormously. In 1897 the first monthly magazine, Golf, was published in
the USA. The USA became the centre of the professional game due to the proliferation of
commercially
sponsored
competitions.
However
the
prestigious
events
were
still
those
hosted in the United Kingdom. Interestingly, it was the amateurs rather than professionals,
which were exalted by the public.



Golf was confirmed as a global sport when it was made an Olympic sport in 1900.


The dawn of the 20th century brought with it several technological innovations. The
first was the Haskell one piece rubber cored ball of 1900, which practically guaranteed an
extra
20
yards.
Grooved-faced
irons
were
introduced
in
1902.
In
1905
William
Taylor
invented the first dimpled ball. Arthur Knight introduced steel-shafted clubs in 1910 though
hickory was widely used for another 25 years. Within the space of a decade, golfers could
hit
further
and
more
accurately
than
ever
before
using
equipment
which
was
relatively
cheaply mass-produced.


The
Professional
Golfers
Association
(PGA)
of
America
was
formed
in
1916
and
initially consisted of a winter calendar. However by 1944 the tour was played throughout
the year and consisted of 22 events.


In 1921, the R&A imposed a limit on the size and weight of the golf ball which began a
30
year
split
between
the
European
and
Commonwealth
game
and
the
US
game
(regulated by the USGA). Most of the differences were resolved in 1951 when both parties
agreed to a common set of rules. However the golf ball issue was not settled until 1988 !.
Today golf worldwide is regulated jointly by the R&A and the USGA. They hold a summit
every four years where they agree alterations to the published official rules of golf.


The
rift
was
accompanied
by
the
introduction
of
the
Ryder
Cup
matches
in
1927.
Initially
the
Europeans
were
represented
by
golfers
from
Britain
and
Ireland.
The
Americans with their wealth of talent won every event between 1935 and 1985 with the
exception of 1957. Only since 1979, have players outside the British Isles been allowed to
play for the European Ryder Cup team and the competition become truly competitive.


Perhaps
the
greatest
player
of
the
pre-war
period
was
the
American
born
Bobby
Jones. Amongst his many successes was the original Grand Slam; he won US and British
Amateurs and the US and British Opens in 1931. Other luminaries were Sir Henry Cotton
who won a third consecutive British Open in 1936 and Walter Hagen who won four British
Opens.
Hagen
was
noted
for
his
flamboyant
behaviour
which
included
hiring
a
Rolls
Royce as a changing room and giving his prize money as winner of the British Open to his
caddie.


Great women golfers of the time were Joyce Wethered who won her fifth consecutive
English
Ladies
Championship
in
1924
and
Glenna
Collett
Vare
who
won
her
sixth
US
Women's Amateur in 1935.


In 1933, Augusta opened. The first US Masters was played there in 1934 and won by
Horton Smith. Gary Player from South Africa broke the American monopoly of the event in
1961. Several British players have won since the 1980s.

When World War II broke out in 1939, competition in England was largely suspended.
The War Ministry diverted all rubber and metal resources into the war effort and drafted
men of fighting age into the services. The Americans followed suite when they entered the
war in 1942.


2. The Development of Golf

Early excursions




In 1603 James VI of Scotland succeeded to the throne of England. His son Henry
Frederick,
Prince
of
Wales
and
his
courtiers
played
golf
at
Blackheath,
London,
from
which the Royal Blackheath Golf Club traces its is evidence that Scottish
soldiers,
expatriates
and
immigrants
took
the
game
to
British
colonies
and
elsewhere
during the 18th and early 19th centuries. The Royal Calcutta Golf Club (1829) and the
club at Pau (1856)in south western France are notable reminders of these excursions and
are the oldest golf clubs outside of the British Isles and the oldest in continental Europe
respectively. However, it was not until the late 19th century that Golf became more widely
popular outside of its Scottish home.


[edit] The late 19th-century boom


In the 1850s Queen Victoria and Prince Albert built Balmoral Castle in the Scottish
railways came to St Andrews in 1852. By the 1860s there were fast and
regular services from London to Edinburgh. The royal enthusiasm for Scotland, the much
improved transport links and the writings of Sir Walter Scott caused a boom for tourism in
Scotland and a wider interest in Scottish history and culture outside of the
period also coincided with the development of the Gutty; a golf ball made of Gutta Percha
which was cheaper to mass produce, more durable and more consistent in quality and
performance
than
the
feather- filled
leather
balls
used
previously.
Golf
began
to
spread
across the rest of the British Isles. In 1864 the golf course at the resort of Westward Ho
became
the
first
new
course
in
England
since
Blackheath.
In
1880
England
had
12
courses,
rising
to
50
in
1887
and
over
1000
by
1914.
The
game
in
England
had
progressed sufficiently by 1890 to produce its first Open Champion, John Ball. The game
also spread further across the empire. By the 1880s golf clubs had been established in
Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and South Africa. Singapore followed in 1891.
Courses were also established in several continental European resorts for the benefit of
British visitors.


[edit] United States of America


Evidence of early golf in the United States includes an advertisement published in the
Royal Gazette of New York City in
1779 for golf clubs
and
balls,
and
the
notice
of the
annual general meeting for a golf club in Savannah published in the Georgia Gazette in
1796. However, as in England, it was not until the late 19th century that golf started to
become
firmly
established.
Although
there
are
several
competing
claims
to
being
the
oldest club, what is not contested is that in 1894 delegates from the Newport Country Club,
Saint Andrew's Golf Club, Yonkers, New York, The Country Club, Chicago Golf Club, and
Shinnecock Hills Golf Club met in New York City to form what was to become the United
States
Golf
Association
(USGA).
By
1910
there
were
267
clubs.
During
the
Roaring
Twenties the game expanded greatly in popularity and by 1932 there were over 1,100 golf
clubs affiliated to the USGA. In 1922 Walter Hagen became the first native born American
to win the British Open Championship, signalling the USA's dominance of the game that
has yet to be seriously challenged. The expansion of the game was halted by the Great
Depression and World War II, but continued in the post war years. By 1980 there were
over 5,000 USGA affiliated clubs, and today the total exceeds 9,700.


[edit] Japan


After the
Meiji restoration of 1868 Japan
made a
concerted
effort to
modernise
its
economy
and
industry
on
western
lines.
Japanese
came
to
Europe
and
America
to
establish trade links and study and acquire the latest developments in business, science
and
technology,
and
westerners
came
to
Japan
to
help
establish
schools,
factories,
shipyards and banks.


In
1903
a
group
of
British
expatriates
established
the
first
golf
club
in
Japan,
at
Kobe.[24] In 1913 the Tokyo Golf club at Komazawa was established for and by native
Japanese
who
had
encountered
golf
in
the
United
States.
In
1924
The
Japan
Golf
Association was established by the seven clubs then in existence. During the 1920s and
early 30's several new courses were built, however the great depression and increasing
anti-Western
sentiment
limited
the
growth
of
the
game.
By
the
time
of
the
Japanese
attacks against the USA and British Empire in 1941 there were 23 courses. During the
subsequent
war
most
of
the
courses
were
requisitioned
for
military
use
or
returned
to
agricultural production.


In the postwar period, Japan's golf courses came under the control of the occupying
forces. It was not until 1952 that courses started to be returned to Japanese control. By
1956 there were 72 courses and in 1957 Torakichi Nakamura and Koichi Ono won the
Canada
Cup
(now
World
Cup)
in
Japan,
an
event
that
is
often
cited
as
igniting
the
post-war
golf
boom.
Between
1960
and
1964
the
number
of
golf
courses
in
Japan
increased from 195 to 424. By the early 1970s there were over 1,000 courses. The 1987
Resort Law that reduced protection on agricultural land and forest preserves created a
further
boom
in
course
construction
and
by
2009
there
were
over
2,400
courses.
The
popularity of golf in Japan also caused many golf resorts to be created across the Pacific
Rim. The environmental effect of these recent golf booms is seen as a cause for concern
by many.




The development of golf balls is thought to go back to the early 19th Century when
craftsmen in Scotland began to produce the feathery golf ball. This ball was designed from
animal skin and then stuffed and compressed very tightly with feathers (the





As
in
every
type
of
sport
over
time,
the
competitors
that
take
part
become
fitter,
stronger
and
much
more
skillful.
The
same
can
be
said
for
modern
golfing
equipment
which
becomes much more
techinically sound and better as
production
processes and
materials make for easier useage.




Of course the ball was no exception in this continued development. When you look at
the
modern
ball
and
how
it
is
now
produced,
the
USGA
and
R&A
are
looking
at
the
developments
in
ball
technology
very
closely.
The
modern
golfball
is
creating
a
lot
of
publicity nowadays and even golfs governing bodies are looking to limit the distance balls
travel.




So, however did the older golfing generation learn to play. Let’s take a look at just how
much technology has changed by showing you a history of the golf ball.

The wooden ball was believed to be the first ever ball used and is recorded as having
been developed in Holland. The ball has come a long way since then.





Historic records show that long before the great craftsmen of Scotland were making
balls, they were importing wooden balls by the boatload. This goes back to as long ago as
the 15th century.




These wooden balls were made from hardwood trees such as the elm or beech. These
early efforts at developing golfballs had very little aerodynamic properties because they
were smooth and more oblong than just a pure round shape.




As time went by the Dutch adopted a ball made of white leather which was filled with
course cows hair, this was used in a local game of hand tennis. This game was called
kaatsen and it is understood that the kaatsen ball later became the inspiration which led
the Scottish golfing craftsmen to invent and develop the
early 18th century.

The Feathery Golf Ball


Can you imagine playing a round of golf today using a ball made from a piece of old
leather
stuffed
with
bird
feathers?
Because
that
is
exactly
what
the

first
officially
recognised balls” were.


It was constructed by piecing together a number of small leather patches and stuffing
the
inside
with
either
goose
or
chicken
feathers.
The
feathers
were
compressed
and
forced in very tightly so that the ball was very firm. The feathers had to be boiled in hot
water first to make them easy to manipulate and stuff inside the leather ball casing.




Once the ball had been stuffed it was then handsewn and literally hammered into a ball
like shape. Even though the ball was relatively hard after it had been given a few coats of
paint, it was still relatively delicate and would only last a couple of holes.




“A bit like water and the Titleist PRO V1”


To make it worse these balls were very expensive. And this is still a legacy held today
that golf is a rich mans sport.


In
terms
of
distance
this
could
be
hit
almost
twice
as
far
as
a
wooden
ball
with
distances of 170 - 200 yards achievable in the very best of conditions. Amazingly these
two types of golfball were used for an extended period of time between the 15th and 18th
centuries.


If you can find one today it would probably be worth a nice few bob.

Gutta Percha Ball




When you think of trees, it’s the ones that make that clunking sound o
f ball on wood
during your sunday afternoon fourball. However the Gutta Percha ball was actually made
from a tree, or should I say the juice from the leaves of a Malaysian tree which produced a
latex or liquid rubber solution which was very malleable and could be shaped very easily.


This raw material was easy to come by and therefore led to inexpensive golf missiles
being
produced.
These
cheap
golf
balls
became
a
much
better
option
than
the
fragile
feathery as well as being a much stronger ball.

Hand Hammered Gutta Ball

We believe that this ball was understood to be the first to have an impact in the area of
aerodynamics of the ball. Golfers that played the ngame of golf using the smooth Gutta
Percha ball soon realised that the more they used it the more it chipped and damaged.


Instead of having a negative effect on performance, this actually improved the flight of
the ball keeping it on a truer line and so the Hand Hammered Gutta was born.


To be able to make these new type of golfballs a golfer would take the material made
for
a
normal
smooth
Gutta
Percha
and
instead
of
letting
it
set
smooth
he/she
would
hammer small indents with
a
sharp object. This gave
the
ball a
good round shape but
really was the beginning of the dimple patterned ball we all know, love and use today.


Bramble Ball


The Bramble ball was basically a further advancement in golf ball technology from the
Gutta Percha to the Hand Hammered Gutta to the Bramble.





The
Bramble
was
still
made
of
the
same
material
but
was
now
produced
using
a
number of different types of ball press which gave the Bramble an even more improved
shape as well as a more even pattern across the ball.


Just this small change led to a major advancement in performance and golfers were
finding that their scoring was becoming significantly lower.


Rubber Ball (Haskell)


If you know your golf then you must have heard the word Haskell mentioned.


Now we were reaching the stars in ball construction, here was the most advanced and
game saving peice of equipment the golf world had ever seen was born.


The rubber ball was invented by a golfer from the United States, his name was Coburn
Haskell and the ball became lovingly known and accepted as the


The Haskell was the first ball to use a centre core with rubber wrapped tightly around,
it was also the first ball to have an outer cover made of the material known as Balata.

The Modern Day Ball




As you well know, nowadays there are so many different types of balls with different
characteristics. Balls now are anything from a 2 piece ball to a 4 piece ball. I think that one
manufacturer is currently looking at a five piece ball, I am sure it will come




What do all these pieces to a ball mean and which one is the best for your game?




Check out an article I have written on Golf Ball Technology to learn more about the
modern ball and get more information about which is the best for your game.




I hope you enjoyed this article and please pass on our website address to your friends
and
golf
buddies.
Come
back
soon
because
we
will
be
adding
new
articles
and
information on a regular basis

The Referee of Golf
Definition: Definitions from the Official Rules of Golf appear courtesy of the USGA.

Referee: A
fact and apply the
Rules. He must act on any breach
of a Rule
that he
observes
or is
reported to him.


A referee should not attend the flagstick, stand at or mark the position of the hole, or
lift the ball or mark its position.

Exception
in
match
play:
Unless
a
referee
is
assigned
to
accompany
the
players
throughout a match, he has no authority to intervene in a match other than in relation to
Rule 1-3, 6-7 or 33-7. 1-3. Agreement to Waive Rules



Players must not agree to exclude the operation of any Rule or to waive any penalty
incurred.

PENALTY FOR BREACH OF RULE 1-3:



Match
play
–

Disqualification
of
both
sides;
Stroke
play
–

Disqualification
of
competitors concerned.

6-7. Undue Delay; Slow Play




The player must play without undue delay and in accordance with any pace of play
guidelines that the Committee may establish. Between completion of a hole and playing
from
the
next
teeing
ground,
the
player
must
not
unduly
delay
play.
PENALTY
FOR
BREACH OF RULE 6-7:




Match play
–
Loss of hole; Stroke play
–
Two strokes.




Bogey and par competitions
–
See Note 2 to Rule 32-1a.




Stableford competitions
–
See Note 2 to Rule 32-1b.




For subsequent offense
–
Disqualification.

Note 1: If the player unduly delays play between holes, he is delaying the play of the
next
hole
and,
except
for
bogey,
par
and
Stableford
competitions
(see
Rule
32),
the
penalty applies to that hole.

Note 2: For the purpose of preventing slow play, the Committee may, in the conditions
of a competition (Rule 33-1), establish pace of play guidelines including maximum periods
of time allowed to complete a stipulated round, a hole or a stroke.



In match play, the Committee may, in such a condition, modify the penalty for a breach
of this Rule as follows:



First offense
–
Loss of hole;



Second offense
–
Loss of hole;



For subsequent offense
–
Disqualification.




In stroke play, the Committee may, in such a condition, modify the penalty for a breach
of this Rule as follows:


First offense
–
One stroke;




Second offense
–
Two strokes;




For subsequent offense
–
Disqualification.

33-7. Disqualification Penalty; Committee Discretion




A penalty of disqualification may in exceptional individual cases be waived, modified or
imposed if the Committee considers such action warranted.



Any penalty less than disqualification must not be waived or modified.



If a Committee considers that a player is guilty of a serious breach of etiquette, it may
impose a penalty of disqualification under this Rule.
3. Equipment
Golf clubs are used to hit the golf ball. Each club is composed of a shaft with a lance
(or 'grip') on the top end and a club head on the bottom. Long clubs, which have a lower
amount of degreed loft, are those meant to propel the ball a comparatively longer distance,
and short clubs a higher degree of loft and a comparatively shorter distance. Typically, the
actual physical length of each club is longer or shorter, depending on the distance the club
is intended to propel the ball.

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; the traditional name remains in general use but is gradually
being replaced by the term
[
citation needed
]
Next shorter in length are the irons,
the most numerous and versatile class used for a wide variety of shots. Hybrids embody
the characteristics of both woods and irons in varying degrees and are increasingly being
used in preference to long irons in many places because they are 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 at one time during a stipulated
round. The choice of clubs is at the golfer's discretion, although every club must be
constructed in accordance with parameters outlined in the rules. (Clubs which meet these
parameters are usually called 'conforming'.) Violation of these rules can result in
disqualification.
The exact shot hit at any given time on a golf course, and which club is used to
accomplish the shot, are always completely at the discretion of the golfer; in other words,
there is no restriction whatsoever on which club a golfer may or may not use at any time
for any shot.
Golf balls are spherical, usually white (although other colors are allowed), and
minutely pock-marked by dimples that decrease aerodynamic drag by increasing air
turbulence around the ball in motion, preventing
allowing the ball to fly farther.
[22]

A tee is allowed only for the first stroke on each hole, unless the player must hit a
provisional tee shot or replay his or her first shot from the tee.
Many golfers wear golf shoes with metal or plastic spikes designed to increase traction,
thus allowing for longer and more accurate shots. A golf bag is used to transport golf clubs
and the player's other or personal equipment. Golf bags have several pockets designed
for carrying equipment and supplies such as tees, balls, and gloves. Golf bags can be
carried, pulled on a trolley or harnessed to a motorized golf cart during play. Golf bags
have both a hand strap and shoulder strap for carrying, and sometimes have retractable
legs that allow the bag to stand upright when at rest.
Competition field

1.
teeing ground
2.
water hazard
3.
rough
4.
out of bounds
5.
sand bunker
6.
water hazard
7.
fairway
8.
putting green
9.
flagstick
10. hole

4. Regulations and basic rules
The rules of golf are internationally standardised and are jointly governed by The
R&A, spun off in 2004 from The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews (founded
1754), and the United States Golf Association (USGA).
[18][19]

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.

There are strict regulations regarding the amateur status of golfers.
[20]
Essentially,
anybody who has ever received payment or compensation for giving instruction, or played
golf for money, is not considered an amateur and may not participate in competitions
limited solely to amateurs. However, amateur golfers may receive expenses which comply
with strict guidelines and they may accept non-cash prizes within the limits established by
the Rules of Amateur Status.
In addition to the officially printed rules, golfers also abide by a set of guidelines called
golf etiquette. Etiquette guidelines cover matters such as safety, fairness, pace of play,
and a player's obligation to contribute to the care of the course. Though there are no
penalties for breach of etiquette rules, players generally follow the rules of golf etiquette in
an effort to improve everyone's playing experience.
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 lost ball or a ball hit out of bounds result in a penalty of one stroke and distance
(Rule 27
–
1). A one-stroke penalty is assessed if a player's equipment causes the ball to
move or the removal of a loose impediment causes the ball to move (Rule 18
–
2). If a
golfer makes a stroke at the wrong ball (Rule 19
–
2) or hits a fellow golfer's ball with a putt
(Rule 19
–
5), the player incurs a two-stroke penalty. Most rule infractions lead to stroke
penalties but also can lead to disqualification. Disqualification could be from cheating,
signing for a lower score, or from rule infractions that lead to improper play.
[21]


ation and Organization
Western Golf Association




The
Western
Golf
Association
(WGA)
is
one
of
the
United
States'
oldest
golf
organizations, and its headquarters are located in Golf, Illinois. The WGA sponsors three
prestigious
golf
tournaments:
the
Western
Junior,
the
Western
Amateur
and
the
BMW
Championship,
a
FedEx
Cup
playoff
event.
Founded
in
1899,
the
WGA
has
also
administered
the
Chick
Evans
Scholarship
Program
for
deserving
caddies
since
its
inception in 1930 through the Evans Scholars Foundation.
More than 500 member clubs, 36,000 WGA Par Club members and 100,000 golfers in the
WGA
Bag
Tag
Program
support
the
Evans
Scholars
Foundation,
one
of
the
nation’s
largest individually funded scholarship programs. The
program is also
supported
by 23
affiliated golf associations and proceeds from the BMW Championship, a PGA Tour event
whose
2010
edition
will
be
held
September
6
–
12
at
Cog
Hill
Golf
&
Country
Club
in
Lemont, Illinois.
World Golf Hall of Fame

World Golf Hall of Fame
and Museum


Established
Location

Type

Visitor figures

Curator

Website

May 19, 1998
St. Augustine, Florida
Professional sportshall of fame
350,000/year (average as of 2009)
Mark Cubbedge
/




The
World
Golf
Hall
of
Fame
is
located
at
World
Golf
Village
near
St.
Augustine,
Florida, in the United States, and it is unusual among sports halls of fame in that a single
site serves both men and women. It is supported by a consortium of 26 golf organizations
from all over the world.




The
Hall
of
Fame
Museum
Building
is
designed
by
the
museum
architecture
specialist firm of E. Verner Johnson and Associates of Boston, Massachusetts. They also
produced the museum master plan that established the overall size, mission and qualities
of the overall museum and the surrounding facilities and site.
The
Hall
of
Fame
Museum
features
a
permanent
exhibition
and
a
rolling
program
of
temporary exhibitions. Designed by museum design firm
Ralph Appelbaum Associates,
the Hall of Fame and exhibition area contains exhibits on the game's history, heritage, and
techniques; major players and organizations; golf course design, equipment, and dress;
and new directions, such as ecological concerns in course management.
Golf Course Superintendents Association of America






Logo of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America.
Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) was originally founded in
1926 when 60 superintendents met at the Sylvania Country Club in Toledo, Ohio to form
the National Association of Greenkeepers of America (NAGA).
GCSAA is a golf organization that has its focus on golf course management with a primary
focus to provide a voice for and give credence and proper recognition to the golf course
superintendent.
It
is
located
in
Lawrence,
Kansas,
and
provides
education,
information
and representation to 19,000 members in more than 72 countries. GCSAA’s mission is to
serve
its
members,
advance
their
profession
and
enhance
the
enjoyment,
growth
and
vitality
of
the
game
of
golf.
The
association
came
into
being
because
golf
course
superintendents saw a need to network and share their experiences on the maintenance
and upkeep of golf courses.




The
association’s
philanthropi
c
organization,
The
Environmental
Institute
for
Golf,
works to strengthen the compatibility of golf with the natural environment through research
grants, support for education programs and outreach efforts.
Rhett Evans assumed the duties of chief executive officer, January 25, 2011
The Environmental Institute for Golf




The
Environmental
Institute
for
Golf
is
the
philanthropic
organization
of
the
Golf
Course
Superintendents
Association
of
America.
Its
mission
is
to
strengthen
the
compatibility of the game of golf with our natural environment and
its vision
is that the
collaboration between the golf and environmental communities will lead to programs and
services beneficial to all who come in contact with the game of golf.




Bob Wood, chairman of Nike Golf, serves as chairman for The Institute's Board of
Trustees. World Golf Hall of Fame member Greg Norman, chairman and CEO of Great
White Shark Enterprises, serves on The Institute's Board of Trustees and is chairman of
its Advisory Council. The Advisory Council also includes Sergio Garcí
a, Vijay Singh and
Pete Dye.
LPGA


(Redirected from
Ladies Professional Golf Association)






LPGA's current logo,




introduced in October 2007





The
LPGA,
in
full
the
Ladies
Professional
Golf
Association,
is
an
American
organization for female professional golfers. The organization, whose headquarters is in
Daytona Beach, Florida, is best known for running the LPGA Tour, a series of weekly golf
tournaments
for
elite
female
golfers
from
around
the
world
that
runs
from
February
to
December each year.
National Golf Coaches Association




The National Golf Coaches Association (NGCA) is an organization formed in 1983 to
promote women's intercollegiate golf. The vision of NGCA since its inception has been
encourage
the
playing
of
intercollegiate
golf
for
women
in
correlation
with
a
general
objective
of
education
and
in
accordance
with
the
highest
tradition
of
intercollegiate
competition
Other:
Atlanta Junior Golf Association
The John Legarza Nevada Golf Foundation
Wisconsin State Golf Association
GCMA

6.
Competitions
Golf tours




Main article: Professional golf tours




There
are
at
least
twenty
professional
golf
tours,
each
run
by
a
PGA
or
an
independent tour organization, which is responsible for arranging events, finding sponsors,
and
regulating
the
tour. Typically a
tour has
to compete in
most of its events, and also invites non- members to compete in some of them. Gaining
membership
of
an
elite
tour
is
highly
competitive,
and
most
professional
golfers
never
achieve it.





Perhaps
the
most
widely
known
tour
is
the
PGA
Tour,
which
tends
to
attract
the
strongest fields, outside the four Majors and the four World Golf Championships events.
This
is
due
mostly
to
the
fact
that
most
PGA
Tour
events
have
a
first
prize
of
at
least
US$$800,000. The European Tour, which attracts a substantial number of top golfers from
outside North America, ranks second to the PGA Tour in worldwide prestige. Some top
professionals
from
outside
North
America
play
enough
tournaments
to
maintain
membership on both the PGA Tour and European Tour.




The
other
leading
men's
tours
include
the
Japan
Golf
Tour,
the
Asian
Tour
(Asia
outside Japan), the PGA Tour of Australasia, and the Sunshine Tour (for southern Africa,
primarily South Africa). The Japan, Australasian, Sunshine, PGA, and European Tours are
the
charter
members
of
the
trade
body
of
the
world's
main
tours,
the
International
Federation of PGA Tours, founded in 1996. The Asian Tour became a full member in 1999.
The Canadian Tour became an associate member of the Federation in 2000, and the Tour
de las Amé
ricas (Latin America) became an associate member of the Federation in 2007.
The
Federation
underwent
a
major
expansion
in
2009
which
saw
eleven
new
tours
become full members
–
the Canadian Tour, Tour de las Amé
ricas, China Golf Association,
the
Korea
Professional
Golfers'
Association,
Professional
Golf
T
our
of
India,
and
the
operators of all six major women's tours worldwide. The OneAsia T
our, founded in 2009, is
not a member of the Federation, but was founded as a joint venture of the Australasia,
China,
Japan,
and
Korean
tours.
All
of
the
men's
tours
that
are
Federation
members,
except the China and India tours, offer points in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR)
to players who place sufficiently high in their events. The OneAsia Tour also offers ranking
points.





Golf is unique in having lucrative competition for older players. There are several
senior
tours
for
men
aged
fifty
and
over,
arguably
the
best
known
of
which
is
the
U.S.-based Champions Tour.
There are six principal tours for women, each based in a different country or continent.
The most prestigious of these is the United States based LPGA T
our. All of the principal
tours offer points in the Women's World Golf Rankings for high finishers in their events.





All
of
the
leading
professional
tours
for
under-50
players
have
an
official
developmental tour, in which the leading players at the end of the season will earn a tour
card on
the main
tour for the
following
season. Examples
include
the
Nationwide Tour,
which feeds to the PGA T
our, and the Challenge Tour, which is the developmental tour of
the European Tour. The Nationwide and Challenge Tours also offer OWGR points.
Men's major championships




Lee Westwoodpictured making a bunker shot at the 2008 Open




Main article: Men's major golf championships




The
major
championships
are
the
four
most
prestigious
men's
tournaments
of
the
year.
In
chronological
order
they
are:
The
Masters,
the
U.S.
Open,
The
Open
Championship
(referred
to
in
North
America
as
the
British
Open)
and
the
PGA
Championship.




The fields for these
events include
the top several dozen
golfers from all over the
world. The Masters has been played at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia,
since its inception in 1934. It is the only major championship that is played at the same
course each year. The U.S. Open and PGA Championship are played at courses around
the United States, while the Open Championship is played at courses around the United
Kingdom.




Prior to the advent of the PGA Championship and The Masters, the four Majors were
the U.S. Open, the U.S. Amateur, the Open Championship, and the British Amateur.
s Tournament
Masters Tournament

Tournament information
Location
Established
Course(s)
Par
Length
Tour(s)
Augusta, Georgia, U.S.
1934
Augusta National Golf Club
72
7,435 yards (6,799 m)
PGA Tour
PGA European Tour
Japan Golf Tour
Stroke play
$$8,000,000
April
270 Tiger Woods (1997)
-18 Tiger Woods (1997)
Current champion
Charl Schwartzel
2012 Masters Tournament





The Masters Tournament, also known as The Masters (sometimes referred to as The
U.S.
Masters
outside
of
the
United
States),
is
one
of
the
four
major
championships
in
professional golf. Scheduled for the first full week of April, it is the first of the majors to be
played each year. Unlike the other major championships, the Masters is held each year at
the same location, Augusta National Golf Club, a private golf club in the city of Augusta,
Georgia, USA. The Masters was started by Clifford Roberts and Bobby Jones.
[1]
Jones
designed Augusta National with course architect Alister MacKenzie. The tournament is an
Format
Prize fund
Month played
Aggregate
To par
Tournament record score
official money event on the PGA Tour, the PGA European Tour, and the Japan Golf Tour.
The field of players is smaller than those of the other major championships because it is
an invitational event, entry being controlled by the Augusta National Golf Club.




The tournament has a number of traditions. A green jacket has been awarded to the
winner since 1949, which must be returned to the clubhouse after a year. The Champions
dinner,
inaugurated
by
Ben
Hogan
in
1952,
is
held
on
the
Tuesday
before
each
tournament,
and
is
open
only
to
past
champions
and
certain
board
members
of
the
Augusta National Golf Club. Beginning in 1963, legendary golfers, usually past champions,
have hit an honorary tee shot on the morning of the first round. Such golfers have included
Fred
McLeod,
Jock
Hutchinson,
Gene
Sarazen,
Sam
Snead,
Byron
Nelson,
Arnold
Palmer, and Jack Nicklaus. Since 1960, a semi-social Par 3 Contest, on a par-3 course on
Augusta National's grounds, has been played on the day before the first round of each
Masters Tournament.
Nicklaus
has
won
more
Masters
Tournaments
than
any
other
golfer,
winning
six
times
between 1963 and 1986. Other multiple winners include Palmer and
Tiger Woods, with
four each. Gary Player, from South Africa, was the first non-American player to win the
tournament in 1961.




Since the course first opened in 1933, it has been modified many times by different
architects.
Among
the
changes:
greens
have
been
reshaped
and
occasionally
rebuilt
completely,
bunkers
have
been
added,
water
hazards
have
been
extended,
new
tees
have been built, hundreds of trees have been planted, and several mounds have been
installed.
[2]

2.U.S. Open (golf)
U.S. OpenTournament information
Location
Established
Course(s)
Par
Length
Tour(s)

United States
1895
Olympic
2012
70 in 2012
7,170 yards in 2012
PGA Tour
European Tour
Japan Golf Tour
Stroke play
$$7,850,000 in 2011
June
268
Rory
McIlroy
(2011)
–
16
Rory
McIlroy
(2011)
Current champion
Clubin
Format
Prize fund
Month played
Aggregate
To par
Tournament record score