How to Play Golf

Golf is a popular leisure activity that many people enjoy and a competitive sport for others. Learning the fundamentals of the game of golf, including how to swing a club and strike the ball, should come first. To play golf with whomever you choose safely and have fun, it also helps to know where to buy equipment and how to behave on the course.

Learning the Basic Rules

1. Discover the game's objective. Getting your ball from the starting spot, known as the "tee," to the green and into the hole is the goal of the game of golf. You want to take the fewest number of shots to get your ball into the flag-marked hole. The term "hole" encompasses not only the actual hole but also the entire region from the tee to the green where the actual hole is located.
   • A typical golf course comprises 18 holes, which are sections that have a tee, green, and an actual hole that is denoted by a flag. There are also more compact courses, such as 9-hole layouts, which are great for novices.
2. Follow the whole order when playing the course. Every golf course is unique in terms of its layout and the holes you start and finish on. Every hole features an actual hole where you finish and a "tee off" area where you begin. Carrying a course map or joining a group that includes at least one person who is aware of the course's layout are both wise decisions. 
   • You may check in and rent equipment at the course's main office, where you can also find a course map. 
3. In your group, take turns. You should be aware of when your turn is so that there is no confusion and nobody hits the ball simultaneously. Typically, the player with the best score from the preceding hole tees off first, followed by the player with the second-best score and the player with the poorest or highest score. 
   • At each hole, after the tee-off, the player who is the furthest from the hole hits first, followed by the player who is the next furthest away, and so on, until everyone has successfully placed the ball in the hole. 
4. Keep your ball stationary on the course. It's not allowed to pick up and move the ball if it lands in an erroneous location, which it will if you're a beginner. Unless it is blocked by a man-made object, such as a yardstick or a beer can, you must play it where it is
   • Ask a more seasoned player if you're unsure whether something close to your ball qualifies as an obstacle.
   • You will incur a 1 stroke penalty, drop your ball back where you shot it, and then try again if you hit your ball into the water or out of bounds.
5. For every hole, keep a score. On a golf course, each hole has a "Par," or the ideal number of strokes needed to actually put the ball in the hole. Your final tally is increased by a "1" for each hit you make on the ball. With parts ranging from 3-5, each hole on a course will be called a "Par 3," "Par 4," or "Par 5."
   • Each hole's par has a moniker that corresponds to your score on that particular hole. An "Eagle," for example, is a score of two under par or putting the ball in the hole in three shots on a hole with a five-part rating. A "Birdie" is a score of one under par, while a score of par or better is simply referred to as "Par."
   • Being 1 over par is considered a "Bogey." A "Double Bogey" is defined as a score of 2 over par, a "Triple Bogey" as a score of 3, and so forth. 
6. Finish with the lowest score possible to win. When your levels in the organisation are the final hole, the player with the lowest overall score wins. You may keep track of your development during the game by measuring your score to the pars for each hole. If your shots routinely fall at or below par, you're doing very well.
   • You will probably shoot over par in the beginning, especially on the harder 5-par holes. This is entirely typical. The more you practice, the better you'll get.
7. Consider starting with a Par 3 course. A Par 3 course has shorter distances between the tee and the hole than a conventional course, which has a mix of Par 3, 4, and 5 holes.These programs are excellent for new students. 
   • The sum of all the parts on the course represents the overall par. On a conventional golf course, this figure is 72; on a lesser course, it is less. A 9-hole, the par-3 course has a total of 27 pars.

Setting Up Your Swing

1. Knees and hips should be slightly bent as you stand. Your feet should be hip-width apart while you stand, and your weight should be equally distributed between the cores of your feet rather than your toes or heels. To ensure that the end of your club touches the area where you will be striking the ball, slant your hips forward and gently flex your knees. 
   • Consider how a bowler would stand before bringing the ball back to throw it: with weight evenly distributed between both feet and hips slightly bowed forward. 
   • Your target or the hole should be facing the side of your body that is not dominant. For example, if you wanted to hit the ball to your left, you would pull the club up and to the right before swinging down and to the left.
2. First, bring your club back until it is parallel to the ground. Clubhead, hands, arms, shoulders, and hips should be lifted in that order from outside to inside. Your dominant arm should stay by your side while you pass your dominant leg with your hands, and your weight should start to shift to that leg.
   • The toe, or rounded edge, of the club, should face upward when it is parallel to the ground.
3. The club should be raised at a 90-degree angle. Continue shifting your weight to your dominant side and hinge the club 90 degrees from your arms, which are roughly parallel to the ground, by folding your elbows. Your shoulders should be rotating upward, and your dominant hip should be bearing more of the weight. 
   • The toe of your club should now be facing backward toward the side in which you are swinging.
4. To fully raise the club, turn your wrists. Stretch the lateral muscle on the non-dominant side by rotating your shoulders until the non-dominant shoulder is precisely beneath your chin. This will raise your club up and over your head by nearly 180 degrees, with the weight of the club resting on your hands and arms and the club head pointed down towards the ground. 
   • Start your backswing with your chest, and when you finish the motion, make sure your hands are securely planted. 
   • Your hands should be at a height from the floor equal to their position at one o'clock. 
   • Your shoulders, as well as your dominant hip and ankle, should feel prepared to jump downward toward the ball.

Hitting Your Ball

1. Swing the club down and slightly shift your weight to the opposite side. Your weight should begin to move somewhat in the direction of the swing as you bring the club down. While maintaining body balance and pointing your belt buckle at the ball, your dominant elbow should move in front of your dominant hip.  ^[9]
   • To prevent flinging the club's weight from the top, keep your wrists bent as you start to lower the club.
2. As you attempt to play the ball, extend the side that is facing the target. Your hips should continue to spin as you make contact with the ball to allow your body to straighten on the side you're going for. As you establish contact, keep your head behind the ball and bend your dominant wrist. 
   • Now that your objective is on your non-dominant side, most of your weight has been moved there. 
3. For the follow-through, completely extend both of your arms. After making contact with the ball, keep swinging. As you approach your target, raise your arms and club so that they are practically parallel to the ground. Your arms should virtually move inside and back toward your body as you swing since you are twisting your hips
   • During the final phase of shifting your weight, your dominant knee should kick inward toward the straight knee, narrowing the space between your legs. 
   • A proper follow-through ends when the club head is below the level of your hands, demonstrating that your wrists and arms remain under control, and the clubhead's toe is facing upward.