Golf is a sport with a simple objective; that is to finish an entire course with the least number of strokes using different clubs. The player needs to hit the ball from where the ball landed using several and different clubs. The course is usually nine or eighteen holes and is designed to be unique. The standards of the golf playing area is not clearly defined thus an excellent opportunity to players to excel. Each hole length is different from one another and this offers a good challenge for the players. The excitement is to finish the game with the least number of strokes than the other players.
Unique Designs
The individual holes have its own unique design and the holes have various length and obstacles. The degrees of difficulty between the holes are different. A good player must use the appropriate club (iron driver or wood driver or wedge or putter) to sink the ball into the hole. The length of the hole is determined by the distance between the teeing ground and the hole.
Based on record, the first game of golf was played about 1565 AD in Bruntsfield Links, Edinburgh, Scotland. The exciting game soon gained popularity in England is now widely played in all the corners of the globe.
Game Variations
The game of golf can be played in a number ways. The popular type is called the stroke play. Stroke play involves the players to complete the course. All the strokes made are recorded and the players are rank based on this record. The player with the least stroke played is declared the winner. Another type or version of the game is the Stableford point play. In this variation, the player earns points as the game progresses. The match play is another variant wherein individuals or teams compete per the number of strokes played on a specific hole.
Nowadays, golf is a very popular sport played by amateurs and professionals. Current exciting professional golfers like Tiger Woods and Annika Sorenstam have a great number of followers. Their matches are consistently watched by enthusiasts in the tournament fields and also in the television telecasts. Major sponsors have also supported game by actively endorsing players and tournaments. Golf had truly caught the appeal of the masses.
As previously mentioned, golf involves the use of several types of golf clubs. A good player may use as many as fourteen different clubs in a match. From the time the game was first played in 1947, the game had evolved and developed in a very popular game. It is played and followed by all types of people. It will continue to remain exciting as people are challenged by the nature of the game. It will remain a good sport as it involves a lot of variables and this challenges the enthusiasts. The variable clubs, different holes, and assorted design of the course traverse used makes this game an adventure by itself. When all is said is done, a game of golf is a good exercise as it involves walking with pleasure.
