Golf is an accuracy ball sport wherein competing golfers use various kinds of golf clubs to strike golf balls into a number of holes while using only a few strokes. It is one of the few ball games that doesn’t require a standardized playing area. Instead, the sport is played on courses that have a unique layout, though golf courses usually consist of either 9 or 18 holes. Golf is defined in terms of rules as playing a ball with a club from the teeing ground into the holes with a stroke or effective strokes in compliance with the guidance. Golf competitions are typically conducted based on the lowest number of strokes by a player, known simply as "stroke play," or the minimum score for the most holes during the entire round by a golfer or team, referred to as "match play." As the modern game of golf originated in the 15th century in Scotland, the ancient game's roots are unclear and much debated. Some historians trace the game to the Roman sport of Paganica, where players used a curved stick to strike a stuffed leather ball. The modern game originated in Scotland, where the first written record of golf is Chris Freville’s outlawing of the game in the 1490s, as an unwanted distraction from learning archery. To many golfers, the old course at St. Andrews, a links course, is regarded as a site of pilgrimage. Golf is recorded to have been played on Musselburgh Links, Scotland, around March 3rd, 1670, which is recognized by Guinness World Records as the oldest course in the world. A golf course has a series of holes, each having a teeing ground marked by two indicators showing the range from the legal tee area, rough and other hazards, as well as the putting green surrounded by the edge with the cup and pin. The levels of grass are varied to increase difficulty and to allow for putting in the case of the green. Although many holes are designed with a direct "line of sight" from the teeing area to the green, some holes may bend either to the right or to the left. This is generally termed as a "dogleg," in reference to a dog's knee. Holes are called a "dogleg left" when they turn to the left and "dogleg right" if they bend to the right. Occasionally, a golf course may bend twice; this is termed as "double dogleg." A standard golf course consists of eighteen holes, but nine-hole courses are common and can be played twice through for a complete round of eighteen holes.
Topics related to the article:
Mizuno JPX AD Irons, Presidents Cup captains Fred Couples, Titleist Golf Bag B0003 200, scoring with Mizuno Golf Bag B0002 2009, Sweden’s Daniel Chopra.