Scoring and Typical Golf Scores.

The popularity of the game of golf has increased tremendously over the past forty-five years, giving us great champions like Arnold Palmer, Greg Norman, and Tiger Woods and world-renowned courses like Pinehurst, St. Andrews, Augusta National and the Blue Monster at Doral.

Scoring and Typical Golf Scores.

The reason for this huge increase in the popularity of golf is the general increase in propsperity and the breakdown of snobbery, that is increased social mobility. More people from working class families are playing golf now than at any other time in history.

There still are snobby golf clubs, but they will try to keep you out with sky-high membership fees and green fees. Let them get on with their out-dated lifestyles, there are plenty of other great golf courses out there that will make you welcome.

But why should golfing have become so poplar with the public? Surely, it must be because a round of golf is a leisurely, but nevertheless, active,  outdoor pursuit with a competitive side that can be enjoyed with friends but that can never be mastered.

Your scorecard, over time, will demonstrate your improvement, which keeps you playing time and time again.

This is the first lesson for the novice golfer who doesn't know anything about golfing.

Golf is played on an eighteen-hole course. Each hole has its own "par" (value), which is the combined number of tee shots (drives), fairway shots, chips (short hits as you approach the green), and putts (on the green) you should need to take.

The par number is based on the length and difficulty of the hole. Pars range from 3 to 6. If you get the ball in the hole in five shots on a par five hole, you "made par." If it took you six shots, its called a bogie, if you made it in four, its a birdie.

All the holes on a golf course will have at least one 'hazard' to make the game more challenging and therefore more interesting. These hazards are usually: sand traps, trees and bodies of water, which are set up in such a way as to be obstructive. A beginner at golf should seek out a course which has fewer and less obstructive hazards so it is easier to play.

Each player keeps his or her own score, marking the total number of shots for each hole. At the end, each person adds up their scores - the one with the lowest number is the winner.

Please don't take your score or your lack of skill to heart when you are a beginner golfer, because, although the professionals make it look simple, it takes many years to play the game well.

A good tip is to get the basics right from the start by taking a few lessons from the course 'pro', because then you will learn the correct posture and swing.