Basic Golf Terms:
The Clubs
| Club | Beginner | Intermediate | Professional |
|---|---|---|---|
| Driver | 180 yds | 270 yds | 296 yds |
| 3-Wood | 170 yds | 235 yds | 262 yds |
| 5-Wood | 150 yds | 220 yds | 248 yds |
| Hybrid | 145 yds | 210 yds | 242 yds |
| 2-Iron | 100 yds | 215 yds | 236 yds |
| 3-Iron | 100 yds | 205 yds | 228 yds |
| 4-Iron | 100 yds | 195 yds | 219 yds |
| 5-Iron | 125 yds | 185 yds | 209 yds |
| 6-Iron | 120 yds | 175 yds | 197 yds |
| 7-Iron | 110 yds | 165 yds | 185 yds |
| 8-Iron | 100 yds | 155 yds | 172 yds |
| 9-Iron | 90 yds | 145 yds | 159 yds |
| Pitching Wedge | 80 yds | 135 yds | 146 yds |
| Gap Wedge | 60 yds | 125 yds | 135 yds |
| Sand Wedge | 55 yds | 115 yds | 124 yds |
| Lob Wedge | 44 yds | 105 yds | 113 yds |
A golf bag consists of 14 clubs with each club serving a specific purpose on the golf course. You use each club based on the distance to your target, how far you typically hit each specific club, and other course conditions that can affect your shot like the lie, weather, or speed of the greens. Everyone has different club distances. This is why it is important to learn your distances in order to play to the best of your ability.
"Golf is the closest game to the game of life. You get bad breaks from good shots; you get good breaks from bad shots, but you have to play the ball where it lies." - Bobby Jones
5 Basic Rules of The Game:
- Play the Ball as it Lies
- Out of Bounds
- Play Behind the Tee Markers
- Bunker Rules
- Mark Your Ball
In most cases, you need to play the ball from the lie you found it, but there are exceptions. In the case of a man-made object, a ball near the cart path, or an area marked "ground under repair, you are allowed to play a drop. If you cannot identify the ball, you are allowed to rotate the ball to confirm it is the one you hit.
Out of bounds, commonly referred to as "OB" is when your ball ends up outside the course of play and is generally identified with white stakes. Or, it might be a fence, wall, or other structure of the course. Hitting out of bounsd is a two shot penalty and you have to replay the previous shot. When you hit a ball out of bounds, you must replay from where the previous shot was played. Instead of hitting two after your first shot goes out, you're now hitting three from the tee box. If you hit the ball OB from anywhere other than the tee box, you must try to recreate the previous shot you hit and add two strokes.
The next rule is to make sure that you always tee your ball up behind the designated tee markers. This however, does not mean you are confined the area directly in between the tee markers. You are allowed to go to two full club lengths behidn the markers with your longest club. Additionally, you can stand outside the tee box as long as the entire ball is teed up between the markers. This might help open up one side of the fairway and allow you to play your shot easier.
Bunkers can present a challenge to golfers of all levels on the course. When hitting out of the bunker, the most important rule is that your club cannot touch the ground, or be grounded. When practicing before your shot, hover your club above the sand. Otherwise, you must take a one shot penalty if your club touches the sand. You are allowed to remove loose impediments such as rocks or trash.
Once you have made it to the putting green, you are allowed to mark the golf ball with a circular object. When marking your ball, make sure that your marker is directly behind the ball. You are also able to fix any spike marks or divots. A ball can only be marked on the green and is not allowed to be marked anywhere else. The only exception to this is when you're playing "Lift, clean, and place" which is common during wet, winter golf conditions.
Golf Etiquette
Understanding golf etiquette is a large part of golf. A quick way to never get invited back to a club is to have poor golf etiquette. When playing with someone you don't know, this is especially important. It comes off as a sign of respect not only to the golfer, but to the course itself. Treat the course well and the course will treat you well. Here are some common things to look out for in order to practice respectful golf etiquette:
One of the easiest signs of respect to the golf course is showing up early for your tee time, yet many people still make this mistake every time. Showing up early means showing up at least 20 minutes before your tee time. This gives you time to check in, stretch, and hit some balls on the hitting range. This is the first positive impression you can make and will set up the rest of the round for success.
Before beginning your round, it is important to check what the cart path rules are with the golf shop. Depending on the season and conditions, you might only get to drive on the cart path. It is also important not to drive your golf cart on to the fairways on par 3's. When on par 4's and 5's, make sure to stay behind the designated marker that tells you when to exit the fairway and stay on the cartpath.
When someone is hitting, stay silent. Even the slightest bit of disturbance when standing over the ball can screw someones swing up. Talking during someone elses swing can upset the person standing over the ball and the people around you.
While playing, it is important to maintain pace of play. This means that you are not taking excessive amounts of time on each hole. What happens because of this is a backed up course that does not allow other golfers to play and causes them to wait on you.
Everyone loses balls. It is simply a part of the game. When a ball goes out of sight, a golfer should only take around 3 minutes to look for it. Anything over this will cause you to play slow and back up other golfers. It is important to watch where your ball lands in order to avoid this occurence.
If your ball is heading in the direction of another group of golfer and has potential to hit them, yelling fore will alert them and give them time to get out of the way. An even better way to do this is to say fore and include which direction it is going such as: "FORE left!" or "FORE right!".