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.

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 achievements are tallied on your scorecard for all time and the desire to improve your game can encourage you to play again and 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.

‘Hazards’ or obstructions are usually placed before all the holes. Ponds, sand bunkers and trees are positioned in such a way as to make it more difficult to reach the green. Novice golfers should try to find a course with fewer hazards, which is therefore easier to play.

Players mark their own scorecard with the cumalative total of shots taken for each hole. After playing all the holes, the players add up their own scorecards and the one with the lowest score is the winner.

It is important for beginner golfers to not take themselves too seriously. It takes a long time to get good at this game; even though the professionals make it look so easy.

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.

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