golf

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Outdoor game in which a small rubber-cored ball is hit with a wooden- or iron-faced club into a series of holes using the least number of shots. On the first shot for each hole, the ball is hit from a tee, which elevates the ball slightly off the ground; subsequent strokes are played off the ground. Most courses have 18 holes and are approximately 5,500 m/6,000 yd in length. Golf developed in Scotland in the 15th century.

The hole
Each hole is made up of distinct areas: the tee, from where players start at each hole; the green, a finely manicured area where the hole is located; the fairway, the grassed area between the tee and the green, not cut as finely as the green; and the rough, the perimeter of the fairway, which is left to grow naturally. Natural hazards such as trees, bushes, and streams make play more difficult, and there are additional hazards in the form of sand-filled bunkers and artificial lakes.

Clubs
Clubs consist of woods and irons, and are numbered according to the angle at which the face of the club is set (the higher the number, the more acute the angle; clubs with a straight face send the ball the furthest). Most players also carry a wedge, a faced iron set at a sharp acute angle with a deep flange, this being ideal for bunker play. All carry a putter for holing out on the greens; this is the only club that has a wide variety of shapes to suit individual styles.

Stroke and match play
Golf is played in two principal forms: stroke play (also known as medal play) and match play. In stroke play the lowest aggregate score for a round determines the winner. Play may be more than one round, in which case the aggregate score for all rounds counts. In match play, the object is to win holes by scoring less than one's opponent(s).

Handicaps
Golf's handicap system allows for golfers of all levels to compete on equal terms. Players are handicapped according to the number of strokes they take for a round; for example, a player who took 83 shots to go round a course with a par (standard score) of 71 would be given a handicap of 12. Handicapping enables players of different standards to compete on even terms by conceding or receiving strokes. In all championships and in all major tournaments, however, competitors play level.

Competitions
The major golfing events are the British Open (first held in 1860), US Open (first held 1895), US Masters (first held in 1934), and US Professional Golfers Association (PGA) (first held in 1916). Other events include the World Match Play Championship, and the British PGA. The Alfred Dunhill Cup, a men's knockout tournament for international teams of three players, has been held annually at St Andrew's, Scotland, since 1985. A men's World Cup for teams of two has been played annually since 1953. The Ryder Cup, established in 1927, is played every two years between 12-man teams from the USA and Europe. A women's version of the Ryder Cup, the Solheim Cup, was introduced in 1990.

Red symbolizes the fire from Iceland's volcanos. White represents ice. Blue stands for the mountains. Effective date: 19 June 1915. >>