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Courses The game consists of playing the ball from a teeing ground into a hole by successive strokes in accordance with the rules. The stipulated round consists of 18 holes, and most golf courses have 18. Standard 18-hole courses measure from 6,500 to 7,000 yards (5,900 to 6,400 metres); individual holes are from 100 to 600 yards (90 to 550 metres). Some courses have only nine holes; these are played twice in a stipulated round. The clubs are designed for the various positions in which the ball may come to rest and for the various distances to the hole. The objective is to hole the ball in the fewest strokes. In the early 19th century there was no agreement on the number of holes on a golf course; localities differed widely in the matter. When the popularity of Leith, with its five holes, waned and St. Andrews became the hub, the round of 18 holes was established. Originally the St. Andrews holes filed straight out alongside the shore and were played in reverse for the return journey—11 holes each way. In 1764 the round was modified to 18 holes. The variety of courses gives golf an intrinsic charm. Equipment Golf balls Regulation balls have a maximum weight of 1.62 ounces (45.93 grams) and a minimum diameter of 1.68 inches (4.27 cm). In U.S. competition the velocity of the ball may not exceed 250 feet per second when measured under prescribed conditions on an apparatus maintained by the USGA, but there is no velocity specification for British play. Golf clubs In the average good player’s set there are usually either 3 or 4 wood clubs and 9 or 10 irons (no more than 14 clubs may be carried during a round). No two clubs in a set are the same. There are differences in length and suppleness of shaft, weight, size, and shape of head, the angle at which the shaft ends and the head begins (the lie), and the angle of the face of the club from the vertical (the loft). The various clubs are known both by number and by name. The number of a club largely designates its length and the pitch of its head, which translates into the distance and height a club will drive a ball. Generally, the lower the number, the greater the distance potential; distance decreases and pitch (thus height) increases progressively as club numbers go up. The woods (or metals) are mostly used for driving the longer distances. Sources differ on the name equivalency of the numbered clubs, but the most widely used clubs may be identified as follows: Woods: number 1 (driver), number 2 (brassie), number 3 (spoon), number 4 (baffy), and number 5 (replaces number 3 or 4 iron). Irons: number 1 (driving iron), number 2 (midiron), number 3 (mid-mashie), number 4 (mashie iron), number 5 (mashie), number 6 (spade mashie), number 7 (mashie-niblick), number 8 (pitching niblick), number 9 (niblick), number 10 (wedge), and putter (carries no number). Rules The rule-making bodies for golf are the R&A and the USGA. They attempt to perpetuate uniformity in rules by exchanging views on interpretations and on recommendations for revision. The present code makes an amazing contrast with the first rules, 13 in number, that were framed by the Honourable Company. The first of them ordained that the ball had to be teed within a club length of the previous hole and the tee had to be on the ground. Tee and green were one. The ball struck from the tee was not to be changed, and the player could (rule 5) take his ball out of water or “watery filth” to play it and allow his opponent a stroke. The St. Andrews golfers, in founding the R&A, adopted almost exactly the Leith rules. There were periodical reforms before the rules committee of the R&A was formed in 1897 to become the final authority. The rules committee has co-opted representatives from the Commonwealth, the European Golf Federation, the United States, and the British Unions Advisory Committee. Britain and the United States have had separate codes at various times, but a uniform code went into effect in 1967. The rules of golf define an amateur golfer as “one who plays the game solely as a nonremunerative and non-profit-making sport.” But the elasticity of this definition perturbs the game’s legislators for what it does not define. The whole question of status in its various aspects engages the attention jointly of the R&A and the USGA. In general, an amateur remains so until and unless he takes specific action toward becoming a professional, even though he might have indicated his intention of becoming a professional in the future. Procedure The starting place for each hole to be played is the teeing ground. The front is indicated by two markers, and the teeing ground is the rectangular space two club lengths in depth directly behind the line indicated by the markers. The player tees his ball anywhere within this space, usually setting it up on a small wooden or plastic peg (called a tee), and strikes it toward the hole. The stroke from the teeing ground is called the drive. For this the player usually employs a number 1 wood club, or driver, although, to avoid a hazard or to attempt to place his ball in a favourable position for his second shot (for example, on a long hole with a sharp bend, or dogleg), he may prefer one of the other woods or an iron. On short, par-three holes most players use an iron. The preferred line to the hole is generally a clear, mowed route called the fairway. The fairway was historically bordered by unmowed vegetation—heather, grasses, weeds, bushes—called rough. Most modern courses in the United States, however, are not characterized by deep and tangled rough and when inland make effective use of trees. At strategic places along the preferred line to the hole and guarding the putting green are obstacles called bunkers, depressions filled with sand (sand traps). Some holes require the player to cross streams or ponds. Both bunkers and bodies of water are termed hazards. Middle irons are used until the player has come within close range of the green. Two methods of play are then open for the approach shot: the golfer may pitch the ball all the way and depend on backspin to stop it near the pin, or he may play a chip shot, in which the ball flies partway through the air, as to the edge of the close-clipped surface of the green, and then rolls the remaining distance. The hole itself measures 4.25 inches (10.8 cm) in diameter and at least 4 inches (10.2 cm) deep, and it is set in an area of turf especially prepared and maintained and closely mowed for putting. When the player putts, he uses a straight-faced club and rolls the ball across the putting green toward and eventually into the hole. Forms of play Match and medal play There are two distinct forms of play: match play and stroke (medal) play. In match play the player and his opponent are playing together and competing only against each other, while in stroke play each competitor is competing against every other player in the tournament. In match play the game is played by holes, and each hole is won by the player who holes his ball in the fewest strokes. If both players score the same number of strokes, the hole is halved. When a player has won one more hole than his opponents, he is said to be one up. The match is won by the player who is leading by a number of holes greater than the number of holes remaining to be played, as, for example, three up and two to play. In stroke play the competitor who holes the stipulated round or rounds in the fewest total strokes is the winner. Amateur championships once were all at match play, and open championships and most professional events at stroke play, covering four 18-hole rounds. Some amateur events have adopted stroke play (the match play U.S. Amateur event was competed at stroke play from 1965 to 1973), as has the U.S. PGA Championship. Stroke play requires a greater degree of consistency in a player, for one hole where he lapses into a high figure can ruin his total and cost him victory. The same high score on a hole in match play means only the loss of that hole. In both match and stroke play, players can compete as individuals or as partners. When two players compete as partners, each playing his own ball, the better ball on each hole is their score for that hole; this is a four-ball or best-ball match. Two players may compete as partners with two others, each pair playing alternate strokes on a single ball; this is a match foursome. The advent of televised championships wrote the death notice for match play in professional golf. By scheduling the leaders together on the final round, exciting finishes are made most probable. Handicaps Players of varying abilities compete against each other by using handicaps. A handicap is the number of strokes a player receives to adjust his score to a common level. The better the player, the smaller his handicap, and the best players have handicaps of zero (scratch players). A scratch player whose average score is 70 can have an even match with a player whose average score is 80 by giving him a handicap of 10 strokes. Handicap golf is limited to amateur competitions, and championship tournaments are played without handicaps. Par golf Every course has a par, which is defined as the score an expert (i.e., a scratch player) would be expected to make, and many courses also have a bogey, which is defined as the score that a moderately good golfer would be expected to make. Both par and bogey are further defined as errorless play without flukes and under ordinary weather conditions, allowing two strokes on the putting green. Par is essentially an American term that came into use in the early 1900s as a base for computing handicaps. Bogey is essentially a British term that came into use in England in 1891 and was derived from a mythical Colonel Bogey, who was described as uniformly steady but never overbrilliant. Colloquially in the United States, bogey is used to indicate a score one stroke above par. Variants Par-three golf Par-three golf courses, on which each hole measures 100 yards (90 metres) more or less and plays at par three, were developed as a result of the shortage of available open land in congested urban areas. Whereas a regulation 18-hole course may stretch to more than 7,000 yards, about 4 miles (6.4 km), an 18-hole par-three, or short-hole, course can be laid out in about 1,800 yards (1.6 km). Driving ranges Driving ranges were developed as commercial establishments at which golfers and aspiring golfers could, for a small fee, practice their swings. They, too, have appealed to golfers in areas in which courses are overcrowded and are especially popular in Japan, where such conditions prevail. Heiner Gillmeister Francis Moran John Ross Goodner The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Professional Golfers’ Association of America Table of Contents Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics Images & Videos Rory McIlroy Who are notable winners of the PGA Championship? Quizzes Cricket bat and ball. cricket sport of cricket.Homepage blog 2011, arts and entertainment, history and society, sports and games athletics Sports Quiz Golf putter hitting golf tee and ball. (game; sport; golf ball; golf club) A Hole in One Related Questions What are some of Tiger Woods’s major accomplishments in golf history? Read Next ROCHESTER, NY - AUGUST 10: Steve Stricker of the United States plays a bunker shot on the 11th hole during the third round of the 95th PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club on August 10, 2013 in Rochester, New York 100th Anniversary of the PGA’s Founding US Marines firing at Fallujah, Iraq, during the Second Battle of Fallujah in November 2004. 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Homepage 2010, arts and entertainment, history and society The 10 Greatest Basketball Players of All Time Nativity Scene, Adoration of the Magi, Church of the Birth of the Virgin Mary, Montenegro Why Is Christmas in December? Srinivasa Ramanujan, Indian mathematician and autodidact. 6 Interesting Facts about Srinivasa Ramanujan Fish. Lionfish. Lion-fish. Turkey fish. Fire-fish. Red lionfish. Pterois volitans. Venomous fin spines. Coral reefs. Underwater. Ocean. Red lionfish swims by seaweed. 10 of the World’s Most Dangerous Fish Sports & Recreation Olympic Sports Rory McIlroy Rory McIlroy Rory McIlroy competing in the final round of the 2012 PGA Championship. Professional Golfers’ Association of America American sports organization Also known as: PGA, PGA of America Written and fact-checked by Article History Areas Of Involvement: golf professionalism Related People: Tiger Woods Phil Mickelson Bubba Watson Jim Furyk Nick Price News • Americans are getting paid to play the Ryder Cup. Now the pressure is on to win: Analysis • Dec. 17, 2024, 9:13 AM ET (AP) Professional Golfers’ Association of America (PGA of America), organization formed in the United States in 1916 at the instigation of Rodman Wanamaker, a Philadelphia businessman, with the stated purpose of promoting interest in professional golf, elevating the standards of the game, and advancing the welfare of its members. By the early 21st century the PGA of America (often conventionally shortened to “PGA”) had a membership of more than 25,000 playing and teaching professionals. Its annual PGA Championship is one of the world’s four major golf tournaments. In addition, it shares in the conduct of an international team match with Great Britain for the Ryder Cup and cosponsors an annual yearlong series of tournaments, called the PGA Tour, held throughout North America (but primarily in the United States). Other activities include maintenance of a PGA Hall of Fame and a training program for would-be touring professionals. The PGA headquarters are in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Similar organizations exist in other countries (the PGA of Canada was founded in 1911). The women’s equivalent of the PGA is the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA), founded in 1950. It provides organized professional tournament golf for women and holds the LPGA Championship tournament. Winners of the PGA Championship are provided in the table. Golf putter hitting golf tee and ball. (game; sport; golf ball; golf club) Britannica Quiz A Hole in One U.S. Professional Golfers' Association (PGA) Championship year winner* *Won by a U.S. golfer except as indicated. **Winner by playoff. 1916 James Barnes 1917–18 not held 1919 James Barnes 1920 Jock Hutchison 1921 Walter Hagen 1922 Gene Sarazen 1923 Gene Sarazen 1924 Walter Hagen 1925 Walter Hagen 1926 Walter Hagen 1927 Walter Hagen 1928 Leo Diegel 1929 Leo Diegel 1930 Tommy Armour 1931 Tom Creavy 1932 Olin Dutra 1933 Gene Sarazen 1934 Paul Runyan 1935 Johnny Revolta 1936 Denny Shute 1937 Denny Shute 1938 Paul Runyan 1939 Henry Picard 1940 Byron Nelson 1941 Vic Ghezzi 1942 Sam Snead 1943 not held 1944 Bob Hamilton 1945 Byron Nelson 1946 Ben Hogan 1947 Jim Ferrier (Austl.) 1948 Ben Hogan 1949 Sam Snead 1950 Chandler Harper 1951 Sam Snead 1952 Jim Turnesa 1953 Walter Burkemo 1954 Chick Harbert 1955 Doug Ford 1956 Jack Burke, Jr. 1957 Lionel Hebert 1958 Dow Finsterwald 1959 Bob Rosburg 1960 Jay Hebert 1961 Jerry Barber** 1962 Gary Player (S.Af.) 1963 Jack Nicklaus 1964 Bobby Nichols 1965 Dave Marr 1966 Al Geiberger 1967 Don January** 1968 Julius Boros 1969 Raymond Floyd 1970 Dave Stockton 1971 Jack Nicklaus 1972 Gary Player (S.Af.) 1973 Jack Nicklaus 1974 Lee Trevino 1975 Jack Nicklaus 1976 Dave Stockton 1977 Lanny Wadkins 1978 John Mahaffey** 1979 David Graham (Austl.)** 1980 Jack Nicklaus 1981 Larry Nelson 1982 Raymond Floyd 1983 Hal Sutton 1984 Lee Trevino 1985 Hubert Green 1986 Bob Tway 1987 Larry Nelson 1988 Jeff Sluman 1989 Payne Stewart 1990 Wayne Grady (Austl.) 1991 John Daly 1992 Nick Price (Zimb.) 1993 Paul Azinger 1994 Nick Price (Zimb.) 1995 Steve Elkington (Austl.) 1996 Mark Brooks 1997 Davis Love III 1998 Vijay Singh (Fiji) 1999 Tiger Woods 2000 Tiger Woods 2001 David Toms 2002 Rich Beem 2003 Shaun Micheel 2004 Vijay Singh (Fiji) 2005 Phil Mickelson 2006 Tiger Woods 2007 Tiger Woods 2008 Padraig Harrington (Ire.) 2009 Y.E. Yang (S.Kor.) 2010 Martin Kaymer (Ger.) 2011 Keegan Bradley** 2012 Rory McIlroy (N.Ire.) 2013 Jason Dufner 2014 Rory McIlroy (N.Ire.) 2015 Jason Day (Austl.) 2016 Jimmy Walker 2017 Justin Thomas 2018 Brooks Koepka 2019 Brooks Koepka 2020 Collin Morikawa 2021 Phil Mickelson 2022 Justin Thomas** 2023 Brooks Koepka 2024 Xander Schauffele thank you