Golf course

The golf course (within the meaning of the rules) is the Terrain where one plays part of Golf.

It is delimited by white stakes (out-limits). If a ball is out-limit, she is regarded as lost and the player owes in rejouer another from the place of the preceding blow by taking a blow of penalty.

Ground versus course

The course (within the meaning of the rules) is the ground except the obstacles.

Components of the golf course

Tee (starting Surface)

The departure or tee is a space often rectangular cover of rather close-cropped grass and a surface of roughly 10 m ², generally raised, of 10 cm until more than 10 m sometimes according to the levelling of the ground.

The player begins the hole on the departure , by posing his ball on a tee in a zone delimited by two elements of colors (of the balls or the stakes, for example). The ball should not exceed the line formed by the two elements, and does not have to be with more than 2 meters (2 lengths of club) behind approximately of this line.

Several departures are actually reproduced on the same hole. Indeed, the golf distinguishes the levels from the players by shortening the distance which separates the departures from the green. There exist various colors (energy of the departure furthest away from the green, therefore more difficult, with nearest):

Black (or blue or gold): Dear Sirs, White championship
: Dear Sirs, good Yellow index
: Blue Sirs
: Ladies, good Red index
: Ladies

Fairway (Gone)

The tee and the green are connected by an extent of well maintained Herbe which one names the fairway (Gone in French). It measures from 100 to 500 m length, and can be broad or narrow according to the configuration of the hole. As long as one did not reach the green with his ball yet, it is preferable to remain above rather than outwards, i.e. in long grass (or rough ). In general, on the majority of the courses amateurs, it is authorized to place its ball on the fairway at a distance of 10 cm of its initial position but without approaching the flag.

A fairway can be right but, to complicate the play, it is frequent that the Architecte which drew the course makes take a turn with the longest holes (by 4 or 5), which often obliges the player to try to cut this turn to the risk to fall into the rough. These holes in the shape of elbow are called dog leg (literally leg of dog ).

Rough (long Grass)

The bulkier zone bordering the alley names the rough. The ball which is located at it is penalized by the height of the grass and it is interdict to move there its ball. In addition, there exists frequently an intermediate zone of shearing between the fairway and the rough, that one names thick grass .

Green

The green (French green) is the zone of Gazon close-cropped mowed of roughly circular form where the hole (diameter of approximately 108 mm) is. On this zone, the rules of play are specific. For example, one plays with the rail ( putter ), which is a stick (club) special making it possible to make roll the ball with precision. The perhaps undulating green, and it is the technique of reading of the slopes which makes it possible to the player to return his ball under such conditions. One says of a green that it rolls when the ball slows down little when it is struck. In this case, it is necessary to be very skilful not to let it slip by. On the contrary, when the greens are badly maintained or that there is presence of dew, the ball is braked. The precision of the blow is then often random, and to return its ball raises a little the chance.

In the field of the Agriculture, a green is a very particular medium, drained perfectly, whose entirely artificial ground consists of most of sand mixed with peat. The only nutritive elements are brought in the shape of manure. The grass is made of graminaceous particular whose sheets develop with the short-nap cloth of the ground. Shearing is carried out with a helicoid blade mower rises on a kind of cylinder. The grass is raised before being crossed between the blade and the counter-blade, as scissors would do it. A pressing roller comes then to fold back it. The height of cut amounts in millimetre. A green mowed with more than 2 mm is " lent" , because the ball is braked quickly. The player must take account of the " rapidité" green before making a rolled blow. Another important characteristic of a green is its hardness. If it is " mou" , it quickly will stop the ball at the time of the lobed blow of approach . The hole is moved regularly by the entretenor of course , on the one hand to always avoid trampling at the same place, and on the other hand to vary the interest of the play. The player must thus adapt his tactic according to the position of the hole on the green. When the ball falls on this one, it forms a hole in the Gazon called pitch. As it is a close-cropped grass zone where maintenance is very important in order to make it possible to the player to make roll his blow with precision, the label of the golf obliges with to repair the marks of ball with each time one does one of them. A tool in the shape of fork with two teeth called raise-pitch is used for this purpose.

Flag (Pine)

The flag indicates the mast provided with a coloured fabric square which one plugs in the hole. It makes it possible to locate the green and especially the hole since a very long distance. When the ball is already on the green, one must remove the flag for to make his blow rolled (putt) .

However, when the player is on the green but at a distance rather far away from the hole, it can ask for one its adversaries of deal with the flag in order to aim best. This last must then position close it to hold flag and it right in its hole time that the player makes a blow rolled . It must remove the flag if the ball moves towards the hole. Indeed, a player incurs 2 points of penalty if it touches the flag of his ball while puttant since the green. In certain modes of play, it can even lose the hole . It is not the case if it strikes since the outside of the green.

On certain courses, a ball of a diameter of approximately 10 cm can slide on the pole of the flag, its height indicates the position of the hole compared to the beginning of the green. A hole for which the flag is visible only with short distance (100 or 150 m) is known as blind . The player must then take benchmarks before typing the blow of approach which will enable him to pose its ball on the green. There exist also three styles of different flags which make it possible to the player to locate the position of the hole on the green compared to the entry of this one. Thus a plain yellow flag represents a hole at the beginning of green, a flag with yellow and black checkerwork, a hole in medium of green and a red flag, a hole in bottom of green. This makes it possible to the golfor to adjust his striking in order to place its ball closest to the hole.

Obstacles

There exist two kinds of obstacles: the Sand and the Water. They are generally located at strategic sites: around the green, with the repercussion of the starting blows. The obstacles have the aim of spicing the play by penalizing the bad blows. They influence the strategy of play: one can attack (to pass over) or ensure (but to make a blow moreover then).

While playing since an obstacle, the golfor must comply with certain rules not to be penalized: not to remove refuse even if they obstruct it to play, not to test the consistency of the obstacle before to have left the ball it.

Bunker (sand trap door or pit)

The obstacles of Sable ( bunker ) are often in hollows (from where the name of pit) and filled with Sable. The play since such an obstacle is sometimes delicate for that which sent its ball there. To leave a bunker requires a particular technique indeed. Moreover, it is interdict to make a first attempt (i.e. to voluntarily touch sand without touching the ball) under penalty of a penalty of two blows. But in the event of presence of water in the bunker, the player can, if its ball is in water:

to deposit its ball with a length of club without approaching the hole at the place nearest but not more close to the hole where the player and the ball are not in water.

Water

With the golf, there exist two kinds of water obstacles:

frontal Obstacles (water Obstacles). They are in the middle of the hole, i.e. perpendiculars within the meaning of the play and are announced by yellow stakes.
side Obstacles (side water Obstacles). It are on with dimensions hole, parallels within the meaning of the play and are announced by stakes of red color.

The water obstacles can be natural or artificial (a puddle pool is called " water fortuite") : Sea, Lake, pond, pond, River, basin, etc If the player cannot (stray bullet in the obstacle) or does not want (ball in water or mud) to play its ball in such an obstacle, it can be released some with a blow from penalty:

is while rejouant from the place from where he had played previously,
is by rejouant behind entrance point of its ball in the obstacle (compared to the flag),
but only if the ball is in a side obstacle:

is laterally compared to the entrance point to two lengths of club without approaching the hole.
at an equidistant point of the entrance point of the ball in the obstacle, with two lengths of club without approaching the hole.

Water is one of the environmental problems posed by the golfs, in particular in the hot areas requiring an important irrigation. Water is polluted by the Engrais and sometimes by Pesticide S (Insecticide S, Lombricide S.). Certain countries of which the Canada encourage the appearance of a more sparing in Intrant S and more ecological differentiated Gestion.

The " baguettage" of the grasses of the green before shearing or to prepare a course is the operation aiming at making fall on the ground the Rosée in " balayant" the ground with a long glass fiber rod makes the dew available for the roots, but not for the small animals and invertebrates which water themselves some normally (ants.). It is perhaps an additional factor of stress for the plant which profits more directly from cooling only allows the evaporation of the dew.

Links (course in edge of sea)

The links term is used to name the courses of golf being in edge of sea and which have the characteristic to be ensablés and more been windy. That often confers an additional difficulty to them, because the grass is often less dense and less bulky on the fairway. A famous course is that of the Royal and Ancient of Saint-Andrews in Scotland.

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