Golf Basics:
What You Need to Know

Understanding Your Golf Clubs

A full set of golf clubs contains up to 14 clubs — but as a beginner you'll use far fewer than that. Each club is designed for a specific distance and situation. Learning which club to reach for (roughly) is one of the biggest early wins in golf.

Woods (Driver + Fairway Woods)

The longest clubs in your bag. The driver (1 wood) is used off the tee for maximum distance. Fairway woods (3, 5) are used for long shots from the fairway. Big clubhead, low loft, powerful swing.

Irons (3–9)

The most-used clubs on the course. Lower numbers go further. A 5-iron is a mid-range club; a 9-iron is for shorter, higher shots. Most beginners use 5, 7 and 9 irons to start.

Wedges

High-loft clubs for short, precise shots — especially near or around the green. The pitching wedge (PW) and sand wedge (SW) are the most common. Great for escaping trouble.

Putter

Flat face, used only on the green to roll the ball into the hole. Good putting makes a huge difference to your score. It's also one of the most satisfying skills to practise.

How Golf Scoring Works

Golf scoring is one of those things that confuses beginners at first — mostly because lower is better, which feels backwards. Here's the full breakdown:

• Par: The expected number of shots to complete a hole. Holes are par 3, par 4, or par 5. The total par for an 18-hole course is usually 72.
• Birdie: One shot under par on a hole (e.g. completing a par 4 in 3 shots). Excellent — you'll celebrate these.
• Eagle: Two shots under par. Very impressive. Not a beginner worry, but fun to know.
• Bogey: One shot over par. For most beginners, bogey golf is an excellent target.
• Double Bogey / Triple Bogey: Two or three shots over par. Very common when starting out — don't stress, just keep moving.
• Stroke Play: The most common format. Count every shot across all 18 holes. Lowest total wins.
• Stableford: A popular social format where you score points per hole. More forgiving for beginners — you can pick up after a bad hole and move on.

Understanding the Golf Course

Every golf course is different in character — but the key areas of every hole are the same. Knowing these makes playing so much less confusing:

Tee Box

The starting area for each hole. Multiple sets of tee markers (red, white, yellow, blue) let players of different skill levels start from different distances. Beginners typically use the red tees (shortest distance).

Fairway & Rough

The fairway is the mown grass corridor leading to the green — where you want the ball. The rough is the longer grass on either side. It's harder to hit from but not impossible.

Bunkers

Sand-filled hazards. Aim to avoid them! If you land in one, use your sand wedge to splash the ball out with a confident swing. It feels impossible at first and clicks surprisingly quickly.

Water Hazards

Ponds, lakes, or creeks. If your ball lands in water, take a penalty shot (one extra stroke) and drop the ball near where it entered. Water on the course teaches everyone patience.

The Green

The precision zone. Very smooth, closely mown grass surrounding the hole. Once you're on the green you switch to the putter. Read the slope and roll your ball to the hole.

The Hole & Flag

The 4¼ inch cup in the green. The flagstick (pin) shows you where the hole is from far away. Remove or attend the flag when putting from close range.

Common Shots You'll Play

Golf has a small vocabulary of shot types. You don't need to master all of these — knowing they exist helps you understand what's happening around you on the course.

• Drive / Tee Shot: Your first shot on any hole, played from the tee box. Usually with a driver or fairway wood on longer holes.
• Approach Shot: Any shot aimed at getting the ball onto the green. Usually played with an iron.
• Chip: A short, low shot from just off the green. The ball flies briefly and rolls the rest of the way to the hole.
• Pitch: A higher, shorter shot from further away, landing softly on the green. Like a chip but more air, less roll.
• Putt: Rolling the ball across the green into (or near) the hole using the putter.
• Bunker Shot: Played from a sand trap. You hit the sand just behind the ball, and the sand launches the ball out.

Glossary of Common Terms

Golf has its own language. Here's a cheat sheet to the phrases you'll hear most often:

• Fore! — The warning shout when a ball is heading toward people. If you hear it, duck and cover your head immediately.
• Away: The player whose ball is furthest from the hole plays first.
• Lie: The position your ball is sitting in. A "good lie" means it's sitting nicely on the grass.
• Through the green: Anywhere on the course except tee boxes, greens and hazards.
• Unplayable: When you declare your ball in a position you can't (or won't) hit from. Take a penalty stroke and move the ball.
• OB (Out of Bounds): Areas marked with white stakes where play is not allowed. Hit out of bounds = penalty stroke plus replay the shot.
• Provisional: A second ball you play when you're unsure if your first ball is lost or OB — saves time so you don't walk all the way to find out.
• 19th Hole: The clubhouse bar. The most important part of any round.