By: Martina Celegato
Submitted: 2009-10-12 08:07:40 | Word Count: 567
Golf thus far has always been considered a sport practiced only by the elite, but in recent years is spreading and its popularity among people is growing.
The positive factors are many, for example, is relaxing and beneficial, without risk to health and virtually no contraindications, requires no athletic but a bit of stretching before the game or training, you can spend several hours outdoors and well suited to any age, there are schools that accept children from the age of 5 years and there is no upper age limits for its practice. The golf courses are usually made of 9, 18, 27 or 36 holes: this is because a round of golf usually takes place over 18 holes. Each hole consists of various areas, some are always present, while others have difficulties that exist only in specific holes, and are therefore defined obstacles.
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The starting area (TEE) is an area with grass carefully shaved, from which golfers leave for the play of a hole. The players have to hit for the first time before or behind some special stakes: if they go over them risk a penalty or their stroke may be canceled. From this point generally the ball is supported with a special instrument called tee, which consists of a small piece of wood or plastic that sticks in the ground. In each hole there are several areas of departure for men and women, that, being on average shorter in the long shots, had an advantage, in addition, the tees are back for professionals than for amateurs.
In building golf courses, you must bear in mind the overall design, from hole to possible obstacles. Many holes have a few obstacles to make the game more difficult but also very compelling. There are bunkers, usually on the sides of the fairway or before a putting green, which hampers the output being full of sand. Frontal water obstacles, indicated by yellow stakes, or lateral instead marked with red stakes, are made by rivers, seas, lakes, streams and deep pools, but also empty, which is always difficult to play and is common to lose a ball. You can play from a water hazard, but without touching the ground before making the shot. If you would prefer to pull the ball outside of the obstacle or if the ball is lost within the obstacle, you can drop the ball, according to some rules, under penalty of one stroke.
An important moment is that of the putting green, a grass area more shaved, within which there is a hole with the flag.
The fairway is an extended area consisting of grass shaved to make it easy to play the ball. Normally it extends from just beyond the starting area until you get near the putting green of the hole, and horizontally for a few tens of meters. On either side of the fairway is the rough, or very tall grass that makes it difficult to play the ball, designated to punish those players who do not throw straight. The fairway of a hole is not always right: it can turn right or left during the pit: this is defined as a dogleg.
