The name comes from the word ‘kolf’ – a word from The Netherlands. ‘Kolf’ is a club. The people of The Netherlands used to do business with Scotland.
People in Scotland played golf in the Middle Ages. James II was worried that his archers were playing golf every day.
You play golf on a course where there are 9 or 18 holes. Before playing each hole, you have to see what the par is. Par 5 = 5 strokes
Par 5 Hole: If you are more than 5 strokes then you are over par – bad news! If you are fewer than 5 strokes, you are under par – good news!
There are good names for the scores. The scores ‘under par’ are ‘birdie’ (one under par), ‘eagle’ (two strokes under par) and ‘albatross’ (three strokes under par); in Welsh these are called ‘pluen’, ‘eryr’ and ‘albatros’. The scores ‘over par’ are ‘bogey’ (one over par), ‘double bogey’ (two over par) and triple bogey’ (three over par); in Welsh these are ‘bogi’, bogi dwbl’ and ‘bogi triphlyg’.
On the course there’s the fairway, the green, the bunker and the rough.
If you’re starting to play golf you can have help in amateur games. This is how the system works.
Rhodri Jones is playing on an 18 hole course. 72 strokes is the par for the course. Rhodri goes around the course in 92 strokes. But Rhodri has a handicap of 20. He can deduct 20 strokes from his score. Rhodri finishes on the par – 72.
You can play ‘stroke play’ or ‘match play’. If you play ‘stroke play’, you try to go around the course in the fewest number of strokes. You can play ‘stroke play’ by yourself or against other people.
If you play ‘match play’ you play against other people. The person who wins a hole gets 1 point. The person who wins the greatest number of points wins the match.
