Golf

Golf is a calm and careful sport played outdoors. Players use long sticks called clubs to hit a small white ball. The goal is to get the ball into a small hole in the ground. The player who uses the fewest hits wins.

The Course

A golf course has 18 holes spread over wide green grass. Each hole has a starting spot called the tee and a flag at the end. There are sand traps and ponds to make the game harder. Players walk or drive small carts between holes.

An old Chinese painting shows an early game very similar to golf.
An old Chinese painting shows an early game very similar to golf. (Wikimedia Commons)

Clubs and Balls

Golfers carry many different clubs in a big bag. Some clubs are for long shots, and others are for short ones near the hole. The golf ball is small, white, and has tiny dimples on it. These dimples help the ball fly farther.

Fun Facts

  • A hole-in-one is when a player gets the ball in the hole with just one hit.
  • Golf started in Scotland over 500 years ago.
  • The word 'birdie' means one shot under par on a hole.

Did You Know?

Astronaut Alan Shepard once hit a golf ball on the Moon in 1971.