Golf for Beginners: How the Game Works

Yolandi Botes
May 20
16 min read

Golf is a unique sport with its own terms and rules, but it’s easy to grasp the basics. This guide will walk you through how golf is played, from the structure of a round to scoring, equipment, course layout, rules, and etiquette.

Game Structure: Holes, Rounds, and Objective

Golf is played on a course divided into holes. Each hole has a starting point (the tee) and an ending point (the cup on the green). The objective of golf is to hit a ball into a series of holes using as few strokes as possible.

A stroke is any swing of the club at the ball (including misses). A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes in order, although some courses have 9 holes (you can play them twice for 18). Each hole is different, some are shorter or longer, and each has a target number of strokes called “par” (more on that below).

Players typically play in groups (often 2 to 4 players) and move from one hole to the next until all holes are completed. At the end of the round, each player adds up all their strokes, the player with the lowest total score (fewest strokes) is the winner (in stroke play, the most common scoring format).

Number of Holes: Most golf courses have 18 holes (a full round), though some have 9. In casual play, you might play 9 holes for a shorter game or all 18 for a full round. Each hole is numbered (Hole 1, Hole 2, etc.) and you play them in sequence.
The Objective: Get the ball from the tee into the hole in as few shots as possible. Every time you swing at the ball counts as a stroke. Unlike many sports, a lower score is better in golf, you want fewer strokes, not more.
Flow of Play: On each hole, all players tee off (hit a first shot). Then, the players proceed to where their balls landed and hit again, and so on. Typically, the player farthest from the hole hits next (this is traditional order of play called “away”).

However, many casual golfers use “ready golf,” meaning whoever is ready can hit if it’s safe, to keep things moving. Each hole ends when every player has gotten their ball into the hole. Then you move to the next tee. After the last hole, everyone adds up their strokes for their final score.

A typical round format is stroke play, where every stroke is counted and the lowest total wins. There are other formats (like match play, where you win or lose individual holes), but as a beginner you’ll likely start with simple stroke play scoring.

Scoring: Par, Birdie, Bogey, and Other Terms

One of the first things to learn is the scoring terminology. Each hole on the course has a par, which is the number of strokes an expert golfer is expected to need on that hole. Par is based on the hole’s length and difficulty. Most holes are par-3, par-4, or par-5 (meaning an expert should take 3, 4, or 5 strokes to finish the hole). For a full 18-hole course, the total par is often around 70–72 strokes in total.

Your score on a hole is described in relation to par: Did you take the expected number of strokes, or more, or fewer? Here are the common scoring terms:

Par: The expected number of strokes to complete the hole. If a hole is par 4 and you take 4 strokes, that’s “making par.”
Birdie: One stroke under par for a hole. Example: On a par-4 hole, a score of 3 is a birdie.
Eagle: Two strokes under par. Example: On a par-5 hole, a score of 3 is an eagle. Eagles are less common and a sign of excellent play.
Bogey: One stroke over par. Example: On a par-3 hole, a score of 4 is a bogey. For beginners, bogey (or even double bogey) is a very common result on many holes.
Double Bogey: Two strokes over par. For instance, 6 strokes on a par-4 hole.
(Triple Bogey, etc.: Three over par, and so on – not a term you want to say often, but as a beginner it might happen!)
Hole-in-One (Ace): This is when you hit the ball from the tee directly into the hole in a single stroke. It usually occurs on par-3 holes (the shortest holes) because longer holes are nearly impossible to ace. A hole-in-one is very rare and exciting, even many lifelong golfers never get one.

When keeping score, every stroke counts. After each hole, you write down the number of strokes you took. At the end of the round, you might also compare your score to the course par. For example, if the course par is 72 and you took 100 strokes, you’d be “+28” (28 over par).

If you scored 90 on a par 72 course, you’re +18. Shooting under par is a major achievement; beginner golfers are usually over par for a round. But don’t worry, the main goal starting out is just to enjoy and improve gradually!

Key point: In golf, the lower the score, the better. This can be counterintuitive if you’re used to sports where a higher score wins. So if someone says they shot a 85 and their friend shot 95, the one who shot 85 had the better round.

Types of Golf Clubs and Their Uses

During a round, you get to use a variety of clubs from your golf bag. Different clubs are designed for different distances and situations. By rule, a player can carry up to 14 clubs in their bag, but as a beginner you won’t necessarily use that many. Clubs are categorized by type:

Example of different golf clubs: A golf ball lies next to irons and a wood. Woods have large heads for long-distance shots, while irons have angled faces for mid-range shots.

Woods: These clubs have large heads and long shafts. They are designed for the longest shots. The term comes from historic clubs that were made of wood (modern ones are metal). The most common wood is the driver (1-wood) used from the tee for maximum distance.

Other woods (like a 3-wood or 5-wood) are used for long shots from the fairway. Woods have the lowest loft (angle of the clubface), which makes the ball go farther and lower. Beginners often use a driver on tee shots of par-4 and par-5 holes.
Irons: Numbered clubs (usually 3-iron through 9-iron) with thinner metal heads. Irons are used for mid-range distances as you get closer to the green. A 3-iron or 4-iron hits the ball long, while a 9-iron hits it shorter with a higher arc. Higher-numbered irons (7, 8, 9) are easier to hit and used for shorter approach shots, whereas low-numbered irons (3, 4, 5) can be challenging for beginners to hit consistently. Irons are very versatile for many situations on the course.
Wedges: Wedges are specialty irons with a very high loft (angled face) to hit the ball high in the air for short distances. They are used for short approach shots near the green or to hit out of sand bunkers. Common wedges include the pitching wedge, sand wedge, and lob wedge.

For example, a sand wedge helps lift the ball up quickly to escape a bunker (sand trap), and a lob wedge can drop the ball softly onto the green. Wedges are your go-to clubs when you’re close to the green and need the ball to stop quickly.
Hybrids: Hybrids are a cross between woods and irons (they often replace the long irons like 3 or 4 iron). A hybrid has a head shape somewhat like a small wood, but is often numbered like the iron it replaces. They are easier to hit for many players and very useful for longer shots out of tougher lies (like from the rough). Many beginners prefer hybrids instead of difficult long irons because hybrids can get the ball airborne more easily.
Putter: The putter is a special club used on the green (or just off it) to roll the ball into the hole. It has a flat face and is not meant to lift the ball at all. This is the club you will use when you’re on the putting green surface, trying to tap the ball into the cup. Putters come in various shapes (blade or mallet styles) but all serve the same purpose of precise, low-speed rolls.

You will learn which club to use based on how far you need the ball to go and the terrain. A general rule: use woods or hybrids for long distances (tee shots or long fairway shots), use irons for medium distances or control, use wedges for short distances or getting out of tricky spots (sand or rough near the green), and use the putter on the green. As you practice, you’ll get a feel for how far each club hits the ball. Don’t worry, even experienced golfers have to think carefully about club selection.

Golf Course Layout: The Parts of a Hole

Golf is played over a wide outdoor area with different features. Knowing the parts of a golf course will help you understand what to do when someone says “your ball is in the rough” or “aim for the fairway.” Each hole generally has the same components:

Aerial view of a golf course: Each hole has a starting area (tee box), a main area of short grass (fairway), and the ending area with the hole (green). You’ll also notice bunkers (sand traps) and water hazards scattered around as obstacles.

Tee Box (Teeing Ground): The tee box is where every hole begins. It’s a flat area where you hit your first shot. There are usually tee markers that indicate where you can tee off between (often different colored markers for different skill levels or genders, with forward tees for beginners and back tees for advanced players). You are allowed to put your ball on a tee peg here (a small wooden or plastic peg) to elevate it for the first shot. The idea is to give you a perfect lie for your first shot.
Fairway: The fairway is the main stretch of short, well-manicured grass leading from the tee toward the green. It’s usually the target for your tee shot on longer holes. Hitting from the fairway is ideal because the grass is short, making it easier to hit the ball cleanly. Fairways can be 30–50 yards wide or more and are generally surrounded by rough or other hazards. Aim to keep your ball in the fairway for the best chance of a good next shot.
Rough: The rough is the area outside the fairway with longer, thicker grass. If your ball goes into the rough, it’s harder to hit because the long grass can tangle your club. Courses often have varying levels of rough, immediately off the fairway might be a “first cut” semi-rough (a bit longer than fairway grass) and further out is the deep rough (very long grass or bushes). As a beginner, you will inevitably find yourself in the rough; just know the ball won’t travel as easily and you might need a more lofted club to punch it back onto the fairway.
Green: The green (or putting green) is the smooth, finely mowed area with the hole (cup). The grass on greens is cut extremely short so the ball can roll smoothly when you putt. On the green you’ll see the flagstick (a flag pole standing in the hole to mark its location). The goal is to get your ball onto the green so you can putt it into the hole. Around the green there is often a fringe or apron – slightly longer grass encircling the green, which is between the green and the fairway/rough. If your ball is on the fringe, you can often still putt or use a wedge to chip the ball onto the green.
Hazards: Hazards are obstacles or difficult areas on a golf hole designed to make it more challenging. There are two main types: bunkers and water hazards. Bunkers (also called sand traps) are pits filled with sand. They are usually placed near greens or along fairways. If your ball lands in a bunker, you have to hit out of the sand, which requires a special technique (often using a sand wedge).
Water hazards include ponds, lakes, streams, or even the sea on coastal courses. These are areas you obviously want to avoid – if your ball splashes into water, you usually can’t play it from there (unless it’s shallow and you get lucky). Instead, you take a penalty (explained below) and drop a new ball outside the water. Hazards are usually marked by colored stakes or lines (yellow or red for water hazards, for example).

Other features you might encounter are trees, streams, bridges, hills, and out of bounds areas (marked by white stakes or fences indicating the ball is off the course property or in a prohibited area). But the basic idea is: hit from the tee, try to land on the fairway, avoid the rough and hazards, then hit to the green and putt into the hole. Each hole will have its own design and challenges, but these elements are common to all. Enjoy the scenery too, golf courses can be very beautiful places!

Common Rules and Penalties

Golf has a lot of rules, but as a beginner you should focus on a few fundamental ones to keep things fair and fun. The rules are governed by the USGA and The R&A globally, but we’ll highlight the basics you’ll likely encounter:

Play the Ball as It Lies: One of the fundamental principles is that you generally have to play the ball wherever it comes to rest, without moving it or improving its position. That means no picking it up to get a better lie (except in specific allowed cases or with a penalty). If your ball is on a pine cone or in a bush, you usually have to deal with it as is. (There are exceptions for hazards or if local rules allow preferred lies, but as a beginner keep this principle in mind.)
Tee Shot Rules: On the tee, you must tee up between or behind (never in front of) the tee markers. You can tee the ball up on a tee peg. If you swing and miss the ball completely, that still counts as a stroke. If you accidentally knock the ball off the tee before a swing, you can replace it without penalty.
Out of Bounds (OB): If your ball goes out of bounds (marked by white stakes or beyond course fences) or you lose your ball in the trees somewhere and can’t find it, the rule is “stroke and distance” penalty. This means you add one penalty stroke to your score and you must replay the shot from where you hit last time.

For example, if you hit your tee shot out of bounds, you take a penalty and hit another ball from the tee, that next shot will technically be your third stroke (1 for the initial shot, +1 penalty, now hitting 3). To avoid delaying the group behind you, many golfers will hit a “provisional ball” (a second ball) if they think the first might be OB or lost, that way if the first is lost, the provisional is already in play. As a beginner, do your best to keep it in play, but know the rule if it happens.
Lost Ball: Similar to OB, if you cannot find your ball after searching (the rules allow up to 3 minutes to look for it), it is treated like out of bounds. You must take a one-stroke penalty and replay a shot from the previous spot (stroke and distance). Always watch your ball flight carefully and pick a reference point (“it headed toward that tree”) to help find it. Your fellow players can help you search too. If you declare it lost, drop a new ball where you hit last and add a stroke.
Penalties for Water Hazards: If your ball goes into a water hazard (like a pond or creek) and is not playable, you typically take a one-stroke penalty and drop a new ball at a designated drop area or at a point behind the hazard inline with where it went in.

There are detailed options (marked by yellow or red stakes which determine how you drop), but a simple way: drop a ball behind the water (keeping the point where it crossed the hazard between you and the hole) and add a stroke. Many courses have drop zones for water hazards to make it easier. Again, the penalty is one stroke. So if you hit one in the water, your next shot is effectively +1 on your score.
Unplayable Lie: If your ball ends up in a very bad spot, say deep in a bush, up against a tree, or in a crack in the ground, you have the option to declare the ball “unplayable.” You are the only one who can decide your ball is unplayable (except in a water hazard, where you can’t declare unplayable; the water rules cover that).

For an unplayable ball, you take a one-stroke penalty and then drop the ball to get relief. You have a few options: usually, either go back to where you hit the last shot and replay (stroke and distance), or drop within two club-lengths of the current ball position (no closer to the hole), or drop back on a line keeping the spot where the ball lies between you and the hole (as far back as you want).

For beginners, the simplest is often to go back to the last spot and hit again with the penalty. Unplayable lies are there to save you from trying an impossible shot; it’s often worth the penalty to get a better position.

No Grounding in Bunkers: When your ball is in a sand bunker, a special rule is you cannot ground your club behind the ball or touch the sand during practice swings. Basically, set up and hit the sand on the strike, but you shouldn’t test or touch the sand beforehand. Also, you can’t remove loose impediments (like leaves) in a bunker under the rules (as of 2019, some rules changed allowing removal of loose impediments even in bunkers, but be careful not to move the ball).
On the Green: If your ball is on the green, you can mark it (place a small coin or marker right behind it) and pick it up to clean or get it out of the way for others’ putts. Just remember to put it back in the exact spot before your next putt. There are penalties for hitting another ball on the green with a putt, so marking balls that might be in the way is courteous (and in some cases required by rules). Also, don’t use your putter to smack the ball hard out of frustration, that can damage the green.
When to Play and Pace: A common courtesy rule (previously mentioned) is that the farthest ball from the hole is played first on each turn. This is to ensure safety (no one should be ahead of the person hitting). In casual play, if you’re ready and others aren’t, “ready golf” is fine, just be sure no one is in danger and you aren’t breaking the order in competitions. Always make sure the group ahead is well out of range before you hit. It’s never okay to hit when there’s even a chance you might reach the players in front of you.
Maximum Strokes: For casual play, if you are really struggling on a hole, there’s no official rule to stop you, but for the sake of time many beginners will cap their strokes (like double par or something) and then just pick up the ball. For example, on a par 5, if you’ve already hit 10 shots and are not on the green yet, it’s okay to wave the white flag for that hole. In a friendly round, you can pick up and say you got a max score. This helps keep things moving and avoids frustration.

Remember, penalties in golf are mostly one stroke (there is no such thing as a “two-stroke penalty” for hitting OB, etc., except in rare rules breaches). The main thing is if you lose a ball or hit it in a place you can’t play it, it’s typically stroke-and-distance (which feels like a two-stroke swing because you lose the distance and add a stroke).

Golf rules can get complex, but these basic scenarios cover most issues beginners face. When in doubt, ask more experienced players or look up the specific rule. Most golfers are happy to help a newcomer with the rules.

Basic Golf Etiquette

Golf has a strong tradition of etiquette – it’s about showing respect to other players and taking care of the course. As a beginner, if you follow some simple etiquette guidelines, you’ll fit right in and be appreciated by others on the course:

Safety and Consideration: Never swing a club when someone is too close, and never hit a ball if people are within range ahead. If your shot might accidentally hit someone, yell “Fore!” loudly as a warning. (Yelling “Fore!” is a universal golf signal to watch out.)Also, stay aware of your surroundings so you don’t walk into another group’s line of play.
Quiet During Shots: When a player is preparing and making a stroke, remain still and quiet. Golf requires concentration. Avoid unnecessary noises (talking, phone rings) or movements when others are hitting. This includes on the tee, fairway, and especially on the putting green. Wait until they’ve hit before you start walking or talking.
Order of Play and Pace: As mentioned, traditionally the farthest from the hole plays first, and on the tee, the lowest score on the previous hole has the “honor” to tee off first. In casual play, don’t fuss too much over honor, focus on pace of play. Play “ready golf” (hit when you are ready and it’s safe) to keep things moving.

Always try to keep up with the group in front of you. A good pace means you don’t spend too long between shots. Limit yourself to maybe one or two brief practice swings, and be ready to hit when it’s your turn. If you think your ball might be lost, hit a provisional ball to save time. And if you do spend time looking for a lost ball, remember the rule is 3 minutes max to search. If a group behind is consistently waiting on you, consider letting them “play through” (they go ahead of you).
Respect the Course: Take care of the course so it’s nice for everyone. Repair your divots and ball marks. A divot is the chunk of grass you might take out with an iron swing – either replace the turf or fill the divot with sand/seed mix if provided. On the green, if your ball makes a pitch mark (dent) when it lands, use a tee or repair tool to fix it. After hitting from a sand bunker, rake the bunker smooth for others. Basically, leave the course as you found it or better. Never drive carts onto greens or tees, and follow cart rules (like cart path only if wet).
On the Green Etiquette: When on the putting green, be mindful of the “line” of other players’ putts. Don’t step directly in the path between someone’s ball and the hole (your footprints can affect the roll). Also, don’t cast a shadow over their line or distract them. It’s polite to mark your ball (with a small flat marker or coin) if it’s even remotely in someone’s line.

Typically, the person furthest from the hole putts first, and continue until everyone has holed out. Avoid walking around excessively or making noise like jingling change in your pocket during another’s putt. Once you finish a hole, don’t linger on the green – mark down scores on the next tee, so the group behind can play up.
Let Faster Groups Play Through: If your group is playing slowly (maybe searching for balls or just learning) and there’s a faster group behind you waiting, it’s courteous to wave them through to play ahead. Usually you’d do this at a logical point, like on a par-3 if you’re taking multiple shots to hit the green or anytime you notice backup behind you. Step aside, let them hit and move ahead, then continue your game. Everyone appreciates this.
General Courtesy: Introduce yourself to other players if you’re paired with strangers. Don’t be loud or throw clubs in anger – it’s okay to be frustrated, but keep it together (golf is hard for everyone!). Dress appropriately according to the course rules (many courses have dress codes like collared shirts).

Arrive on time for your tee reservation. And remember to have fun and be gracious. Encourage others, say “good shot!” when appropriate, and don’t be overly negative about your own game either. Every golfer hits bad shots, so keep a positive attitude.

Golf etiquette can seem like a lot, but most of it boils down to respect for others and the course. If you’re ever unsure, just ask your playing partners, “Is it okay if I do this?”, they’ll usually help you out. By following these basic guidelines, you’ll contribute to the smooth, enjoyable rhythm of a round of golf.

Golf is a game that blends physical skill with mental strategy, and it’s built on traditions of fairness and courtesy. With this overview, you know the essentials: how a round is structured, how scoring works, what the clubs do, the parts of the course, key rules, and etiquette. There’s a lot more to learn, but these fundamentals are your starting point. If your eager to go play a game of golf, try Landbou Gholf Club.

Most importantly, get out there and have fun. Every new player hits bad shots, laugh them off and celebrate the good ones. Enjoy the walk in the outdoors, the challenge of improving, and the camaraderie with your fellow golfers. Welcome to the game of golf, play well and have a great time!