92-583: The Irish Amateur Open Championship is an amateur golf tournament held annually in Ireland and organised by the Golf Ireland . The championship has been played as a 72-hole stroke-play event since 1958. Previously it was played as a match-play tournament. Golf Ireland also runs the Irish Amateur Close Championship which is restricted to players born in (or with a parent born in) Ireland or, at
184-400: A ball into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games , cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping with the varied terrains encountered on different courses is a key part of the game. Courses typically have either 9 or 18 holes , regions of terrain that each contain a cup , the hole that receives the ball. Each hole on
276-435: A "bogey golfer" (handicap around 20) would be expected to play than a "scratch golfer" relative to their handicap. The goal is to play as few strokes per round as possible. A golfer's number of strokes in a hole, course, or tournament is compared to its respective par score, and is then reported either as the number that the golfer was "under-" or "over-par", or if it was "equal to par". A hole in one (or an "ace") occurs when
368-421: A backpack, and often bags have retractable legs that allow the bag to stand upright when at rest. The golf swing is outwardly similar to many other motions involving swinging a tool or playing implement, such as an axe or a baseball bat. However, unlike many of these motions, the result of the swing is highly dependent on several sub-motions being properly aligned and timed. These ensure that the club travels up to
460-415: A ball that has stopped on it; "doglegs", which are changes in the direction of the fairway that often require shorter shots to play around them; bunkers (or sand traps); and water hazards such as ponds or streams. In stroke play competitions each player plays their ball until it is holed no matter how many strokes that may take. In match play it is acceptable to simply pick up one's ball and "surrender
552-399: A close match to George Wilkie by one hole. The 1904 final was contested between James Worthington and James Mitchell. Mitchell led by 3 holes after the morning round but Worthington won 9 of the 14 holes in the afternoon to win 6&4. The 1905 meeting was moved to early August to try to attract more of the leading British golfers. However it failed to do so and Henry Boyd and James Mitchell,
644-536: A complete round; with most holes having a par of 4, and a smaller number of par-3 and par-5 holes. Additionally, courses may be classified according to their play difficulty, which may be used to calculate a golfer's handicap . The two primary difficulty ratings in the U.S. are the Course Rating, which is the expected score for a zero-handicap "scratch golfer", and the Slope Rating, which is a measure of how much worse
736-432: A course has a teeing ground for the hole's first stroke, and a putting green containing the cup. There are several standard forms of terrain between the tee and the green, such as the fairway, rough (tall grass), and various hazards that may be water, rocks, or sand-filled bunkers . Each hole on a course is unique in its specific layout. Many golf courses are designed to resemble their native landscape, such as along
828-523: A famous half-back partnership with Llewellyn Lloyd . His debut for Wales, playing alongside Lloyd, was against England in 1900, when Wales won the Triple Crown . He earned selection again in 1901 but was forced to retire from rugby after incurring an injury playing Scotland . Phillips enlisted in the 20th (Service) Battalion Royal Fusiliers at the start of the First World War . He was deployed to
920-399: A full 18. In sudden death, a player who scores lower on a hole than all of their opponents wins the match. If at least two players remain tied after such a playoff using a pre-determined number of holes, then play continues in sudden death format, where the first player to win a hole wins the tournament. Lou Phillips Louis Augustus Phillips (24 February 1878 – 14 March 1916)
1012-566: A golf club at a small ball with the aim of sinking it into a hole. The game is thought to have been introduced into Europe during the Middle Ages. Another early game that resembled modern golf was known as cambuca in England and chambot in France. The Persian game chowkan is another possible ancient origin, albeit being more polo -like. In addition, kolven (a game involving a ball and curved bats)
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#17330849230401104-420: A golf course, and which club is used to accomplish the shot, are always completely at the discretion of the golfer; in other words, there is no restriction whatsoever on which club a golfer may or may not use at any time for any shot. Golf balls are spherical, usually white (although other colours are allowed), and minutely pock-marked by dimples that decrease aerodynamic drag by increasing air turbulence around
1196-410: A golfer sinks their ball into the cup with their first stroke from the tee. Common scores for a hole also have specific terms. In a typical professional tournament or among "scratch" amateur players, "birdie-bogey" play is common; a player will "lose" a stroke by bogeying a hole, then "gain" one by scoring a birdie. Eagles are uncommon but not rare; however, only 18 players have scored an albatross in
1288-453: A great deal of difference in how well the ball is hit and how straight it travels. The general goal of a player making a full swing is to propel the clubhead as fast as possible while maintaining a single "plane" of motion of the club and clubhead, to send the clubhead into the ball along the desired path of travel and with the clubhead also pointing that direction. Accuracy and consistency are typically stressed over pure distance. A player with
1380-439: A higher degree of loft and a comparatively shorter distance. The actual physical length of each club is longer or shorter, depending on the distance the club is intended to propel the ball. Golf clubs have traditionally been arranged into three basic types. Woods are large-headed, long-shafted clubs meant to propel the ball a long distance from relatively "open" lies, such as the teeing ground and fairway. Of particular importance
1472-453: A higher launch angle and a more forgiving nature. A maximum of 14 clubs is allowed in a player's bag at one time during a stipulated round. The choice of clubs is at the golfer's discretion, although every club must be constructed in accordance with parameters outlined in the rules. (Clubs that meet these parameters are usually called "conforming".) Violation of these rules can result in disqualification. The exact shot hit at any given time on
1564-406: A men's major championship. One of the rarest feats in golf is the condor, which has never occurred in a professional tournament. Only five condors have been verified to have ever occurred, although none of the courses involved were professionally accredited. There are two basic forms of golf play, match play and stroke play. Stroke play is more popular. Two players (or two teams) play each hole as
1656-409: A metal head primarily consisting of a flat, angled striking face. Traditionally the clubhead was forged from iron; modern iron clubheads are investment-cast from a steel alloy. Irons of varying loft are used for a variety of shots from virtually anywhere on the course, but most often for shorter-distance shots approaching the green, or to get the ball out of tricky lies such as sand traps. The third class
1748-483: A player's obligation to contribute to the care of the course. Though there are no penalties for breach of etiquette rules, players generally follow the rules of golf etiquette in an effort to improve everyone's playing experience. Penalty strokes are incurred in certain situations and are counted towards a player's score as if there were extra swing(s) at the ball. Either one or two strokes are added for most rule infractions or for taking relief from various situations, with
1840-513: A reduction in the number of leading non-Irish amateurs competing and the 1920 event produced the first all-Irish final with Noel Martin winning. Martin won again in 1923 and with Charles Hezlet winning in 1926 and 1929 and Wilson Smyth, Alfred Lowe, Edwin Spiller and Roy McConnell also winning, the 1920s produced eight Irish winners. the two non-Irish winners were Tony Torrance , who won in 1925 and Seymour Noon who won in 1928. The early 1930s produced
1932-513: A round. At some courses, gas or electric golf carts are used to travel between shots, which can speed-up play and allows participation by individuals unable to walk a whole round. On other courses players generally walk the course, either carrying their bag using a shoulder strap or using a "golf trolley" for their bag. These trolleys may or may not be battery assisted. At many amateur tournaments including U.S. high school and college play, players are required to walk and to carry their own bags, but at
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#17330849230402024-500: A sea coast (where the course is called a links ), within a forest, among rolling hills, or part of a desert . Golf is played for the lowest number of strokes by an individual, known as stroke play , or the lowest score on the most individual holes in a complete round by an individual or team, known as match play . Stroke play is the most commonly seen format at all levels, especially at the elite level. The modern game of golf originated in 15th century Scotland . The 18-hole round
2116-400: A separate contest against each other in what is called match play . The party with the lower score wins that hole, or if the scores of both players or teams are equal the hole is "halved" (or tied). The game is won by the party that wins more holes than the other. In the case that one team or player has taken a lead that cannot be overcome in the number of holes remaining to be played, the match
2208-573: A series of non-Irish winners. William Sutton won an all-English final in 1930 and there were five successive Scottish winners from 1931 to 1935. Eric McRuvie won in 1931 with Jack McLean winning in 1932 and 1933 and Hector Thomson in 1934 and 1935. The 1936 event clashed with the Walker Cup in which McLean and Thomson were playing and the championship produced an all-Irish final won by Joe Brown. There were further Irish winners in 1937 and 1938 with wins by Johnnie Fitzsimmons and Jimmy Bruen . The 1939 event
2300-469: A straight drive that travels only 220 yards (200 m) will nevertheless be able to accurately place the ball into a favourable lie on the fairway, and can make up for the lesser distance of any given club by simply using "more club" (a lower loft) on their tee shot or on subsequent fairway and approach shots. However, a golfer with a drive that may go 280 yards (260 m) but often does not fly straight will be less able to position their ball advantageously;
2392-452: A stroke; it is fundamentally important in being able to play a stroke effectively. The stance adopted is determined by what stroke is being played. All stances involve a slight crouch. This allows for a more efficient striking posture whilst also isometrically preloading the muscles of the legs and core; this allows the stroke to be played more dynamically and with a greater level of overall control. When adopting their stance golfers start with
2484-479: A typical par-3 hole is less than 250 yards (230 m) in length, with a par-4 hole ranging between 251–450 yards (230–411 m), and a par-5 hole being longer than 450 yards (410 m); for women these boundaries are lower, and for professionals they are much increased. The rare par-6s can stretch well over 650 yards (590 m). These distances are based on the typical scratch golfer's drive distance of between 240 and 280 yards (220 and 260 m). Although length
2576-426: Is about two hours for a 9-hole round and four hours for an 18-hole round. Playing a hole on a golf course is initiated by putting a ball into play by striking it with a club on the teeing ground (also called the tee box, or simply the tee). For this first shot on each hole, it is allowed but not required for the golfer to place the ball on a tee prior to striking it. A tee is a small peg that can be used to elevate
2668-656: Is certified as the oldest golf course in the world by Guinness World Records . The oldest surviving rules of golf were compiled in March 1744 for the Company of Gentlemen Golfers, later renamed The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers , which was played at Leith , Scotland. The world's oldest golf tournament in existence, and golf's first major, is The Open Championship , which was first played on 17 October 1860 at Prestwick Golf Club, in Ayrshire, Scotland, with Scottish golfers winning
2760-412: Is deemed to be won by the party in the lead, and the remainder of the holes are not played. For example, if one party already has a lead of six holes, and only five holes remain to be played on the course, the match is over and the winning party is deemed to have won "6 & 5". At any given point, if the lead is equal to the number of holes remaining, the party leading the match is said to be "dormie", and
2852-424: Is known as "conventional". There are many variations of conventional including overlap, where the golfer overlaps the off hand index finger onto off the dominant pinky; interlock, where the offhand index finger interlocks with the dominant pinky and ring finger; double or triple overlap and so on. Recently, "cross handed" putting has become a popular trend amongst professional golfers and amateurs. Cross handed putting
Irish Amateur Open Championship - Misplaced Pages Continue
2944-516: Is not considered an amateur and may not participate in competitions limited solely to amateurs. However, amateur golfers may receive expenses that comply with strict guidelines and they may accept non-cash prizes within the limits established by the Rules of Amateur Status. In addition to the officially printed rules, golfers also abide by a set of guidelines called golf etiquette . Etiquette guidelines cover matters such as safety, fairness, pace of play, and
3036-441: Is still there today. Every round of golf is based on playing a number of holes in a given order. A "round" typically consists of 18 holes that are played in the order determined by the course layout. Each hole is played once in the round on a standard course of 18 holes. The game can be played by any number of people, although a typical group will have 1–4 people playing the round. The typical amount of time required for pace of play
3128-444: Is the driver or "1-wood", which is the lowest lofted wood club, and in modern times has become highly specialized for making extremely long-distance tee shots, up to 300 yards (270 m), or more, in a professional golfer's hands. Traditionally these clubs had heads made of a hardwood, hence the name, but virtually all modern woods are now made of metal such as titanium, or of composite materials. Irons are shorter-shafted clubs with
3220-407: Is the putter , which evolved from the irons to create a low-lofted, balanced club designed to roll the ball along the green and into the hole. Putters are virtually always used on the green or in the surrounding rough/fringe. A fourth class, called hybrids , evolved as a cross between woods and irons, and are typically seen replacing the low-lofted irons with a club that provides similar distance, but
3312-439: Is the idea that the dominant hand is on top of the grip where the weak hand is on the bottom. This grip restricts the motion in your dominant hand and eliminates the possibility of wrist breakdowns through the putting stroke. Other notable putting styles include "the claw", a style that has the grip directly in between the thumb and index finger of the dominant hand while the palm faces the target. The weak hand placed normally on
3404-450: Is the primary factor in calculating par, other factors are taken into account; however the number of strokes a scratch golfer should take to make the green remains foremost. Factors affecting the calculation include altitude, gradient of the land from the tee to green, and forced " lay-ups " due to dog-legs (sharp bends) or obstacles (e.g. bunkers, water hazards). Getting the ball onto the green in two strokes less than par, and hence meeting
3496-407: Is typically positioned more to the "front" of the player's stance (closer to the leading foot) for lower-lofted clubs, with the usual ball position for a drive being just behind the arch of the leading foot. The ball is placed further "back" in the player's stance (toward the trailing foot) as the loft of the club to be used increases. Most iron shots and putts are made with the ball roughly centered in
3588-406: Is used to transport golf clubs and the player's other or personal equipment. Golf bags have several pockets designed for carrying equipment and supplies such as tees, balls, and gloves. Golf bags can be carried, pulled on a trolley or harnessed to a motorized golf cart during play. Golf bags usually have both a hand strap and shoulder strap for carrying, others may be carried over both shoulders like
3680-587: The 1890 Open champion . He went on to win the event, winning the final 8&7. Ball reached the final again in 1894 at Royal Dublin , this time winning the final 9&7, adding the title to the Amateur Championship he had won earlier in the year. On six occasions between 1894 and 1901, the Irish Championship Meeting included a professional tournament as well as the Amateur Championship. The 1895 championship at Portrush attracted 64 entries and
3772-562: The PGA Championship . While the modern game of golf originated in 15th century Scotland , the game's ancient origins are unclear and much debated. Some historians trace the sport back to the Roman game of paganica , in which participants used a bent stick to hit a stuffed leather ball. One theory asserts that paganica spread throughout Europe as the Romans conquered most of the continent, during
Irish Amateur Open Championship - Misplaced Pages Continue
3864-665: The United States Golf Association (USGA). With the aim of simplifying the rules, in 2017 the USGA and R&A undertook a complete rewrite. The new rule book came into effect in January 2019. The underlying principle of the rules is fairness. As stated on the back cover of the official rule book: There are strict regulations regarding the amateur status of golfers. Essentially, anybody who has ever received payment or compensation for giving instruction, or played golf for money,
3956-614: The Western Front in November 1915. He was shot dead while out on a wiring party on the night of 14 March 1916, near Cambrin , France. Louis Augustus Phillips was born at Stow Hill, Newport , Monmouthshire on 24 February 1878. He was educated at Monmouth Grammar School . After serving his articles with Huberston and Fawkner, architects , he began practising in 1907. Phillips began playing rugby while at Monmouth Grammar School. He went on to play for Newport RFC , earning selection for
4048-410: The "general penalty" defined as two-strokes, and disqualification for severe or repeated rule breaches. Examples include: Golf clubs are used to hit a golf ball . Each club is composed of a shaft with a lance (or "grip") on the top end and a club head on the bottom. Long clubs, which have a lower amount of degree loft, are those meant to propel the ball a comparatively longer distance, and short clubs
4140-642: The 1898–9 season, Newport suffered from further retirements: Boots and Phillips were the only 2 players to appear in all 24 matches of the season. During the following season, 1899–1900, with Lloyd as captain, the club was reinvigorated and scored 416 points compared with 192 in the previous season. Phillips and Lloyd were adjudged to be the half-back pair of the season at both club and international level, even if there were some more brilliant individuals. In total, Phillips appeared 90 times for Newport, scoring 9 tries , 2 drop goals and 1 penalty . Townsend Collins remarked: 'He had no tricks or subtleties, but he played
4232-539: The GUI decided to discontinue the event, despite protests from the Leinster delegates. The event was revived at Fota Island in 1995 and was won by Pádraig Harrington . Louis Oosthuizen won in 2002 while Rory McIlroy lost in a playoff in 2006. The 1892 final was played over 18 holes. From 1893 finals were played over 36 holes. Source: Golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit
4324-499: The King that he playit with". To many golfers, the Old Course at St Andrews , a links course dating to before 1574, is considered to be a site of pilgrimage. In 1764, the standard 18-hole golf course was created at St Andrews when members modified the course from 22 to 18 holes. Golf is documented as being played on Musselburgh Links , East Lothian, Scotland as early as 2 March 1672, which
4416-616: The Scots language and the Old English word hlinc ("rising ground, ridge"): traditionally these are coastal sand dunes but sometimes open parkland. This gave rise to the term "golf links", particularly applied to seaside courses and those built on naturally sandy soil inland. The first 18-hole golf course in the United States was on a sheep farm in Downers Grove, Illinois , in 1892. The course
4508-467: The Welsh the Triple Crown . Phillips missed the opening match of the 1901 international season against England due to an injury to his knee: he was replaced at the last moment by Bala Jones of Aberavon RFC . Thinking that he had recovered, Phillips was back for the following match, against Scotland on 9 February at Inverleith, but within ten minutes he was almost helpless. He played on, and 'his last match
4600-432: The balance in muscles. Putting is considered to be the most important component of the game of golf. As the game of golf has evolved, there have been many different putting techniques and grips that have been devised to give golfers the best chance to make putts. When the game originated, golfers would putt with their dominant hand on the bottom of the grip and their weak hand on top of the grip. This grip and putting style
4692-442: The ball by taking their stance to the side of it and (except when the ball lies in a hazard) grounding the club behind the ball. The golfer then takes their backswing, rotating the club, their arms and their upper body away from the ball, and then begins their swing, bringing the clubhead back down and around to hit the ball. A proper golf swing is a complex combination of motions, and slight variations in posture or positioning can make
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#17330849230404784-590: The ball comes to rest, the golfer strikes it again as many times as necessary using shots that are variously known as a "lay-up", an "approach", a "pitch", or a " chip ", until the ball reaches the green, where the golfer then " putts " the ball into the hole (commonly called "sinking the putt" or "holing out"). The goal of getting the ball into the hole ("holing" the ball) in as few strokes as possible may be impeded by obstacles such as areas of longer grass called "rough" (usually found alongside fairways), which both slows any ball that contacts it and makes it harder to advance
4876-425: The ball in line with the desired path; that the clubface is in line with the swing path; and that the ball hits the centre or "sweet spot" of the clubface. The ability to do this consistently, across a complete set of clubs with a wide range of shaft lengths and clubface areas, is a key skill for any golfer, and takes a significant effort to achieve. Stance refers to how the golfer positions themselves in order to play
4968-559: The ball in motion, which delays "boundary layer" separation and reduces the drag-inducing "wake" behind the ball, thereby allowing the ball to fly farther. The combination of a soft "boundary layer" and a hard "core" enables both distance and spin. A tee is allowed only for the first stroke on each hole, unless the player must hit a provisional tee shot or replay their first shot from the tee. Many golfers wear golf shoes with metal or plastic spikes designed to increase traction, thus allowing for longer and more accurate shots. A golf bag
5060-482: The ball may "hook", "pull", "draw", "fade", "push" or "slice" off the intended line and land out of bounds or in the rough or hazards, and thus the player will require many more strokes to hole out. A golf stroke uses the muscles of the core (especially erector spinae muscles and latissimus dorsi muscle when turning), hamstring , shoulder , and wrist . Stronger muscles in the wrist can prevent them from being twisted during swings, whilst stronger shoulders increase
5152-413: The ball slightly above the ground up to a few centimetres high. Tees are commonly made of wood but may be constructed of any material, including plastic. Traditionally, golfers used mounds of sand to elevate the ball, and containers of sand were provided for the purpose. A few courses still require sand to be used instead of peg tees, to reduce litter and reduce damage to the teeing ground. Tees help reduce
5244-400: The beginning of a 'historic' partnership at half-back between Phillips and Llewellyn Lloyd that lasted till 1901. Phillips and Lloyd were thought of as a pair, both playing along similar lines and sharing the work of scrum-half and outside-half. While Lloyd was a smarter runner, Phillips was a better kick, but both of them could drop goals, and were remarkable in their kicks to touch. In
5336-412: The bounds of the legal tee area, fairway , rough and other hazards , and the putting green surrounded by the fringe with the pin (normally a flagstick) and cup. The levels of grass are varied to increase difficulty, or to allow for putting in the case of the green. While many holes are designed with a direct line-of-sight from the teeing area to the green, some holes may bend either to the left or to
5428-460: The championship became a 72-hole stroke-play event in 1958. Planned for three days in late-August it was extended to four days by bad weather, and was won by Tom Craddock. Johnny Duncan won in 1959, five strokes ahead of Archibald Gordon. In late June 1960, Portmarnock hosted the Canada Cup . The Irish close championship was moved to the late August date and the amateur open was cancelled. Later in 1960
5520-477: The committee may designate a maximum score possible for a hole for the same reasons, while formalizing the surrender or "pick-up" rule. The total distance from the first teeing ground to the 18th green can be quite long; total yardages "through the green" can be in excess of 7,000 yards (6,400 m), and when adding in the travel distance between the green of one hole and the tee of the next, even skilled players may easily travel 5 miles (8.0 km) or more during
5612-460: The discretion of Golf Ireland, resident in Ireland for at least five years. The Golfing Union of Ireland was founded in late 1891 and organised their first championship meeting at Portrush in 1892, which included an open amateur championship. The championship was held from 7 to 9 September. There were 32 entries, with two 18-hole match-play rounds on each of the first two days and an 18-hole final on
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#17330849230405704-458: The earliest majors . Two Scotsmen from Dunfermline , John Reid and Robert Lockhart, first demonstrated golf in the U.S. by setting up a hole in an orchard in 1888, with Reid setting up America's first golf club the same year, Saint Andrew's Golf Club in Yonkers, New York. A golf course consists of either 9 or 18 holes, each with a teeing ground or "tee box" that is set off by two markers showing
5796-424: The event was expanded to four days. Ball played again but lost at the last-32 stage to Ranald Gilroy, a young Scottish golfer. Gilroy lost in the semi-final to William B. Taylor who went on the win the final 13&11. Taylor retained the title in 1896, again winning the final by a large margin, this time 9&8. Harold Hilton made his first appearance in 1897 at Royal Dublin and won the title. William B Taylor won
5888-493: The final. Munn led by 5 holes after the morning round and was still 4 up with 9 holes to play. The match, however, went to the final hole, Munn winning by two holes. Munn retained the title in 1910, beating Gordon Lockhart in the final. Munn led by 8 holes after the morning round and won 9&7. Munn won the third successive time in 1911, beating Michael Scott in the final. Scott was recently returned from Australia where he had enjoyed considerable success. Munn led by one hole after
5980-463: The first century BC, and eventually evolved into the modern game. Others cite chuiwan (捶丸; "chui" means striking and "wan" means small ball) as the progenitor, a Chinese game played between the eighth and fourteenth centuries. A Ming Dynasty scroll by the artist Youqiu dating back to 1368 entitled "The Autumn Banquet" shows a member of the Chinese Imperial court swinging what appears to be
6072-447: The first team in 1897. His first season at Newport was disappointing for the club, which lost seven games, after the previous six consecutive years of success. Several players had moved to Yorkshire to play rugby league , while others had married and retired. Nevertheless, Phillips was one of four new players in the team to 'make an impact', alongside George Boots , Jehoida Hodges and Reg Skrimshire . The 1897–8 season at Newport saw
6164-518: The following year, 1914, he was beaten in the sixth round of The Amateur Championship . Phillips also represented the Wales golf team, facing Ireland in August 1913. At the start of the First World War , Phillips enlisted in the 20th (Service) Battalion Royal Fusiliers , and after refusing a commission, served as a Sergeant. The 20th Royal Fusiliers was one of four battalions of the regiment raised in 1914 by
6256-443: The game, which Wales won 3–13, Phillips displayed 'special smartness' and used 'the acme of judgment' in his first international appearance, proving also to be a 'splendid defender'. He was reckoned to be amongst the best of the backs, and the combination with Lloyd was excellent. In the following match, against Scotland at Swansea on 27 January, the half-back partnership of Phillips and Lloyd continued to perform: their defensive play
6348-475: The hole" after enough strokes have been made by a player that it is mathematically impossible for the player to win the hole. It is also acceptable in informal stroke play to surrender the hole after hitting three strokes more than the "par" rating of the hole (a "triple bogey" – see below); while technically a violation of Rule 3–2, this practice speeds play as a courtesy to others, and avoids "runaway scores" and excessive frustration. Alternatively, in competition,
6440-494: The hole. The primary factor for classifying the par of a relatively straight, hazard-free hole is the distance from the tee to the green, and calculates the number of strokes a skilled golfer is expected to require to reach the green with an additional allowance of 2 putts. As such, the minimum par of any hole is 3; one stroke for the tee shot and two putts. Par 3, 4 and 5 holes are commonplace on golf courses; far more rarely, courses may feature par-6 and even par-7 holes. For men,
6532-492: The interference of the ground or grass on the movement of the club making the ball easier to hit by elevating the ball from the playing surface. When the initial shot on a hole is intended to move the ball a long distance, typically more than 225 yards (210 m), the shot is commonly called a "drive" and is generally made with a long-shafted, large-headed wood club called a "driver". Shorter holes may be initiated with other clubs, such as higher-numbered woods or irons . Once
6624-461: The losing finalists in 1903 and 1904 met in the 1905 final. Boyd won the match 3&2 and became the first Irish winner. Herbert Barker won in 1906, beating the 1904 champion, James Worthington, in an all-English final. Two Scots won in 1907 and 1908, Douglas Brown followed by James Mitchell, the 1904 and 1905 runner-up. Lionel Munn became the second Irish winner in 1909, beating the Scot, Robert Garson, in
6716-413: The match is continued until the party increases the lead by one hole or ties any of the remaining holes, thereby winning the match, or until the match ends in a tie with the lead player's opponent winning all remaining holes. When the game is tied after the predetermined number of holes have been played, it may be continued until one side takes a one-hole lead. The score achieved for each and every hole of
6808-461: The morning round but dominated in the afternoon, winning 7&6. There was an all-Scottish final in 1912, with Gordon Lockhart winning. Charles Palmer won in 1913, beating Lou Phillips , an ex-Welsh rugby union international, in the final. The championship resumed in 1919 and was won by the English golfer Carl Bretherton who beat Tommy Armour in the final at Portrush. Political troubles in Ireland saw
6900-583: The non-dominant side of the body facing the target (for a right-hander, the target is to their left). Setting the stance in regard to the position of the ball, and placing the clubhead behind the ball, is known as being at address; when in this position the player's body and the centerline of the club face are positioned parallel to the desired line of travel, with the feet either perpendicular to that line or slightly splayed outward. The feet are commonly shoulder-width apart for middle irons and putters, narrower for short irons and wider for long irons and woods. The ball
6992-417: The orthodox game of the day with supreme success.' Phillips, who was a strong runner and tackled well, made his international debut for Wales against England on 6 January 1900 at Gloucester . His initial selection was principally due to his partnership at Newport with Lloyd, who also made selection for Wales. Lloyd had already played in 1896 against Ireland, and against Scotland and Ireland in 1899. During
7084-507: The par calculation criteria, is called making "green in regulation" or GIR. Missing a GIR does not necessarily mean a golfer will not make par, but it does make doing so more difficult as it reduces the number of putts available; conversely, making a GIR does not guarantee a par, as the player might require three or more putts to "hole out". Professional golfers typically make between 60% and 70% of greens in regulation. Eighteen-hole courses typically total to an overall par score of 70 to 72 for
7176-426: The professional and top amateur level, as well as at high-level private clubs, players may be accompanied by caddies , who carry and manage the players' equipment and who are allowed by the rules to give advice on the play of the course. The rules of golf are internationally standardised and are jointly governed by The R&A , spun off in 2004 from The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews (founded 1754), and
7268-447: The putter. Anchored putting, a style that requires a longer putter shaft that can be anchored into the player's stomach or below the chin; the idea is to stabilize one end of the putter thus creating a more consistent pendulum stroke. This style has been banned on professional circuits since 2016. A hole is classified by its par, which gives an indication of the number of strokes a skilled golfer may be expected to need to complete play of
7360-554: The right. This is commonly called a "dogleg", in reference to a dog's knee. The hole is called a "dogleg left" if the hole angles leftwards and "dogleg right" if it bends right. Sometimes, a hole's direction may bend twice; this is called a "double dogleg". A regular golf course consists of 18 holes, but nine-hole courses are common and can be played twice through for a full round of 18 holes. Early Scottish golf courses were primarily laid out on links land, soil-covered sand dunes directly inland from beaches. The word "links" derives from
7452-423: The round or tournament is added to produce the total score, and the player with the lowest score wins in stroke play . Stroke play is the game most commonly played by professional golfers. If there is a tie after the regulation number of holes in a professional tournament, a playoff takes place between all tied players. Playoffs either are sudden death or employ a pre-determined number of holes, anywhere from three to
7544-413: The stance, while a few mid- and short-iron shots are made with the ball slightly behind the centre of the stance to ensure consistent contact between the ball and clubface, so the ball is on its way before the club continues down into the turf. The golfer chooses a golf club, grip, and stroke appropriate to the distance: Having chosen a club and stroke to produce the desired distance, the player addresses
7636-462: The third day. Two Scottish golfers contested the final, with Alexander Stuart beating John Andrew by one hole. The 1893 championship was held from 13 to 15 September. There were 35 entries which meant that three preliminary matches were required. The final was extended to 36 holes. Considerable interest was added by the entry of John Ball , a three-time winner of the Amateur Championship and
7728-402: The third time in 1898, although only beating Richard Dallmeyer at the 37th hole. All his three successes came in the absence of John Ball and Hilton. Ball and Hilton both played in 1899 at Portmarnock. Hilton was surprisingly beaten in the semi-final by John Williamson, losing at the final hole. Ball beat Williamson 12&11 in a one-sided final. Ball was unable to defend his title in 1900 as he
7820-408: The turning force. Weak wrists can also transmit the force to elbows and even neck and lead to injury. (When a muscle contracts, it pulls equally from both ends and, to have movement at only one end of the muscle, other muscles must come into play to stabilize the bone to which the other end of the muscle is attached.) Golf is a unilateral exercise that can break body balances, requiring exercises to keep
7912-463: Was 'sound', and in attack, Phillips' 'splendid' fielding and kicking to touch, matched Lloyd's 'cleverness' and 'dodging ability'. Wales was again victorious, 12–3. For the next game, away to Ireland at Belfast on 17 March, Lloyd was replaced by Selwyn Biggs of Cardiff. The half-back combination was not as good as with Lloyd but worked better than pundits had expected. The 0–3 victory over the Irish earned
8004-510: Was a Welsh rugby player, who played half-back for Newport RFC , and won four caps for Wales . He was also a talented amateur golfer . Born in Newport , Monmouthshire, Phillips was educated at Monmouth Grammar School , leaving to become an architect. He played rugby at school and then at Newport, earning a place in the 1st XV after several players retired or defected to rugby league. He made 90 appearances for Newport, during which he developed
8096-499: Was a tragic end to a great if short career.' The Scottish half-backs, Jimmy Gillespie and Frank Fasson, outplayed Lloyd and Phillips, and prevented the Welsh backline from receiving much ball. Scotland beat Wales 18–8, and the Welsh defeat was blamed on the half-backs. In 1907 and again in 1912, Phillips was Welsh Amateur golf champion. He was also runner-up for the Irish Amateur Open Championship in 1913, and in
8188-544: Was created at the Old Course at St Andrews in 1764. Golf's first major , and the world's oldest golf tournament, is The Open Championship , also known as The Open, which was first played in 1860 at the Prestwick Golf Club in Ayrshire, Scotland. This is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, the other three being played in the United States: The Masters , the U.S. Open , and
8280-440: Was due to start at Portmarnock on 4 September but was cancelled following the start of World War II . The event resumed in 1946. A Scot, Alex Kyle , reached the final in 1946 but otherwise all finals from 1946 to 1957 were contested by Irish players. Joe Carr won four times and was in three other finals. Cecil Ewing won twice in 1948 and 1951, while Norman Drew won in 1952 and 1953. In an attempt to attract more overseas players,
8372-558: Was played annually in Loenen, Netherlands, beginning in 1297, to commemorate the capture of the assassin of Floris V , a year earlier. The modern game originated in Scotland , where the first written record of golf is James II 's banning of the game in 1457, as an unwelcome distraction to learning archery. James IV lifted the ban in 1502 when he became a golfer himself, with golf clubs first recorded in 1503–1504: "For golf clubbes and balles to
8464-469: Was serving in the Second Boer War . Hilton won the title, beating Sidney Fry 11&9 in the final. Hilton retained the title in 1901 and again in 1902, his fourth win. Hilton played again at Portmarnock in 1903 but lost in the quarter-finals to local player Henry Boyd. Boyd completed the first 8 holes in 30 strokes to be 5 holes up and eventually won 3&2. Boyd became the first Irish finalist but lost
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