How to Play Golf: A Simple Guide for Beginners

Golf is simple to explain: hit a ball from a starting point into a small hole, in as few strokes as you can, then do it again on the next hole. A round is usually 18 holes (sometimes 9), and the lowest total wins. Everything else, the clubs, the shots and the rules, is there to help you do that one thing.

This guide covers what a beginner needs to know: how a hole works, the clubs, the basic shots, scoring and the few rules that matter most.

How a hole works

Every hole has the same parts:

The tee. You start each hole from the teeing area, and may put your ball on a small peg (a tee) for that first shot.
The fairway. The short grass leading toward the green. Landing here makes the next shot easier.
The rough and hazards. Longer grass either side, plus bunkers (sand), water and trees. They make shots harder.
The green. The very short grass around the hole, where you putt the ball in. A flag shows where the hole is.

Each hole has a par: the number of strokes a good player is expected to take. Short holes are par 3, medium holes par 4 and long holes par 5. What par, birdie and bogey mean.

The clubs

Golfers may carry up to 14 clubs, but you only need to know the families:

Driver: the longest club, for the first shot on longer holes.
Woods and hybrids: for long shots from the fairway.
Irons: numbered from about 4 to 9. The higher the number, the shorter and higher the shot.
Wedges: for short, high shots near the green and out of bunkers.
Putter: for rolling the ball on the green.

A useful beginner's rule: if you're not sure, take more club than you think. Most amateur shots finish short.

The basic shots

Full swing: the long shots, from the tee and the fairway.
Pitch: a shorter, higher shot that lands softly, from around 30 to 100 yards.
Chip: a short, low shot from just off the green that rolls most of the way.
Bunker shot: you swing into the sand just behind the ball, and the sand lifts it out.
Putt: a rolling stroke on the green. Putting is often half of all the strokes in a round, so it's worth practising.

Scoring a round

Count every stroke, plus any penalty strokes, on every hole. Add them up and you have your score. Compare it with the course's par (usually 70 to 72 for 18 holes) to see how you did: 90 on a par-72 course is "18 over". Most beginners score well over 100 at first, and that's normal.

Other ways to play change how you count. In match play you win holes instead of counting the total, and in alternate shot two partners share one ball. Match play rules · Alternate shot.

The rules that matter most

The Rules of Golf are long, but a beginner mostly needs these:

Play the ball as it lies. Don't move it or improve its position, except where the rules allow.
Count every stroke, including air shots (swings that miss).
Out of bounds or lost: add a penalty stroke and play again from where you hit.
Water (a penalty area): add a penalty stroke and drop a ball outside it, as the course's markers allow.
The ball farthest from the hole plays first, though friendly groups often play "ready golf": whoever is ready goes.
On the green, you may mark, lift and clean your ball, and repair pitch marks.

And a handful of manners keep everyone happy. Golf etiquette for beginners.

A handicap makes it fair

Golfers of very different abilities can play a fair game thanks to the handicap: a number that gives the less experienced player extra strokes. How handicaps work.

Learn the game in One Fairway

One Fairway is a free golf game in your browser, and a gentle way to learn how golf works: the clubs, the shots, par and scoring, without a tee time or a lost ball.

Short tips teach the swing, aiming, choosing a club and putting the first time you play.
You choose the club and the shot (full, punch, pitch, chip, flop or putt), aim, and time the strike on a swing meter.
Our course, Stonepine, has par 3s, 4s and 5s, doglegs, bunkers and water, so you meet every situation in this guide.
Start with a quick three: one par 3, one par 4 and one par 5. Then try nine holes, or all 18.
The scorecard counts your strokes against par for you, and circles your birdies.

Questions

How many holes are in a round of golf?
Usually 18, sometimes 9. The lowest total number of strokes wins.

How many clubs can a golfer carry?
Up to 14. Beginners mainly need to know the families: driver, woods and hybrids, irons, wedges and the putter.

Can I learn golf by playing a game?
A game can teach the clubs, the shots, par and scoring. One Fairway is free in your browser and shows short tips the first time you play.

Play your first holes. It's free, and you can start as a guest. New to the words? Golf terms explained.

How to play golf: a beginner's guide