Anatomy of a Golf Hole

How a Round is Played

🏌️ Tee Off
Drive from tee box

→

🌿 Approach
Hit toward the green

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🟢 Chip / Pitch
Short game near green

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🎯 Putt
Roll ball into hole

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📋 Score
Record strokes

Scoring — Relative to Par

Each hole has a par — the expected number of strokes for an expert player (usually 3, 4, or 5). Your score is measured relative to par. Lower is better!

−4

Condor

4 under par (extremely rare)

−3

Albatross

3 under par (very rare)

−2

Eagle

2 under par (rare)

−1

Birdie

1 under par (great!)

Par

Exactly on target

Bogey

1 over par

Double Bogey

2 over par

The Clubs (Max 14 Allowed)

🪵 Driver 200–300+ yds

🪵 Fairway Woods 180–250 yds

🔩 Hybrids 170–220 yds

⛏️ Irons (3–9) 120–200 yds

🔧 Wedges 30–130 yds

🏌️ Putter On the green

Key Rules to Know

📍

Play it as it lies

You must hit the ball from where it lands — no moving it to a better spot (usually).

🔢

Count every stroke

Every swing counts, including penalty shots. Missed swings count too!

💧

Penalty areas

Water hazards and out-of-bounds add a 1-stroke penalty. You drop a new ball nearby.

🤝

Etiquette matters

Be quiet when others swing, play at a good pace, and repair divots & ball marks on the green.

🏆

Lowest score wins

A standard round is 18 holes. Add up all strokes across all holes — lowest total wins!

⛳

Hole out

A hole is only complete when the ball is fully in the cup on the green.

⛳ How Golf Works