The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Physical Education Unit

Elective Course – Golf
History & Development
Since around 1400 AD, golf has been played
on the Links at St Andrews, Scotland - UK,
the Old Course is renowned throughout the
world as the Home of Golf.

The game grew in popularity and by the 19th

century, it was part of the way of life for
many local people, whether as players,
caddies, ball makers or club makers. Golf still
plays a major part in the culture and economy
of St Andrews today. As the 600-year history
of the Links has unfolded, one simple track
hacked through the bushes and heather has
developed into six public golf courses,
attracting hundreds of thousands of golfing
pilgrims from around the globe.

建的 誤
In the early days, golf was played among princes and nobles. With the development of the
popularity of golf clubs, golf began to become popular with the middle class. Until the 20th century,
the establishment of the standardised rules and competition system facilitated the widespread of
international golf events.

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 The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Physical Education Unit
Elective Course – Golf

紫求地
Golf is a game in which a ball is started with a club from a prepared area, known as the "teeing
ground", across the fairway and rough to a second prepared area, which has a hole in it, known
as the "putting green". The object of the game is to complete what is known as a hole by playing
a ball from the teeing ground into the hole on the putting green in the fewest possible number
of strokes. A "round of golf" consists of playing 18 such holes, known as a full round of golf.
→ 比打
180

(Teeing Ground) (Putting Green)

In the game of golf, there are typically two main forms of play. One is decided by holes won
睇hole<
and lost (match play) and the other is decided by the total number of strokes taken to complete
'桿 c the round (stroke play). Additionally, Stableford is an extra form of play in golf, whereby points
are awarded on each hole according to how the player does against their handicap.
bal 与 wle 墨念

*Note: "golf handicap" shows the ability of each non-professional golfer. The lower handicap
number represents the higher level of the player.

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 The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Physical Education Unit
Elective Course – Golf
Facilities and Equipment

Golf Course

A golf course is the grounds on which the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes,
each consisting of a tee box, a fairway, the rough and other hazards, and a green with a cylindrical
hole in the ground, known as a "cup". The cup holds a flagstick, known as a "pin". A standard
round of golf consists of 18 holes. b
上啊 C
hole 上既意
Example of the scorecard:

Most golf courses have only par-3, par-4, and par-5 holes, although some courses include par-6
holes.

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 The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Physical Education Unit
Elective Course – Golf
Under the United States Golf Association (USGA), the typical distances for the various
holes from standard tees are as follows:
➤Men ➤Women
Par 3 – Under 260 yards (240 m) Par 3 – Under 220 yards (200 m)
Par 4 – 240–490 yards (220–450 m) Par 4 – 200–420 yards (180–380 m)
Par 5 – 450–710 yards (410–650 m) Par 5 – 370–600 yards (340–550 m)
Par 6 – 670 yards (610 m) or longer Par 6 – 570 yards (520 m) or longer

Golf Terms in Scoring

Par | Even | E Birdie | -1 Eagle | -2

Albatross | Double Eagle | -3 Condor | -4 Bogey | +1

Double Bogey | +2 Ace | Hole-in-One

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 The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Physical Education Unit
Elective Course – Golf
Golf Club

● Golf is unique because the sport requires a set of different instruments and equipment. The
club is designed into different head shapes and shaft lengths, which can be roughly divided
挖超科 旅
into three categories: woods, irons, various wedges (for pitching & sand), and putter. Each
golf club has a corresponding number to identify, they can be purchased in any combination
separately. The larger the number, the shorter the shaft, the greater the tilt angle of the club
surface, and the relatively short distance played. no → 短 → 之 → 短Dilue

● Usually, a full set of golf bag may include soft-fitting socks for the club for protection
purposes, as well as a cleaning towel/brush, a large umbrella and practice balls. Players
will need to purchase a glove to better grip the club. If you swing the club right-handed,
then a glove for your left hand, the reverse for left-handed players.

Detail display of club head

Putter: Iron:

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大
大
干
 The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Physical Education Unit
Elective Course – Golf
Golf ball

A golf ball is central to the game of golf. By getting it into

the hole in the ground, all the fuss surrounding the correct
posture, swinging technique, proper grip, etc. is actually all
about hitting the ball at the right angle, sending it the right
distance and last but not least to control its direction, speed
and rotation.

The modern golf ball has undergone a few transformations

to get to where it is today. The origins of the golf ball can be traced to four distinct stages of
evolution. From a wooden ball in the 14th century to the modern rubber core balls, it helps us to
discover the history behind the game of golf. 相橡
In 1922 the United States Golf Association (USGA) released the first rules that governed
the construction of golf balls:

• Shape: all golf balls must be spherically symmetrical

• Weight: max size is 1.620 oz. or 45.93 g
• Size: golf balls cannot be smaller than 1.68 inches in diameter
• Initial Velocity: 2π feet. (USGA has defined the maximum velocity a golf ball can have
off the clubface).

Wooden Ball Featherie Ball Gutta Percha Ball Rubber Core Ball

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 The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Physical Education Unit
Elective Course – Golf
Analysis of Basic Skills

Overlap, Interlock and Baseball Grip Types:

b varchon .

(The type of grip you end up choosing does not translate into direct effects on the ball and is
more a matter of personal preference.)

● The grip type most widely used is the overlap grip, also known as the Vardon grip which
got its name from the famous golfer that popularized its use (Harry Vardon). This grip
setup is suitable for most golfers.
● The interlocking grip involves looping the right hand’s little finger around the left hand’s
index finger. This type of grip provides a very strong bond between the two hands and
constitutes an excellent alternative to the overlap grip.
● The baseball grip – as its name suggests, involves placing both hands on the grip of the
club as you would if you were holding a baseball bat in your hands.

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 The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Physical Education Unit
Elective Course – Golf
Palm and Finger Grip vs All Fingers Grip

Lead by how you place your left thumb on the grip (right-handed golfers) there are two main ways
you can position the grip inside your left hand itself.
• The first option – the palm and finger grip – sees the lower part of the grip of the club
pressed underneath the second (middle) knuckle of the left index finger.
• The second option – the all-fingers grip – sees the lower part of the grip pressed underneath
the first knuckle of your fingers all the way through, from the index to the small finger.

Grip Pressure

(Example of two hands grip) (Example of left-hand grip)

● No matter the grip strength, grip type or left thumb position you use, your grip pressure
should be on the soft or light side.
● The two common mental images that are used to imagine you are holding a live bird in
your hands, or that you are holding a tube of toothpaste. Gripping too tightly would hurt
the bird or would see toothpaste leak out of the tube.

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 The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Physical Education Unit
Elective Course – Golf
A Proper Golf Swing Sequence Can Be Broken Up into Seven Main Sections:

➔ 1. Set-up
The set-up position, often referred to as the “address” position, is the position in which the golfer
places the body to begin the golf swing. A balanced, “athletic” address position, will provide the
golfer with the correct starting position for the swing. A slight variation in weight distribution
should be present when using different-length clubs.
➔ 2. Backswing
The backswing is when the body begins to move the club. During the entire backswing, the body
begins the recruitment of energy that will be transitioned at the top of the backswing towards the
ball. Rotation of the knees, hips, spine, and shoulders is required during the backswing.
➔ 3. Transition
The completion of the backswing is termed the “transition” stage of the swing. The transition point
of the swing is where the body completes its backward movement and begins the forward
movement. The best reference point to when the transition stage of the swing begins is when the
weight shift onto the inside of the right foot is completed (right-handed golfers) and movement
back towards the left foot begins. 右 →
➔ 4. Downswing
After the completion of the transition, the downswing begins. Weight shift continues during the
downswing. The generation of torque is created in the lower body and then is transitioned up
through the body into the club. The majority of torque in this phase of the swing is generated by
the glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and core musculature of the body.

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 The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Physical Education Unit
Elective Course – Golf
➔ 5. Impact
The impact is the point at which the potential energy/speed generated by the body during the
backswing, transition, and downswing is transferred into the golf ball. The purpose of impact is to
hit the ball in the correct direction with the chosen amount of force. At impact, weight transfer is
complete and shear forces from both feet are towards the intended target. The clubhead and ball at
impact are in contact for approximately half a millisecond (0.0005 seconds).
➔ 6. Follow-through
After contact, the impact stage of the swing is complete and the follow-through stage begins. The
follow-through is essentially the deceleration of the body after contact with the ball has been made.
The follow-through is where the kinematic sequence of the swing ends, energy not transferred into
the golf ball is dissipated, and the body slows itself back down.
➔ 7. Finish
Finished the body rotating to a completion point where the club head is behind the golfer. It is also
part of the deceleration phase of the golf swing.

(Tiger Woods' swing demonstration, 2019)

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 The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Physical Education Unit
Elective Course – Golf
Address & Setup Position
Positioning the ball too much forward in your stance can lead to a fat shot. The general guideline
for swings at full speed is to place the ball in the centre of your stance for wedges and short irons
and to incrementally move your feet back to find the ball forward as the length of the clubs
increases.

Golf Impact Position

The golf club should be coming down at the right height. It should not strike the top of the golf
ball but rather towards its bottom. You also need to be careful that the club doesn’t strike the
ground before the golf ball, which will also produce a fat shot.

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 The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Physical Education Unit
Elective Course – Golf
Simple Drill to Rotate Upper Body Correctly
This drill will show you if your shoulders are turning correctly through to the completion of the
backswing. A nice, full-shoulder turn will help you to generate power.

The Rules of Golf

In 1744, the rules of golf developed and
published by the Edinburgh Golf Association
appeared a total of 13 rules and first applied to
the first British Open in 1754. Since 1897, the
Royal and Classical Golf Club (R&A) has
been responsible for the maintenance and
revision of the rules of golf. Golf was
withdrawn from the Olympic Games in 1936,
but its development did not stop.

Due to regional, cultural, and political

differences that lead to ambiguous rules. Since
1951, the Rules of Golf have been jointly
reviewed by the R&A and the United States
Golf Association (USGA) and revised every
four years.

With the continuous development of golf, the

attention to golf events in world sports
continues to improve, and finally, in 2016, golf
returned to the Olympic Games in Rio de巴嘿趵
Janeiro, Brazil. Against this backdrop, the
R&A and USGA have revised the Rules of
Golf, which came into effect on January 1,
2023.

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The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Physical Education Unit
Elective Course – Golf

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 The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Physical Education Unit
Elective Course – Golf
The Definitions

The Rules of Golf contains over forty definitions which form the foundation around which the
rules of play are written. A good knowledge of the defined terms will help in the correct application
of the rules. These include the ten common words and their explanations:

• Teeing Ground - the starting place for the hole, defined by two tee markers.
• Hazards - any bunker or water hazard. A ball is in a hazard when it lies in or any part of it
touches the hazard.
• Putting Green - an area specially prepared for putting and containing a 41/2-inch diameter
hole. A ball is on the putting green when any part of it touches the putting green.
慨
• Out of Bounds - ground on which play is prohibited i.e., not part of the course. A ball is
out of bounds when all of it lies out of bounds.
• Loose Impediments - natural objects such as stones, leaves and twigs provided they are not
fixed or growing, are not solidly embedded and are not sticking to the ball.
• Obstructions - any man-made object, except:
o objects defining out of bounds.
o any part of an immovable man-made object which is out of bounds.
o any construction declared by the Committee in the Local Rules to be an integral
part of the course.
• Casual Water - any temporary accumulation of water on the course which is visible before
or after the player takes his stance (dew and frost are not casual water).
• Ground Under Repair - any portion of the course so marked by the Committee. Also
includes material piled for removal and a hole made by a greenkeeper, even if not so
marked.
• Penalty Stroke - This is one stroke added to the score of a player under certain Rules.
• Provisional Ball - This is a ball played under Rule 27-2 for a ball that may be lost outside
a water hazard or may be out of bounds.

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 The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Physical Education Unit
Elective Course – Golf
References:
➢ Book

Leadbetter D., Huggan, J. (2001). The Golf Swing. Edward Payson Dutton.
Barrentine S., Fleisig G., Johnson H. (2000). Ground Reaction Forces and Torque of Professional
and Amateur Golfers. Taylor & Francis Group.
Rogers, M., Hogan, Ben. (2003). Ben Hogan’s Five Lessons: the Modern Fundamentals of Golf
(Vol. 128, Issue 2, p.124). Library Journals, LLC.
Blackburn, K. (1999). Exercises for Elite Golf Performance. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
Alastair J. Cochran and John Stobbs (2005). Search for the Perfect Swing: the Proven Scientific
Approach to Fundamentally Improving Your Game. Triumph Books.
Saunders, V. (2006). The Golf Handbook (3rd ed.). New York: Three Rivers Press.
Harvey Penick., Bud Shrake. (2014). Harvey Penick's Little Red Book: Lessons and Teachings
from a Lifetime of Gold. Simon & Schuster.
Team Golf Well and Bruce Miller, B.A., J.D. (2017). Golf Shots: How to Easily Hit a Wide Variety
of Shots like Stingers, Flop Shots, Wet Sand Shots, and Many More for Better Scoring.
Pacific Trust Holdings NZ Ltd.
Jon Sherman. (2022). The Four Foundations of Golf: How to Build a Game That Lasts a Lifetime.
Practical Golf Incorporated.

➢ Web page

● The United States Golf Association, United State of America. (2023).

https://www.usga.org/
● Hong Kong Golf Association, HKSAR, China. (2023). https://www.hkga.com/
● The Royal and Ancient Golf Club, Scotland, United Kingdom. (2023).
https://www.randa.org/en/

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