An Introduction to Golf (Part 5) Hazards

 Hazards

 Hazards may come in different forms such as trees, high cut grass areas, sand bunkers and water which all serve as a deterrent to getting the balls into the holes.

These hazardous areas are the most feared on the part of the golfers because it is assumed that if a golfer’s ball has fallen into one of the hazards, it may make a difference in winning the game or not.

 The Rough is one such hazard and is that part of the golf course where the grass stands slightly taller than that at the fairway, or the area in which the grass is even maintained uncut. Many players, particularly those new to the game, have problems here so a clean straight tee shot onto the fairway becomes very important.

 Bunkers, also known as “sand traps,” are another one of the hazardous areas on the golf course. As its other name suggests, bunkers are burrows that are usually full of sand.

 Here, the player will have a difficult time playing his best shot in the game. This is because golf balls are hard to control and manipulate when in the sand.

As a rule, players are not allowed to touch the ground, which is still a part of a hazard, using a club. Hence, beginners must know this rule by heart or else they might not be able to finish the game.

 Water hazards are typically small bodies of water that are incorporated in the golf course like ponds, lakes, etc. Usually, water hazards are placed between the hole and the “tee-off”.

These water hazards, like the bunkers, are also considered one of the most hazardous areas in the golf course. This is because once the ball has landed on/in the water hazard, there is a possibility that the overall performance of the player’s game will be affected. There are several rules which govern what you can and can’t do if this happens to you so it is as well to be prepared.

 Basically, even if the ball has landed in the water hazard, the player can still opt to play the next stroke if it is accessible provided that the player hits the ball as it is.

 If in the event that the ball is considered lost, and this particular issue is a subject of numerous debates on the course, the player may hit another ball that can either be played from the area where the ball was previously hit before it hit the water hazard or by dropping another ball from behind the water hazard.

 In reality, there are many rules that govern the cases of water hazards. However, the rules mentioned here are the basic rules in water hazards, so it can be very useful especially to those who are planning to start their career in golf.

Indeed, the performance of a player, despite his stroke and style, can be upset by obstacles like the water hazards and the bunkers. Hence, it can be concluded that a golf player should try with all his might to avoid these hazardous areas as much as possible.

I hope this short course will have helped you a bit towards the understanding of this game of golf and where it is played.

Come back to read more interesting information to expand your knowledge and, hopefully, your interest and pleasure in what many consider the best of sports!