Golf clubs, course parts and formats explained

The clubs and what they do

In standard rules a player may carry no more than 14 clubs in the bag during a round. Beginners usually carry far fewer, and junior sets often include just a handful. Clubs are grouped by purpose.

Driver

The biggest-headed club with a long shaft, built to hit the ball far from the tee on longer holes.

Fairway woods

Smaller-headed relatives of the driver, used for long shots from the fairway or tee.

Hybrids

A blend of a wood and an iron that many beginners find easier to hit than long irons.

Irons

The workhorse clubs, used for shots toward the green. A lower-numbered iron generally sends the ball farther and lower, and a higher-numbered iron sends it higher and shorter.

Wedges

High-lofted irons for short shots, shots out of sand, and shots that need to land softly.

Putter

A flat-faced club for rolling the ball along the green into the hole. Players usually use it more than any other club.

Parts of a golf course

• Teeing area (tee box): where each hole starts. Courses often have several sets of tees at different distances, so players can choose one that fits their skill level.
• Fairway: the closely mown grass between the tee and the green, a good place to hit from, because the ball sits up on short grass.
• Rough: longer grass beside the fairway. The ball is harder to hit cleanly from there.
• Bunker: a hollow filled with sand, often called a sand trap. Players rake it smooth after hitting out.
• Penalty area: a marked area, often with water, marked with yellow or red lines or stakes. A player may take relief for one penalty stroke, and in many cases may instead play the ball as it lies without penalty if it can be played.
• Green: the smooth, short grass surrounding the hole, where players putt.
• Fringe: the slightly longer grass around the edge of the green.
• Flagstick and cup: the cup is the hole itself, and the flagstick (often just called the pin) shows where it is.
• Out of bounds: areas outside the course boundary, usually marked with white stakes or lines, where play is not allowed.

Par 3, par 4 and par 5 holes

Holes come in different lengths, and the length mostly decides the par. A par 3 is short enough that a good tee shot can reach the green. A par 4 usually takes a tee shot, then an approach shot. A par 5 is the longest and usually takes three shots to reach the green. Real length varies by course and by which tees you play from, so there is no single fixed distance for each par. Learn the scoring names in golf rules for beginners.

Common formats of play

Besides the two main formats, golfers enjoy many variations. Here are the ones parents hear about most.

Handicaps in plain English

A handicap is a number that estimates a player's ability, so players of different skill can compete fairly. A stronger player gives strokes to a weaker one, or each player's score is adjusted, so the contest feels even. Youth programs may or may not use handicaps, so ask if your child's event does.

Putting it together

Picture a par 4: your child hits the driver from the tee, plays an iron from the fairway to the green, and then putts. Every club has a job, and learning which to use is part of the fun. Our youth golf equipment checklist covers how to choose a starter set.