Scotland is indeed the birthplace of golf so much so that is was banned between 1457-1502 by King James II since the Scotts were deemed to be too involved in leisurely pursuits to care about the sport of archery. Mastering archery would, as he believed, protect him from his enemies.
Golf requires you to have the just the right amount of athletic ability to execute an efficient drive, just the right amount of skill to hit the irons on target and the mental fortitude to keep your cool while the pressure mounts on the green.
The objective of the game is to strike a ball from an area known as the 'teeing ground' (which is demarcated by two tee-markers) across fairway and rough area to the 'putting green'. The latter area has a hole. The navigation begins with a drive where a ball resting on a tee is hit by a long- shafted, large headed wood club known as a driver. Golfers move the ball through the course to the infamous green. Upon reaching the green, the ball is 'putt' into the hole, a term commonly referred to as 'sinking the putt'.
The purpose of the game is to drive the ball from the teeing ground to the putting green with the least amount of strokes possible. The catch here is that the course is littered with all manner of obstacles such as sand bunkers, ponds and long grass. It takes approximately 2 hours to play 18 holes (a hole being a successful navigation from the teeing ground to the putting green).
There’s quite a bit of lingo involved in the game. To sharpen your vocabulary, click here. What we do find amusing, however, is the etiquette surrounding golf. Did you know, for example, you are not permitted to talk to or stand close to a player making a stroke. You are also required to yell 'Fore!' to warn people who are within range of a ball flying in their direction - nobody likes surprises! Finally, it is essential that you do not cast a shadow or walk in someone’s putting line.
Ready to putt all this to good use? Before you decide to invest in some polo shirts, gloves, golf shoes or even a golf cart (depending on what side of the tax bracket you fall on), why don’t you first attend the Barclays Kenya Open? This annual golfing tournament that attracts elite golfers from all around the world happens to be the second oldest event under the PGA European Challenge Tour. Winners of the Barclays Kenya Open title include prestigious names such as Maurice Bembridge, Seve Ballesteros, Ian Woosnam, Ken Brown and Christy O’Connor Jr.
Now that we’ve given you a few facts and the low down on what’s happening this month in the world of golf, how about you get your season ticket and get to see the golfers in action first-hand? Get your Barclays Kenya Open 2017 tickets here.