| The sun is shining on your shoulders as you step | | | | to maneuver it through obstacles like sand traps, |
| out onto the course, feeling the spongy grass | | | | rough, through, and trees. Irons come in sizes |
| soft under your spikes. Morning birds sing a song | | | | according to their length; 1-4 irons are considered |
| as you hoist your bag higher on your shoulder and | | | | long irons, which provide more power. 5-7 are |
| you take a minute to enjoy the serenity of the | | | | mid-irons, and 8-plus are short-irons. Also, the |
| early morning. You don't need to consider the | | | | faces of irons are slanted at different angles to |
| generations before you who have done the same | | | | accommodate different terrain. For example, sand |
| thing, but you do anyway. After all: golf is deep in | | | | wedges have an angle of 54-58 degrees. |
| tradition. | | | | Because of their specific purpose, putters are a |
| Since the Scots began organizing the 18-hole | | | | golfer's best friends. After the ball has made its |
| game more than 500 years ago, there have been | | | | way from the fairway to the green, it is the |
| few changes. While the fashion has changed (even | | | | putter's job to ease it toward the hole. Because |
| though you can still find players in kilts on a lucky | | | | this moment proves so crucial during a game, |
| day), the main items of golf equipment needed to | | | | players put a huge amount of emphasis on the |
| play the game have not changed. | | | | quality of these clubs. These clubs have a flat |
| Golf clubs are the most important pieces of | | | | face which provides smooth stroke, good glide, |
| equipment. Despite their intended purpose to | | | | and bounceless topspin. |
| project a ball close to the hole, each club is | | | | Golf bags are especially valuable for a player to |
| different to carry out specific types of hits. For | | | | transport their clubs. New bags come with wheels |
| example, there are three major clubs: woods, | | | | that make them easy to pull, but traditional |
| irons and putters. Woods, or drivers, are heavy | | | | golfers carry them. Pockets on the side also |
| clubs intended to hit the ball far down the fairway; | | | | make it easy to store and transport items like |
| players often begin each hole with these clubs | | | | extra balls, gloves and towels. |
| The face of these clubs is round with a flattened | | | | Golf shoes are another important type of golf |
| sole so it doesn't dig into the ground during a | | | | equipment. These shoes have small spikes on the |
| swing. Drivers also have longer shafts to provide | | | | sole to help stabilize a player on wet grass. The |
| more power, although shorter woods do exist. | | | | spikes used to be made of metal, but replaceable |
| The name of these clubs comes from their solid, | | | | soft spikes are becoming more common today. |
| wooden composition, which was standard until the | | | | Actually, soft spikes are often required by golf |
| late 1980s. Since then drivers have been made | | | | courses because the cause less damage to the |
| from steel, titanium and, recently, carbon fibers. | | | | physical course. |
| Once the ball is on the fairway, players use irons | | | | |