Disclaimer: This guide explains the rules and mechanics of the game. It does not explain the rules and physics of actual Golf.
A golf course consists of 18 holes. A hole has different areas.
The teeing area is the starting point of the hole.
The green, or putting green, is the end point of the hole. The green has very short grass, which allows the ball to roll for a longer distance. The green can also have a slope that affects the path of the ball. The slope is indicated by arrows, when you switch to the green view.
The fairway is the area between the teeing area and the putting green. The fairway has short grass, which allows the ball to roll for some distance, but not as far as on the green.
The rough is the area that surrounds the fairway and green. The grass is taller, which makes the ball difficult to play. The ball will barely roll in the rough.
A bunker is an area that is filled with sand, which makes the ball very difficult to play. The ball will not roll in the sand.
A water hazard is any body of water on the golf course. If the ball lands in a water hazard, a penalty shot is added to your score. The ball is placed back to where it was previously shot.
If the ball lands in the out-of-bounds area, a penalty shot is added to your score. The ball is placed back to where it was previously shot.
The position of the ball on the ground is also called the "lie". The lie of the ball determines with how much power the ball can be shot.
| Lie | Power |
|---|---|
| Tee | 100% |
| Green | 100% |
| Fairway | 95% |
| Rough | 80% |
| Sand Bunker | 50% |
There are different types of clubs: woods, irons, wedges, and the putter. The clubs determine the carry distance and launch angle of the ball. The putter is the only club that has no carry distance - the ball only rolls.
| Club | Loft | Carry | Roll |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-wood (1W) | 10° | 260y | 30y |
| 2-wood (2W) | 10° | 240y | 30y |
| 3-wood (3W) | 15° | 230y | 28y |
| 4-wood (4W) | 15° | 220y | 28y |
| 1-iron (1I) | 15° | 210y | 28y |
| 2-iron (2I) | 17° | 200y | 28y |
| 3-iron (3I) | 18° | 190y | 28y |
| 4-iron (4I) | 20° | 180y | 27y |
| 5-iron (5I) | 23° | 170y | 26y |
| 6-iron (6I) | 26° | 160y | 25y |
| 7-iron (7I) | 30° | 150y | 23y |
| 8-iron (8I) | 35° | 140y | 20y |
| 9-iron (9I) | 40° | 130y | 18y |
| Pitching Wedge (PW) | 45° | 120y | 15y |
| Sand Wedge (SW) | 55° | 110y | 10y |
| Putter (PT) | 0° | 0y | 32y |
The carry and roll distance is given for a 100% straight shot with the best possible conditions (shot from green, roll on green without slope, no wind).
A successful shot is determined by: the club, the lie of the ball, the wind direction and velocity, and the swing.
The game uses a 3-click swing system. The first mouse button click will start the swing. The second mouse button click will determine the power of the swing. The third mouse button click will determine if it's a straight shot, a hook, or a slice.
If you initiate the swing but fail to click 3 times in total, it is still counted as a shot.
+------------------------------+
| | Power |
+------------------------------+
0% 100%
+------------------------------+
| Hook | Slice |
+------------------------------+
^
Straight
A slice results in a right spin of the ball, which makes the ball drift to the right. A hook results in a left spin of the ball, which makes the ball drift to the left.
You can add backspin or frontspin to the ball to manipulate how far the ball will roll once it hits the ground. There are only two settings for backspin and frontspin.
The hook and slice are set up in such a way that if you hit a 100% slice, with a vertical launch angle of 45°, and a horizontal launch angle of 45° from an imaginary line, the ball curves such that it hits the ground close to the imaginary line.
The precise shot is a guaranteed 5% straight shot. The intention is to mimic a chip shot, with a low angle and a long roll. Choose the club accordingly and set the backspin or frontspin as needed.
To do a precise shot, click when the marker is on the left side of the line.
+------------------------------+
| | Power |
+------------------------------+
^
Precise Shot