The beginner-course quiz, explained (Veien til Golf)

Most countries with organized golf make new players pass a short theory quiz — in Norway it's part of the Veien til Golf beginner course. If you landed here mid-quiz, welcome: the answers are below. But stick around for the why, because that's what you'll actually need when your ball is sitting on a cart path next month.

"Which answer about a free drop is correct?"

The correct answer is: you may use one club-length.

When you take relief without penalty — from a cart path, sprinkler head, casual water or ground under repair — you find the nearest point of complete relief and drop within one club-length of it, no nearer the hole. The other options mix in rules that belong to penalty relief: two club-lengths applies to an unplayable ball (which costs a stroke), and "as far back as you like on the line" is the back-on-the-line option. The full picture is in Penalties & taking a drop.

"If you can't keep up with the group in front, what should you do?"

The two correct statements are:

1. Keep up with the group in front — your pace is measured against them, not against the group behind you.
2. Let the group behind play through if you've fallen behind and there's an open hole ahead of you.

Playing "ready golf" — hitting when you're ready and it's safe — is how you avoid the problem in the first place. More in Pace of play & ready golf.

"How many clubs are you allowed in your bag?"

A maximum of 14. There's no minimum, and beginners usually play better with fewer — see How many clubs can I carry?.

"What is par?"

The number of strokes a good player is expected to need on a hole, two of which are putts. Par 4 means reaching the green in two, then two putts. The whole scoring vocabulary — birdie, bogey, eagle — is in Scoring & par, explained.