The Game Of Golf
The game of golf consists of playing a ball from the teeing ground in to the hole by playing strokes in accordance to the rules of golf.
When you play golf you play what is called a "round" of golf.  This consists of eighteen holes that are laid out in a certain way, depending on the land where the course is built on.  The idea behind golf is for the player to complete the eighteen holes in the fewest number of strokes (hits) in accordance to the rules.
The rule book for golf is approximately 175 pages long and consists of 34 rules that are each broken down to cover most eventualities.  There are also pages about Etiquette, Definitions, General Rules of Play and  Appendix's.  It sounds a lot, but you are not expected to learn all of the rules only the basic rules to get you around the course.  It is best to have a rule book in your golf bag so you can look at it when ever you are unsure of a ruling.

The Golf Course
The Teeing Ground
The course consists of eighteen holes.  Each hole starts with a teeing ground where the hole starts from.  There are two tee markers in the ground that mark out where the player should hit from, you can tee off anywhere behind the markers within two club lengths back from each marker.
The Fairway
The fairway is a strip of land between the teeing ground and the green.  The grass on the fairway will be cut very close to the ground so the ball just sits on top of the grass.  Shots played from the fairway are easier to play because the player can cleanly hit them off of the ground.
The Green
The green is an area of grass where the hole is situated.  The grass on the green is to be treated with care because the blades of grass are very short (2-4 mm long) and can be damaged very easily.  No trolleys or golf bags can be placed on the green.  There is a narrow strip around the edge of the green called the apron, this strip of grass is cut a slightly longer than the grass on the green but shorter than the grass on the fairway.
The Hole
The hole is cut into the green.  The diameter of the hole is 4.25 inches and needs to be at least 4 inches deep.  The lining of the hole has to be at least 1 inch below the level of the putting surface.
Hazards
A hazard is a bunker or water hazard that is part of the layout of the hole.  A bunker is a hole made in the ground that is filled with sand.  A water hazard is a hole in the ground that is filled with water.  A water hazard is marked with red or yellow stakes in the ground or painted lines on the ground.  Any water that is on the course that has not been marker in this way is not a water hazard and as called causal water, the player can take relief from this water without penalty.
The Rough
Where there are not teeing grounds, fairways, or greens you will find rough.  Golfers do not like the rough because this is where they lose golf balls.  There is two types of rough, what we call "semi rough" and "rough".  Semi rough is a strip that surrounds the fairway that is about 2-4 yards wide.  After that is rough and this is grass that is not normally cut and is left to grow and is therefore quite thick
The Course
Each hole has a "Par".  This is a number that is given to each hole depending on its length, that tells the player how many shots should be taken to finish it.
Par 3
Under 250 Yards
Par 4
251 Yards - 475 Yards
Par 5
476 Yards and Over

Dress Code On and Off the Course
The dress code and club rules at most clubs are roughly the same, below are a few rules that are most common.
No Jeans.
No T-shirts  (Only shirts with Collars).
No Trainers.
Only Tailored Shorts are allowed.  (At some clubs Shorts can only be worn with Knee Length Socks).
Shirts must be tucked in at the waist.
No golf shoes are allowed in the club house.
No Hats or caps to be worn in the club house.
Some clubs don't allow dogs on the course.
The Handicap System
Golf is a very unique game.  Golf has what is known as the handicap system, every golfer is given a handicap, which is a number that indicates how good that person is at golf.  The handicap system allows players of all abilities to play  on equal terms.  For example a professional golfer who plays with a handicap of Scratch (NIL) can play with a person who has just started playing golf and has a handicap of 28, and they can have a competitive game and the beginner has a chance of beating the professional!
The Handicap System explained
The number given  to the player is basically the average number of strokes over par that player takes to complete the course.  The total par of the course is also known as the "Standard Scratch Score" or "SSS".  On competition days there is also a Competition Scratch Score (CSS) which only applies to the competition that is being played.
The maximum handicap for men is 28 and the maximum handicap for women is 36.  As  the player gets better their handicap will get lower.
For Example.
If the course par (SSS) is 71 and a player has a Handicap of 8, they will on average complete the course in 79 strokes, which is 8 over par.
On the same course if a player has a handicap of 24, they will on average complete the course in 95 strokes, which is 24 over par and so on.
When a golfer plays in a competition their handicap can change, it can get better or it can get worse depending on what they score.  If a player plays to less than their handicap their handicap will go down and if they play to more than their handicap their handicap will go up.  This is where it can get quite complex,  Men have a different handicap system to women.
Men's Handicap System.
Handicap
Category
Increase
Decrease per shot
5 or less
1
0.1
0.1
6-12
2
0.1
0.2
13-20
3
0.1
0.3
21-28
4
0.1
0.4

When a player has a poor round and plays to over his handicap their handicap will increase by 0.1.
Example:  Par of course is 72 (SSS 72).
A players handicap is 12.2.  That player will play off 12 for the competition he is expected to complete the course in 84strokes.  He has a bad day and completes the course in 89 strokes.  He then takes his handicap off which gives him his NETT score of  77, which is 5 shots over the CSS (competition scratch score) of the course.  His handicap will now go up to 12.3, which means he will play off 12 still.
If the handicap decreases, it gets quite more complex.  Depending on which category the play falls into, their handicap will be cut either 0.1,0.2,0.3,0.4 for EVERY SHOT the player is under the CSS.
Example:
After this the same player plays in another competition the following day and has a really good round and completes the course in  78 strokes.  He then takes his handicap off which gives him his NETT score of 66, which is 6 shots less than the CSS of the course.  His handicap will then decrease by 1.2 shots to 11.1, which means he will still play off 11.  
To find out about the ladies handicap system please look at the English Ladies Golf Union web site.
This handicap system is in place in the United Kingdom,  handicap systems can vary from one country to another.
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