Q. How Long Does It Take to Play a Round of Golf?

A: Four hours is the estimate most people give for 18 holes.

The actual time depends on how busy the course is, how many people you are playing with and how many strokes everyone takes (a round of 72 will obviously be faster than a round of 112).

A golfer playing alone on a course that is not crowded should be able to finish in 2 and a half hours or less.

A foursome playing a very crowded course might wind up spending 5 or even 6 hours on the golf course.

To keep things moving, all friendly matches (rounds of golf that are not played in tournaments or for money) should be played by the principles of "ready golf."

Q. How do you know which set of tees to use?

A: The different tees correspond to different yardages. The tees at the back of the tee box are the longest set, the ones at the front the shortest set (you can find the yardages by checking the corresponding lines on the scorecard - blue tees are designated on the scorecard by the "Blue" line, and so on).

Over time, knowing which set of tees to use will become self-evident. If you are struggling from one set of tees - unable to reach par-3 holes from the tee, or unable to reach par-4 holes in two shots - then move up to an easier set of tees.

But as a beginner, you probably don't yet have a good grasp on your game and how far you hit your clubs.

One thing to keep in mind is that many amateur golfers (especially men) try to play from tees that are too long. It's not uncommon to see a group of guys teeing off from the championship tees, only to hit weak slices into the woods. Don't be one of these people - there's no shame in playing from a forward set of tees if that is appropriate for your game. And golfers who play from tees that are too long for their games are only slowing down the pace of play.

At a course with three sets of tees, the guidelines for choosing the correct set are pretty easy: the championship tees (back tees) are for low-handicap men. The middle tees are for middle to high handicap men, low-handicap or long-hitting women, and low-handicap or long-hitting senior men. The forward tees are for middle or high handicap women and seniors, and beginners of all stripes.

At courses whose tee boxes contain more than three sets of tees, it gets a little more complicated. But we can sort it out by considering the yardages that the professionals play from.

On the PGA Tour, the typical course yardage these days is around 7,100 yards. On the LPGA Tour, typical course yardages are 6,100 to 6,500 yards. On the Champions Tour, typical course yardages are 6,400 to 6,800 yards.

If you are a low-handicapper (and as a beginner, you certainly will not be), then feel free to play from the set of tees that mimics the yardages on the pro tours (which will be the back tees for men).

Low-handicap women and seniors might choose the set of tees whose yardage is 250-500 yards less than the averages of the LPGA and Champions tours, respectively.

Mid-handicappers might choose the set of tees whose yardage is around 500-1,000 yards less than the pro tour that represents their gender or age.

High-handicappers should consider the set of tees whose yardage is 1,000 to 1,500 yards less than the pros play.

And beginners? Unless you know that you can hit the ball a good distance with at least a little bit of accuracy and consistency, then start out from the forward tees. After a round or two from the forward tees, you'll have a pretty good idea (based on your score and your frustration level!) if you should move back to a tougher set of tees.

And always remember that first rule of thumb we mentioned: if you are unable to reach the par-3 holes in one shot (we're talking distance, not actually getting your ball on the green), or unable to reach the par-4 holes in two shots from the set of tees you are playing, it's a good sign that you need to move up to a shorter set of tees.

Another Suggestion Here's another general guideline for choosing the distance at which to play a golf course: Take your average 5-iron distance (be honest!), multiply by 36, and choose the tees that most closely match that yardage. Example: You hit your 5-iron 150 yards. So 150 times 36 equals 5,400. Choose the tees closest to 5,400 yards in length.

Q. How do I keep score?

A: Scoring in golf is sometimes a mystery to those unfamiliar with the sport because in golf - unlike most other sports and games - it's the person with the lowest score who wins.

But golf scoring is as simple as can be. Every time you take a whack at that little white ball, that's a stroke. Every time you make a stroke, count it. At the end of each hole, add up your strokes for that hole and write it down. At the end of the round, add up the strokes for each hole and, there you have it, your golf score.

There are some other circumstances - for instance, every beginner (every golfer of every level) will have to take penalty strokes here and there. At least, if you're playing strictly by the rules.

But most simply put, a golf score is the number of times you whacked that little ball around the course.

Score in relation to par is also very easy to understand and compute. Each hole is given a number representing "par" - the number of strokes it should take a skilled golfer to finish that hole. If the par is 4 and you make a 5, then your score in relation to par is 1-over. If the par is 4 and you make a 3, then your score in relation to par is 1-under.

If par for the course is 72 and you finished with a 92, then your score is 20-over.

And if you get to take 36 strokes, you'll take 2 strokes per hole.

And that's how the "Handicap" line of the scorecard is used.

Now, how do you know how many total strokes you get to take in order to make use of the handicap line? That's simply a function of course handicap. If your course handicap is 18 and you're playing just to post a score for handicap purposes (you're not playing against someone in a match, in other words), then 18 is how many strokes you get to take.

If you are playing against someone in a match, then the golfers play off the low handicap of the group. For example, let's say there are three golfers in the group; one is a 10 handicapper, one is a 15, one is a 20. The 10-handicapper will play at scratch (no strokes), the 15-handicapper will get 5 strokes (15 minus 10) and the 20 handicapper will get 10 strokes (20 minus 10).

It may sound complicated now, but once you've used course handicaps one or two times, it will seem as simple as can be.