| Golf is a genteel sport that has become a | | | | invention, and has been played in British |
| global passion, especially in the business | | | | Isles for centuries. It has also its origins |
| world. Golf trophies carry the reward of | | | | in the Netherlands in the seventeenth |
| instant fame and fortune. Golf tours of | | | | century, where golf clubs were used to play |
| certain regions are avidly followed by fans | | | | balls into holes. The term golf is evolved |
| worldwide, and toughly contested for. Legends | | | | from the Germanic word for club. The oldest |
| like Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods have | | | | course in the world is the Old Links at |
| captured international attention.Golf is a | | | | Musselburgh, where the game has been played |
| game where individuals or teams hit a ball | | | | since 1672. The links at St. Andrews occupy a |
| into a hole using several clubs. It involves | | | | narrow strip of land along the sea. Golfers |
| manipulating the ball with a club from the | | | | on that course established a customary route |
| teeing ground to the hole with a series of | | | | through that terrain playing holes suited to |
| strokes, according to certain rules. Golf is | | | | the topography.Golf is viewed as an elite |
| played on a tract of land called a course, | | | | pastime but is attracting more players from |
| which consists of a series of holes. A hole | | | | all backgrounds. In the U.S., golf is the |
| represents the distance between the tee (the | | | | unofficial game of the business world, so |
| starting point) and the green (where the | | | | much so that business schools train students |
| actual hole is). Most golf courses have 9 or | | | | in golf. In 2005, Golf Digest found that |
| 18 holes. Experienced players take fewer | | | | there were nearly 32,000 golf courses in the |
| strokes to manipulate balls into the holes. | | | | world, with half of them in the U.S.A. Some |
| Courses also have impediments like bunkers, | | | | other golf-loving countries include Scotland, |
| sand traps and water hazards (like rivers or | | | | New Zealand, Australia, Ireland, Canada and |
| streams).Par is the theoretical number of | | | | Sweden. Japan and South Korea are catching |
| strokes which an expert golfer needs to get | | | | up.Golf is a major professional sport with |
| his ball into any particular hole. Every game | | | | many coveted tours and trophies. There are at |
| of golf is based on playing a number of holes | | | | least 20 professional tours, each run by a |
| in a given order. The two major forms of | | | | PGA or an independent tour organization |
| playing golf are match play and stroke | | | | responsible for organizing the tournament. |
| play.Golf is regarded as a Scottish | | | | |