A popular pastime and competitive sport, played on a course usually consisting of 18 holes, although some have only 9, 12, or 15. A standard course is usually between 5000 and 7000 yards (c.45006500 m). A hole consists of three primary areas: the flat starting point where the player hits the ball (the tee), a long stretch of mown grass (the fairway), and a putting green of smooth grass where the hole itself (10·8 cm/4¼ in) is situated. Obstacles, such as areas of sand (bunkers) high grass (rough), and trees, are placed at various points. The object is to hit a small, rubber-cored ball from a starting point into the hole, which is generally 90450 m/100500 yd away. The winner is the player who completes a round with the lowest number of strokes. The expected number of strokes a good player would be expected to play for any given hole is referred to as the par for that hole. If the player holes the ball in one stroke below par, this is called a birdie; two strokes below is an eagle; one shot over par is a bogey; an occasional possibility is a hole in one. Players may carry up to 14 clubs in their golf bag, each designed for a specific purpose and shot.
The ruling body of the game in Britain is the Royal and Ancient Club at St Andrews, Scotland. Major tournaments include the Open Golf Championship, the US Open, the US Professional Golfers' Association (PGA), and the US Masters. The origins of the game are uncertain, but it is believed that the Dutch first played a similar game with a stick and ball c.1300, known as kolf or colf. Gouf (as it was called) was definitely played in Scotland in the 15th-c, and the world's first club, the Gentlemen Golfers of Edinburgh (later the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers) was formed in 1744.
Golf (gowf in Scots) is a sport in which individual players or teams hit a ball into a hole using various clubs, and also is one of the few ball games that does not use a fixed standard playing area. It is defined in the Rules of Golf as "playing a ball with a club from the teeing ground into the hole by a stroke or successive strokes in accordance with the Rules."
Golf is most often said to have originated in Scotland (although see History below), and has been played for at least five centuries in the British Isles. Golf, in essentially the form we know today, has been played on Scotland's Musselburgh Links since 1672, while earlier versions of the game had been played in the British Isles and the low-countries of Northern Europe for several centuries before that.
Anatomy of a golf course
Golf is played on an area of land designated as the course. The course consists of a series of holes. A hole means both the hole in the ground into which the ball is played (also called the cup), as well as the total distance from the tee (a pre-determined area from where a ball is first hit) to the green (the low cut area surrounding the actual hole in the ground). Most golf courses consist of eighteen holes. Most courses offer a range of Tee boxes to play from, making the hole longer or shorter depending on which Tees the player starts at.
After teeing off, a player hits the ball towards the green again from the position at which it came to rest, either from the fairway or from the rough. Playing the ball from the fairway is an advantage because the fairway grass is kept very short and even, allowing the player to cleanly strike the ball, while playing from the rough is a disadvantage because the grass in the rough is generally much longer. Once on the green, the ball is putted (struck with a flat faced club which makes the ball roll along the ground) towards the hole until the ball comes to rest in the cup. Special rules apply to playing balls that come to rest in a hazard. For example, in a hazard, a player must not touch the ground with his club before playing a ball, not even for a practice swing. A ball in any type of hazard may be played as it lies without penalty. If a ball was observed entering a hazard but cannot be found, it may be replaced by dropping another ball outside the hazard along the plane at which it made entry, but no closer to the hole, again at the cost of a one stroke penalty. Bunkers (or sand traps) are hazards from which the ball is more difficult to play than from grass. As in a water hazard, a ball in a sand trap must be played without previously touching the sand with the club. To putt means to play a stroke, usually but not always on the green, wherein the ball does not leave the ground. The direction of growth of individual blades of grass often affects the roll of a golf ball and is called the grain. Golfers describe a green as being "fast" if a light stroke of the ball allows it to roll a long distance.
The borders of a course are marked as such, and beyond them is out of bounds, that is, ground from which a ball must not be played. Some areas on the course may be designated as ground under repair, meaning that a ball coming to rest in them may be lifted and then played from outside such ground (within two club lengths and no closer to the hole) without penalty. Certain man-made objects on the course are defined as obstructions, and specific rules determine how a golfer may proceed when the play is impeded by these.
At most golf courses there are additional facilities that are not part of the course itself. There may even be a practice course (which is often easier to play or shorter than other golf courses). A golf school is often associated with a course or club. For example, a skilled golfer expects to reach the green on a par four hole in two strokes, one from the tee (his "drive"), another to the green (his "approach"), and then roll the ball into the hole with two putts. A golf hole is traditionally either a par three, four, or five. A few par six holes now exist, but will not be found on a traditional golf course. For example, it is possible that a 500 yard hole could be classed as a par four since the par for a hole is determined by its 'effective playing length.' If tee to green on a hole is predominantly downhill, it will play shorter than its physical length and may be given a lower par.
Many 18-hole courses have approximately four par-three, ten par-four, and four par-five holes, though other combinations exist and are not less worthy than courses of par 72. Many major championships are contested on courses playing to a par of 70 or 71, and it's not rare to find a worthy test (especially in the British Isles) playing to a par of 69 or lower. In many countries courses are classified by a course rating in addition to the course's par. This rating describes the difficulty of a course and may be used to calculate a golfer's playing handicap for that individual course (see golf handicap).
Play of the game
Every game of golf is based on playing a number of holes in a given order. A round typically consists of 18 holes that are played in the order determined by the course layout. A hole of golf consists of hitting a ball from a tee on the teeing box (a marked area designated for the first shot of a hole, a tee shot), and once the ball comes to rest, striking it again. Once the ball is on the green (an area of finely cut grass) the ball is usually putted (hit along the ground) into the hole.
Players walk (or drive in motorized carts) over the course, either singly or in groups of two, three, or four, sometimes accompanied by caddies who carry and manage the players' equipment and give them advice. Each player plays a ball from the tee to the hole, except that in the mode of play called foursomes two teams of two players compete, and the members of each team alternate shots using only one ball until the ball is holed out. When all individual players or teams have brought a ball into play, the player or team whose ball is the farthest from the hole is next to play. In some team events a player whose ball is farther from the hole may ask his partner to play first. When all players of a group have completed the hole, the player or team with the best score on that hole has the honor, that is, the right to tee off first on the next tee. In stroke play (see below), the score consists of the number of strokes played plus any penalty strokes incurred.
Scoring
In every form of play, the goal is to play as few shots per round as possible. Scores for each hole can be described as follows:
|
Term on a scoreboard |
Specific term | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| -3 | albatross or double-eagle | three strokes under par |
| -2 | eagle | two strokes under par |
| -1 | birdie | one stroke under par |
| +0 | par | strokes equal to par |
| +1 | bogey | one stroke more than par |
| +2 | double bogey | two strokes over par |
| +3 | triple bogey | three strokes over par |
| +4 | quadruple bogey | four strokes over par |
The two basic forms of playing golf are match play and stroke play.
In match play, two players (or two teams) play every hole as a separate contest against each other. The party with the lower score wins that hole, or if the scores of both players or teams are equal the hole is "halved" (drawn). In the case that one team or player has taken a lead that cannot be overcome in the number of holes remaining to be played, the match is deemed to be won by the party in the lead, and the remainder of the holes are not played. For example, if one party already has a lead of six holes, and only five holes remain to be played on the course, the match is over. When the game is tied after the predetermined number of holes have been played, it may be continued until one side takes a one-hole lead, and thereupon immediately wins by one hole. In stroke play, every player (or team) counts the number of shots taken for the whole round or tournament to produce the total score, and the player with the lowest score wins. A variant of stroke play is Stableford scoring, where a number of points (two for the target score) are given for each hole, and the fewer shots taken, the more points obtained, so the aim is to have as many points as possible.There are many variations of these basic principles, some of which are explicitly described in the "Rules of Golf" and are therefore regarded "official".
Fees
One must pay certain fees to play on a golf course. the range fee, which is for the practice range, and the green fee, which allows play on the course itself. For nearly all courses, the range fee is not a prerequisite to play the course.
The green fee may vary from the equivalent of a few dollars for communal courses in many countries, up to that of several hundred dollars for public courses. Many golf courses are not open to the public. These private golf clubs also have green fees, but in order to play, one generally must be invited by a member of the club. Discounts on fees may be offered for players starting their round late (on some courses, unusually early) in the day.
If the course has golf carts, there is usually a fee to use them.
Team play
A foursome (defined in Rule 29) is played between two teams of two players each, in which each team has only one ball and players alternate playing it. For example, if players A and B form a team, A tees off on the first hole, B will play the second shot, A the third, and so on until the hole is finished. On the second hole, B will tee off (regardless who played the last putt on the first hole), then A plays the second shot, and so on. Foursomes can be played as match play or stroke play.
A four-ball (Rules 30 and 31) is also played between two teams of two players each, but every player plays his own ball and for each team, the lower score on each hole is counted. Four-balls can be played as match play or stroke play. In a scramble, or ambrose, each player in a team tees off on each hole, and the players decide which shot was best, Every player then plays his second shot from where the best ball has come to rest, and the procedure is repeated until the hole is finished. In best ball, each player plays the hole as normal, but the lowest score of all the players on the team counts as the team's score.
In a greensome, also called modified alternate shot, both players tee off, and then pick the best shot as in a scramble.
There is also a form of starting called "shotgun," which is mainly used for tournament play.
Handicap systems
A handicap is a numerical measure of an amateur golfer's ability to play golf over 18 holes. The 2 main formulas used in the game are stroke play (also known as brutto or medal) and match play. The Stroke play formula is an individual way of playing the game as you are competing against the par of the course by striking the ball the closest to the it. The Stroke play formula is simply the sum of strokes player shoot over 18 holes and compares it to the par (or the sum of a theoretical number of strokes per hole added up over 18 holes). the match play formula is a game during which two players play against each other. This formula was - and still is - very much appreciated by golfers as the state of mind is totally different from a stroke play game, during which the golfer has to 'secure' each and single of his shots in order to play the lower score (number of strokes) possible over 18 holes. In the contrary, the match play rule will allow the player to approach the course in a more aggressive manner in order to win the hole against his opponent. P1 plays 4 and P2 plays 5: P1 wins the hole and current score on the tee number 2 would be '1 up'.
The so-called "net" score is a formula commonly preferred by players from different proficiency to play against each other on equal terms. However, in practice, motivated and ambitious high handicap players strive to lower their handicaps and thus the current official one they show on their cards might not be their real current level, which consequently might put them in a favourable position when playing 'net' formula games. For example, Swiss handicap rules include the difficulty of the course the golfer is player on by taking into consideration factors such as the number of bunkers, the length of the course, the difficulty and slopes of the greens, the width of the fairways, and so on.
Handicap systems are not used in professional golf. Professional golfers typically score several strokes below par for a round thus have a handicap of 0 subtracting 0 from their round score.
Golf rules and other regulations
The rules of golf are internationally standardised and are jointly governed by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews (R&A), which was founded 1754 and the United States Golf Association (USGA). Canada has the separate Royal Canadian Golf Association, but generally follows the lead of the two larger bodies in the rules of golf continue to evolve, amended versions of the rule book are usually published and made effective in a four year cycle. As stated on the back cover of the official rule book: "play the ball as it lies", "play the course as you find it", and "if you can't do either, do what is fair". Some rules state that:
every player is entitled and obliged to play the ball from the position where it has come to rest after a stroke, unless a rule allows or demands otherwise (Rule 13-1) a player must not accept assistance in making a stroke (Rule 14-2) the condition of the ground or other parts of the course may not be altered to gain an advantage, except in some cases defined in the rules a ball may only be replaced by another during play of a hole if it is destroyed (Rule 5-3), lost (Rule 27-1), or unplayable (Rule 28), or at some other time permitted by the Rules. The player may always substitute balls between the play of two holes.There are strict regulations regarding the amateur status of golfers . Essentially, everybody who has ever received payment or compensation for giving instruction or played golf for money is not considered an amateur and may not participate in competitions limited solely to amateurs.
In addition to the officially printed rules, golfers also abide by a set of guidelines called golf etiquette. Etiquette guidelines cover matters such as safety, fairness, easiness and pace of play, and a player's obligation to contribute to the care of the course. If someone playing faster than you is behind you, you should stop on a tee box and let them play through. Remember, golf is a gentleman's game, be respectful of other players. Though there are no penalties for breach of etiquette rules, players generally follow the rules of golf etiquette in an effort to improve everyone's playing experience.
Golf course architecture and design
While no two courses are alike, many can be classified into one of the following broad categories:
Links courses: the most traditional type of golf course, of which some centuries-old examples have survived in the British isles. A desert course also violates the widely accepted principle of golf course architecture that an aesthetically pleasing course should require minimal alteration of the existing landscape. Nevertheless, many players enjoy the unique experience of playing golf in the desert. Sand courses: instead of a heavily irrigated 'green', the players play on sand; golf being played on snow, typically with an orange colored or another brightly colored ball. Executive courses: A course which generally is smaller than the typical 18-hole course, designed to cater to the fast-paced, executive lifestyle.In the United States design varies widely, with courses such as the entirely artificial Shadow Creek in Las Vegas, where a course complete with waterfalls was created in the desert, and on the other end of the spectrum, Rustic Canyon outside of Los Angeles, which was created with a minimal amount of earth moving resulting in an affordable daily green fee and a more natural experience.
Hitting a golf ball
To hit the ball, the club is swung at the motionless ball on the ground (or wherever it has come to rest) from a side stance. Many golf shots make the ball travel through the air (carry) and roll out for some more distance (roll).
Types of shots
A tee shot is the first shot played from a teeing ground. Tee shots on long holes ideally have a rather shallow flight and long roll of the ball, while tee shots on short holes are flighted higher and are expected to stop quickly. A tee may not be used once the ball has been brought into play. Hence, playing from the fairway may be more difficult depending on how the ball lies. Thin shots are characterized by striking the middle of the ball, while fat shots occur when the club strikes the turf behind the ball. A bunker shot is played when the ball is in a bunker (sand trap). The bunker shot differs from other golf shots in that the ball is not touched by the clubhead, but is lifted together with an amount of sand.Some of the more common poor shots are explained below:
Hook : The ball flight curves sharply to the left for a right-handed player (to the right for left-handed players).
Slice : The ball curves sharply to the right for a right-handed player (to the left for left-handed players). For beginning golfers this is the typical outcome of most shots.
Pull : For a right-handed player the ball is 'pulled' across the body and flies to the left of the intended target without curvature (the ball flies to the right for left-handed players). The ball flies to the right of the intended target for right-handed players (to the left for left-handed players).
Shank : The ball is struck by the hosel or the outer edge of the club rather than the clubface and shoots sharply to the right for a right-handed player. This may damage the surface of a golf ball with a soft cover material, and may result in a stinging sensation in one's hands on a cold day.
Fat : A fat shot occurs when the club strikes the ground before the ball. This occurs most frequently when teeing the ball up too high, though sometimes a Sky Ball will occur when the ball is sitting on top of long blades of grass and the club has space to pass under the ball. The top side of the club strikes the bottom side of the ball and forces the ball higher into the air than desired.
Flyer : This type of shot usually occurs when playing from deep rough. Grass blades come between the club face and the ball, preventing the grooves of the club from imparting maximum backspin on the ball. The resulting flight of the ball is that the target is overshot by 10 or more yards and the ball does not stop as quickly on the green. A small crater, or frying pan, encircles the "egg" (golf ball), and makes the next shot a difficult one.
Gunnell: A Gunnell is a low shot where the club face makes contact with the top of the ball.
The golf swing
Putts and short chips are ideally played without much movement of the body, but most other golf shots are played using variants of the full golf swing. The full golf swing itself is used in tee and fairway shots. At address, the player stands with the left shoulder and hip pointing in the intended direction of ball flight, with the ball before the feet. The club is held with both hands (right below left for right-handed players), the clubhead resting on the ground behind the ball, hips and knees somewhat flexed, and the arms hanging from the shoulders.
The full golf swing is an unnatural, highly complex motion and notoriously difficult to learn. It is not uncommon for beginners to spend several months practising the very basics before playing their first ball on a course. It is usually very difficult to acquire a stable and successful swing without professional instruction and even highly skilled golfers may continue to take golf lessons for many years.
Relatively few golfers play left-handed (i.e., swing back to the left and forward to the right), with even players who are strongly left-handed in their daily life preferring the right-handed golf swing. In the past, this may have been due to the difficulty of finding left-handed golf clubs. Today, more manufacturers provide left-handed versions of their club lines, and the clubs are more readily purchased from mail-order and Internet catalogues, as well as golf stores.
Besides the physical part, the mental aspect contributes to the difficulty of the golf swing. Golfers play against the course, not each other directly, and hit a stationary object, not one put into motion by an opponent. Even the best professional golfers sometimes succumb to this pressure, such as getting the "yips" (an infamous affliction of Bernhard Langer) a severe putting disorder caused by uncontrolled muscle spasms of the arms, resulting in a jerking motion during the follow through of the putt causing the ball to go much farther than desired, or having collapses of their full swing (as with Ian Baker-Finch).
A golf ball acquires spin when it is hit. Backspin is imparted for almost every shot due to the golf club's loft (i.e., angle between the clubface and a vertical plane). A ball with little backspin will usually roll out for a few yards/meters while a ball with more backspin may not roll at all, even backwards. Sidespin makes the ball curve left or right: a curve to the left is a draw, and to the right a fade (for right-handed players). Accomplished golfers purposely use sidespin to steer their ball around obstacles or towards the safe side of fairways and greens. But because it's sometimes difficult to control or predict the amount of sidespin, balls may take an undesirable trajectory, such as hook to the left, or slice to the right (for right-handed players).
Equipment
Golf clubs
A player usually carries several clubs during the game (but no more than fourteen, the limit defined by the rules). Hybrids are also used by players who have a difficult time getting the ball airborne with long irons. Putters are mostly played on the green, but can also be useful when playing from bunkers or for some approach shots.
Golf balls
The minimum allowed diameter of a golf ball is 42.67mm and its mass may not exceed 45.93g. Modern golf balls have a two-, three-, or four-layer design constructed from various synthetic materials. The method of construction and materials used greatly affect the ball's playing characteristics such as distance, trajectory, spin and feel. Golf balls are separated into three groups depending on their construction: two-, three-, or four-piece covers. Generally four-piece golf balls tend to be the most expensive, though price is no assurance of quality. As of 2006 there are golf balls that utilize RFID technology, which allow golfers to locate errant shots easily using a handheld homing device.
Golf shafts
Golf shafts are used between the grip and the "club head". The profile of the golf shaft is circlular in shape and some of the strongest and lightest materials are used to make the golf shaft.
Other equipment
Sometimes transport is by special golf carts. Clubs and other equipment are carried in golf bags. Golf tees resemble nails with a small cup on the head and are usually made of wood or plastic.
History
See also Timeline of golf history 1353-1850, Timeline of golf history 1851-1945, and Timeline of golf history 1945-1999.
The origin of golf is open to debate among Chinese, French, Dutch and Scottish. Here the Dutch played a game with a stick and leather ball. However, golf is generally regarded to be a Scottish invention, as the game was mentioned in two 15th-century laws prohibiting the playing of the game of "gowf". They point out that a game of putting a small ball in a hole in the ground using golf clubs was played in 17th-century Netherlands.
The oldest playing golf course in the world is The Old Links at Musselburgh. Evidence has shown that golf was played on Musselburgh Links in 1672 although Mary, Queen of Scots reputedly played there in 1567.
Golf courses have not always had eighteen holes. As early as the 15th century, golfers at St. Andrews established a customary route through the undulating terrain, playing to holes whose locations were dictated by topography. One played the holes out, turned around, and played the holes in, for a total of 22 holes.
The major changes in equipment since the 19th century have been better mowers, especially for the greens, better golf ball designs, using rubber and man-made materials since about 1900, and the introduction of the metal shaft beginning in the 1930s. Also in the 1930s the wooden golf tee was invented.
In January 2006, new evidence re-invigorated the debate concerning the origins of golf. Ling Hongling of Lanzhou University suggests that a game similar to modern-day golf was played in China since Southern Tang Dynasty, 500 years before golf was first mentioned in Scotland. Clubs were inlaid with jade and gold, suggesting golf was for the wealthy.
A spokesman for the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, one of the oldest Scotland golf organization, said "Stick and ball games have been around for many centuries, but golf as we know it today, played over 18 holes, clearly originated in Scotland."
Social aspects of golf
In the United States, golf is the unofficial sport of the business world. It is often said that board meetings merely confirm decisions that are actually made on the golf course. For this reason, the successful conduct of business golf (which extends beyond merely knowing the game) is considered a useful business skill; various schools, including prestigious universities such as Stanford University, have started both undergraduate and graduate-level courses that teach "business golf".
The 19th Hole is a common reference to having a drink in the clubhouse following a round of golf.
Cost to play
The cost of an average round of golf in the United States is USD $36 , and the sport is regularly enjoyed by over 26 million Americans and many more world-wide. Despite golf's popularity in densely populated East Asian countries such as South Korea and Japan, the citizen of average means is limited to hitting balls on driving ranges as play on an actual course requires memberships priced at several times the average worker's annual salary.
The fact that golf tends to be a sport associated with wealthy businesspeople and professionals (doctors playing golf on Wednesdays, corporate golf days, etc), not to mention the high prices and wealthy clientele that can afford to pay to join elite country clubs, contribute to the perception that golf is expensive. By contrast, there is no other single sport that might be compared to golf as a sport for affluent people. (Hunting may be on par, so to speak, as the sport of business in the American south, but golf is still pervasive in the south.
To compare golf against other sports is to quantify what makes it more expensive:
Golf is not a game in which equipment can be comfortably shared. Buying or even renting an entire set of golf clubs immediately becomes more expensive. Playing golf requires paying greens fees to enter a golf course. However, few high schools or youth programs offer a golf program where kids can be exposed to and learn the game at a relatively cheaper price. Those that do usually provide access to a golf course with unlimited access. Comparing golf to other individual (rather than team) sports, golf is still more expensive. One racquet for a racquet sport (tennis, squash, racquetball) is still much cheaper than a set of clubs, and registration at a racquet club or even a local YMCA for a month can be cheaper than one day at the golf course. It is difficult for a golfer to practice hitting shots longer than short pitch shots unless one pays to play golf or pays to practice at a driving range or indoor golf training facility. Yet, in order to be outfitted with the latest golf equipment, including rather expensive clothing, shoes and gloves, one can end up spending quite a sum. Because golf has become the platform through which business people interact, evaluate each other, and generally talk/negotiate, the quality of one's clubs and dress are an expression of their success.Cost of maintenance
The maintenance and upkeep of a golf course demands significant expense. The sheer size of a golf course (on average, 75 acres) demands no small amount of crew and equipment. However, unlike a tennis or basketball court, grass on a golf court continues to grow, as do weeds, trees, etc, which must be continually and regularly trimmed and kept in order to maintain a clean course.
Quality grasses, soils, flora, and a high degree of ever-changing technology requires that a golf club can't really "go cheap" and expect to remain profitable.
World popularity
In 2005 Golf Digest calculated that there were nearly 32,000 golf courses in the world, approximately half of them in the United States. The countries with most golf courses in relation to population, starting with the best endowed were: Scotland, New Zealand, Australia, Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Canada, Wales, United States, Sweden, and England (countries with fewer than 500,000 people were excluded). For example the first golf course in the People's Republic of China only opened in the mid-1980s, but by 2005 there were 200 courses in that country.
The professional sport was initially dominated by British golfers, but since World War I, America has produced the greatest quantity of leading professionals.
The last decade or so has seen a marked increase in specialised golfing vacations or holidays worldwide. This demand for travel which is centered around golf has lead to the development of many luxury resorts which cater to golfers and feature integrated golf courses.
Professional golf
Golf is played professionally in many different countries. The majority of professional golfers work as club or teaching professionals, and only compete in local competitions. A small elite of professional golfers are "tournament pros" who compete full time on international "tours".
Golf tours
There are at least twenty professional golf tours, each run by a PGA or an independent tour organisation, which is responsible for arranging events, finding sponsors, and regulating the tour. Gaining membership of an elite tour is highly competitive, and most professional golfers never achieve it.
The most widely known tour is the PGA TOUR (officially rendered in all caps), which attracts the best golfers from all the other men's tours. The European Tour, which attracts a substantial number of top golfers from outside North America, ranks second to the PGA TOUR in worldwide prestige.
Golf is unique in having lucrative competition for older players. In current (2006) chronological order they are:
The Masters U.S. Open The Open Championship (referred to in North America as the British Open) PGA ChampionshipThe fields for these events include the top several dozen golfers from all over the world. The Masters has been played at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia since its inception in 1934. It is the only major championship that is played at the same course each year. The U.S. Open and PGA Championship are played at various courses around the United States, while The Open Championship is played at various courses in the UK.
Women's majors
Women's golf does not have a globally agreed set of majors. However, the significance of this is limited, as the LPGA is far more dominant in women's golf than the PGA Tour is in mainstream men's golf. Also, the Ladies European Tour tacitly acknowledges the dominance of the LPGA Tour by not scheduling any of its own events to conflict with the three LPGA majors played in the U.S.
Senior majors
Like women's golf, senior (50-and-over) men's golf does not have a globally agreed set of majors. The Champions Tour now recognizes five majors:
Senior PGA Championship U.S. Senior Open Senior British Open The Tradition Senior Players ChampionshipOf the five events, the Senior PGA is by far the oldest, having been founded in 1937. The other events all date from the 1980s, when senior golf became a commercial success as the first golf stars of the television era, such as Arnold Palmer and Gary Player, reached the relevant age. However, the Champions Tour is arguably more dominant in global senior golf than the U.S. LPGA is in global women's golf.
Environmental impact
Environmental concerns over the use of land for golf courses have grown over the past 50 years. The modern golf course superintendent is well trained in the uses of these practices and grasses. The turf on golf courses is an excellent filter for water and has been used in many communities to cleanse grey water. While many people continue to oppose golf courses for environmental reasons, there are others who feel that they are beneficial for the community and the environment as they provide corridors for migrating animals and sanctuaries for birds and other wildlife.
A major result of modern equipment is that today's players can hit the ball much further than previously. In a concern for safety, modern golf course architects have had to lengthen and widen their design envelope. This has led to a ten percent increase in the amount of area that is required for golf courses today. While most modern 18-hole golf courses occupy as much as 60 ha (150 acres) of land, the average course has 30 ha (75 acres) of maintained turf. (Sources include the National Golf Foundation and the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America [GCSAA].)
Golf courses are built on many different types of land, including sandy areas along coasts, abandoned farms, strip mines and quarries, deserts and forests. Resisting golf tourism and golf's expansion has become an objective of some land-reform movements, especially in the Philippines and Indonesia.
In Saudi Arabia, golf courses have been constructed on nothing more than oil-covered sand. However, in some cities such as Dhahran, modern, grass golf courses have been built recently.
In Coober Pedy, Australia, there is a famous golf course that consists of nine holes dug into mounds of sand, diesel and oil and not a blade of grass or a tree to be seen. Many golf courses have been displaced by urban planning practices. Many things that displace golf courses range from neighborhoods to shopping malls.
At the 125-year-old Royal Colombo Golf Club in Sri Lanka steam trains, from the Kelani Valley railway, run through the course at the 6th hole.
Technology in Golf
Equipment
As golf has grown more competitive, players have wanted equipment that performs better. Golf balls have changed from feather-filled leather sacs to complex composites. Golf clubs have changed from wooden shafts and club heads to carbon fiber shafts and precisely engineered club heads.
Instruction
Golf has often been in the forefront of technological advances in sport. Systems have been developed that measure the speed and spin of golf balls after they are hit, measure club head speed and even how the body moves during the golf swing. Video motion capture has played a large role in measuring aspects of golf that are difficult if not impossible to measure and understand with the human eye.
Tools such as launch monitors are able to measure club head speed as well as golf ball speed and spin, projecting the most likely flight path of the ball.
Etymology
The word golf was first mentioned in writing in 1457 on a Scottish statute on forbidden games as gouf, possibly derived from the Scottish word goulf (variously spelled) meaning "to strike or cuff".
Golf humor
Many jokes revolve around the game of golf, either as a setting for an otherwise generic punchline or as the target of a barb. John McEnroe asked rhetorically, in reference to whether golf is a sport, "I thought a sport was where you had to run or something." Many business people like to say, "The worst day on the golf course, is better than the best day at work." Tolkien said that golf originated from hobbits, after Bullroarer Took knocked the goblin king, Golfimbul's, head off with a wooden club, sending it down a rabbit hole, thus winning the battle and inventing golf at the same time.
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