Sunny laid back Sunday early morning, extended weekends or a getaway, discussion on none of these is full without a mention of golf. What precisely is Golf? Well it is an outdoor ball game wherein the aim is to hit the ball into a series of holes in the minimum possible strokes. A round of golf consists of 18 openings. Now the lot of strokes you have to hit one hole is your Par. Each opening has a teeing site around it, that includes a fairway, a rough sideway and a green well-mown area around the hole. Then there are the "not so wanted" obstacles like sand traps, water etc that are called the bunkers.

It is believed to have originated from an ancient game called chole, supposedly meaning, "ball". Many of the people believe that Scotland is where Golf was born, probably out of a prohibited 15th century game called 'gowf'. Nevertheless many folklore relate it as an acronym for Gentlemen Only, Ladies Forbidden. The modern Golf came into being again in Scotland in the later half of the 19th century. Later over the 20th century golf saw a facelift with a variety of golf equipments and strategies being designed.

Golf has woven itself in the social textile as the game of the elite and high-end business people. Would you think if we tell you that many United States business school include golf to their management curriculum? It is a game of social status. After all one needs to pay out huge sums on latest equipment, the right clothing and the green fees of the golf course. This has actually still kept golf away from the reach of common man. Nevertheless, the large appeal of the game can be judged by the really truth that there more than 32,000 golf links worldwide!

Players walk around the golf course with their caddies who manage the equipments of the players. The gamer whose ball is farthest from the hole gets a possibility to play first when each individual player has had his chance of playing the ball once. The game is succeeded by the person or the team that scores the maximum holes. It can be played by teams in foursome or by people. A really intriguing term taking rounds in the golfing neighborhood is "Golf handicap." This is the score of effectiveness of different players, which influence their net score, therefore enabling players of various capacities to bet each other.

People say golf is not played by policies however by decorums. However, there are a couple of set policies. The most fundamental are "play the ball as it lies", "play the course as you find it", and "if you can refrain either, do exactly what is reasonable". A Golf player can play several kinds of shots such as tee shot, fairway shot, bunker shot, puts, pitch, flop, chip and a golf swing. A golf swing is the most complicated shot that includes ideal coordination of the full anatomy of the player.

Over the years golf equipment has expanded in term of sophistication and method. From golf balls, tees and clubs to golf carts, bags shoes, etc; it is an entire huge market out there. The British officers initially started professional golf. Now there are several Golf tournaments like PGA tour, Ryder Cup, U.S. Open and so on. In this time and age when contamination is a big issue, the large golf courses prove to be the breathing lungs of cities and towns where they are located. They nurture the local flora and fauna and provide a welcome reprieve from the concrete jungle.