:: Golf Travel Links

Golf is an outdoor game where individual players or teams play a small ball into a hole using various clubs. 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 believed to have originated in Scotland and has been played for several centuries in the British Isles and continuously in the United States since 1887 (Foxburg, Pennsylvania). Although often viewed as an elite pastime, golf is increasingly popular and continues to attract ever more players around the world.

A round of golf consists of playing a number of holes, usually eighteen. A hole of golf consists of hitting a ball from a tee on the teeing ground (a marked area designated for the first shot of a hole), and continuing to strike the ball till it comes to rest in the cup. Once the ball is on the green (an area of finely cut grass or oiled sand) the ball is usually putted (hit along the ground) into the hole. The aim of holing the ball in as few strokes as possible may be impeded by various obstructions, such as bunkers and water hazards.

Competitive golf can be played by individual players (single) or by teams. Golf can be scored by stroke play or match play. In stroke play, the number of shots taken for the whole round or tournament is counted 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. Another variant of stroke play, the Modified Stableford method, awards points on each hole in relation to par and then adds the points over a round; for more details on this method, see The INTERNATIONAL, a tournament that uses this method. In match play, every hole is played as a separate contest, with the goal of winning as many holes as possible; when one player's lead exceeds the number of holes remaining in the round, the match ends.

Travel Category: Main Travel Page » Golf

Features links for golf packages, golf courses, golf accessories and travel guides for golfers. Golfing is an amazing sport and golf resources are here.