Golf
Photo: Attributed to William Mosman / Attributed to Jeremiah Davison, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
Golf is a game that is variously considered a pastime, recreation, sport, profession, religion or obsession. The ostensible object is to knock a small hard ball into a designated hole, with the minimum number of blows of a stick or club (known as a "stroke"), while avoiding the hazards of the terrain such as vegetation, water, soft ground and loose sand. It is immensely frustrating — your "sweet shot" of the day is often followed by a shank into the brambles — yet irresistible to many. Two features are distinctive: while other games are played on a standardised pitch or court, each golf course is unique, so this is a motive for travel. Second is the "handicap" system that enables players of different abilities to play each other on a roughly equal footing.
This page is about golf from a visitor perspective. There's a world of difference between playing a course and being a full member of the club that owns it, and the waiting list for membership at the most prestigious clubs is on a geological time scale.
UnderstandThe remarkable history of golf is that there were furious laws against playing it, seemingly centuries before it existed.
DestinationsGolf is one of the few things that unites this diverse continent, and a combined European team play the USA for the Ryder Cup every two years. Naturally players from the strongest golfing nations predominate.
BuyA large industry exists to supply golfers with everything they need and a whole lot that they don't.
EatUpscale golf courses are often part of a resort complex, with plush hotel restaurants serving all sorts of cuisine.
DrinkMost Clubhouses have a bar, known as the "19th hole", and resort hotels have several. What's better than playing is talking about the round you just had over a pint. This is also a great place for networking.
Stay safeGolf is not exactly a dangerous sport but you don't want to be hit by balls.) and driving home again drowsy. Or of succumbing to the same heart attack that would have felled you if you'd stayed home that day watching TV.
RespectThe game is invested with a samurai-code of decorum and honour. If your ball has gone into the rough, you may be the only person to see where it's landed.
Sources and licences
- Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Golf" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo: Attributed to William Mosman / Attributed to Jeremiah Davison, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons