The origin of Golf is speculative, with many countries claiming that it has originated on their lands. In order that his subjects practice archery, King James II of Scotland had banned the game of Golf in the year 1452, this is the first reference known with regard to this game. The Scots played a very basic form of Golf just using a club, swinging at the ball with the idea of moving the ball from the start to the finishing hole in the least number of strokes. The game was played from there on and in 1744 the golf’s first rules were penned in Edinburgh. The word Golf itself has come from the Old Scots terms "goff" or "golve", which evolved from "kolf", the medieval Dutch term that meant ‘club’.

Golf is played on a specific land area known as a ‘golf course’, consisting of eighteen holes. There are different areas on the course from where the ball is hit or lands after the ball is hit. The fairway is the area on the course from where majority of the players begin their game, since it works to their advantage. The grass here is short and, the rough is another designated area on the course but the grass here is much longer. The next area on the course is the hazard that is seen at many holes, and is categorized into three types; water hazards, man-made hazards and lateral hazards. When a ball falls in a hazard, the rules are slightly unique and quite strict. Another area on the golf course has the grass on it cut extremely short; this enables the ball to roll several yards before stopping. This area is known as the ‘putting green’. Besides these playing areas on the course, there are a few like ‘G.U.R’ i.e. Ground under Repair, obstructions like gardens, posts etc.

When it comes to playing the game, the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews (R&A) and United States Golf Association (USGA) govern the rules of the game. The rules are based on three principles,
    1."Play the ball as it lies"
    2."Play the course as you find it"
    3. "If neither can be done, do what is fair"

When playing Golf, a lot of factors can result in poor shots and it takes practice to improve a player’s skill. The player has a lot of factors to consider like club alignment, swing direction, etc. and any misjudgment of these influence a bad shot. These shots are given names and a variety of tips are available to cure the problems. A few of the poor shots are known as slice, hook, shank, push, pull, whiff, chili dip etc.

In order to play shots well and taking perfect swings at the ball, the kind of equipment used by the player has a major influence. Clubs are the first and the player can carry only fourteen according to the rule. The clubs are of three major types; irons, putters and woods. Each is used to play a different shot, like for instance to play shots that are shorter, irons known as wedges are used. Similarly each of these clubs has variations and it takes a lot of experience to use the right club for a certain shot. In between a grip and the club head a golf shaft is used, made of a strong but light material. Considering the balls used in golf, the permitted diameter should be no more than 42.67mm and 45.93 grams in weight. There are different kinds of golf balls available in the market, and can be selected on the kind of game and the course. Other equipment that golfers require when playing golf are ball markers, gloves, golf carts, shoes, tees, pitch fork and a score card.