Golf

Golf is a sport that is played with a club and a ball. Players use a variety of clubs to attempt to knock balls into a succession of holes on a course while minimising the number of strokes they take to do it.

In contrast to the vast majority of ball sports, golf does not and cannot use an uniform playing area; thus, one of the most important aspects of the game is learning how to adapt to the many landscapes that may be found on different courses. The game is played at its most common level on a course that has an ordered succession of 18 holes; however, recreational courses may be far shorter and often have just nine holes. There must be a teeing ground and putting green next to each hole on the course. The actual hole or cup must measure four and one-quarter inches (11 cm) in diameter and be located on the putting green. There are other typical kinds of topography that appear in between, such as the fairway, the rough (long grass), bunkers (or "sand traps"), and other hazards (water, rocks), but the precise layout and placement of each hole on a course makes it one-of-a-kind.

Golf may be played for the lowest number of strokes by an individual, which is known as stroke play, or it can be played for the lowest score on the most individual holes in a whole round by an individual or team, which is known as match play. Both types of play are known as match play. At every level, but particularly at the most competitive level, the format that is most often seen is called stroke play.

The present version of golf may be traced back to Scotland in the 15th century. At 1764, the Old Course in St. Andrews was the first to implement a round of 18 holes. The Open Championship, commonly referred to as the British Open, is the oldest event that is still in existence in the world. It was originally contested in 1860 at the Prestwick Golf Club in Ayrshire, Scotland, and is considered the first major championship in golf. The Masters Tournament, the United States Open, and the PGA Championship are the other three major championships in men's professional golf, all of which are contested in the United States. This is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf.