About golf

No one is exactly sure when golf was first played, but it's generally agreed that it was invented by the Scots. The earliest mentions of it were in 1457, when King James II of Scotland banned golf and football as he thought the games were distracting young men from their archery practice! The first golf club to be set up was Royal Blackheath (www.royalblackheath.com/), where the original 13 rules of golf were written.

Now, around 2.5 million people in the UK play golf, and nearly 55 million worldwide - that's nearly as many people as the entire population of the UK! There are over 5,000 golf courses in the UK, including world - famous courses such as St Andrews, Royal Birkdale (www.royalbirkdale.com/), Royal Liverpool (www.royal-liverpool-golf.com/) and The Belfry (www.devere.co.uk/golf/), which have all staged top golf events such as the Open and the Ryder Cup.

Britain is also home to the Ladies' Golf Union (www.lgu.org/), proving that it's not just a game for men. The union is breaking new ground in 2007 by staging the Women's British Open Championship (www.lgu.org/championships/weetabix_womensopen_2007/) at the legendary Old Course at St Andrews - the first championship for female professionals to be played at the 'Home of Golf'.

So if golf is a hobby, a serious pastime or something you just want to watch or learn, Britain is the best place to come. Play on some of the most famous courses in the world, feel the tension as you watch the world's top players compete, and relax in some of the world's best and oldest golf clubs.