Golf is a game worth of at least 500 years tradition. It is a philosophy of peace, an honor of gentlemen and an art of ladies. True golf players know, however, that sport is always rivalry at heart. Place the ball, take a deep breath and make your shot — and maybe yours will be better than your opponents.
Professionals never do random shots. They assess courses, look for possible hindrances, feel for the wind and make their own destiny. Each golf player is proud to be part of this revered competition. This is no surprise as playing golf was for a long time considered a noble game for noble people. In a 19th century it was an activity of true gentlemen, and professionals were revered in the society. Many high-ranking officials were part of golf clubs. It was very difficult to become a part of one and even today admittance to clubs like The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews is very difficult and can prove to be a challenge.
Golf in Englishmen routine
Imagine a typical day of a British gentleman. He wakes up, steadily goes through his morning routine up to the point when he sits at the table to eat breakfast. His meal consists of bacon, an egg, sausages, mushrooms and tomatoes. It is accompanied, of course, with a cup of black tea. After that, he has 20 minutes to look through a newspaper that was delivered to his house earlier this morning. And then he proceeds onward to his work at the office. However, for Sunday he has other plans: on Sunday he goes to play golf.
Being a part of a golf club was a privilege those days. Not everyone could afford all the equipment needed for the activity. Moreover, to maintain their reputation clubs were forced to ensure that their admittance rules were extremely strict. To our imaginary gentleman it meant that he would never miss the opportunity to visit the course with his partners and associates. A whole 18-hole round of golf sometimes even included political discussions and business negotiations.
After the game gentlemen were rarely eager to go home to their families because it was time for other esteemed activities. Men would go to places where they could have a drink and recuperate while mentally preparing for another working week. Card games were extremely popular amid this public. Poker, Old maid, Trade and Barter were played. This popularity is not surprising: games of chance were well-loved since ancient times, and today they are even more popular than in the past. A person doesn’t even need to go anywhere to get access to them; nowadays, one can simply use their phone to open online casino there.
Modern layout
Still, today golf is not just a socializing activity for distinguished gentlemen. It is also a sport with competitors coming from all over the globe to find out who is the best player. The R&A and the United States Golf Association make a new draft of game’s rules every 4 years, countless championships take place in different countries on different continents. Golf already has a loyal fan base that is constantly growing, and one day it might even outshine the most popular sport disciplines such as football and hockey.