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Golf Tourism and Travel Golf is one of the ball games that do not have a fixed area for the playing field. The goal of individual or team playing the game is to hit the ball towards a hole through the use of clubs. This originated in Scotland and has been played in British Isles for many centuries. Many think that the game of golf is a pastime for elites and upper classes. However, in recent years, the game is becoming a popular game for many people (Golf, 2006). The golf travel industry has been flying high especially in recent times.
To illustrate this point, in Scotland, where the game originated, there is roughly a 200 million pounds increase in revenue in the last four years. Tourism and Sport Minister Frank McAveety said that these figures were up from? 100 million to? 300 million and stressed the importance of promoting Scotland as a must-visit golfing destination. (Golf Tourism on fairway to success). Indeed the golf industry has gone a long way. The golf resorts today boast in being exceptional vacation places both for players and non-players. Majority of these vacation places feature both golf vacation packages as well as romance packages. Golf has been an increasingly popular sport.
Despite the traditional view that golf is a game for the elite and the rich population, the level of interest on the sports has perpetrated all types of people. The increase in the level of popularity could be seen in the way golf players were hailed as endorsers of major products. The increase in the level of popularity thus calls for greater understanding of the mechanics of the game, and how the game has evolved over time. This paper would discuss the historical roots, the systems of the game, and the tournaments that shape the popularity of the game today. This would also include discussions of major personalities produced in the history of golf. History The Scottish were regarded as pioneers in playing the game of golf.
The game for example, was mentioned in two fifteenth century laws, which specified that the law prohibit the game of go. There is however a debate on whether this actually pertains to the same golf that people know today. Scholars believe that this might be referring to another form of game, which is related to Shirt or Hurling, or the modern game of field hockey. The form of golf that is known today is argued to have been played in 17 th century in Netherlands. The word golf originated from the Germanic term for the word club. Evidences on the history of golf shows that the Old Links in Musselburgh is used Links as early as 1567 (Golf, 2006).
The eighteen holes golf game is not always the pattern of the game in its earlier years. In the 15 th century, golfers at St. Andrews Links only established customary routes through the terrain, and played the game with holes that are merely dictated through the topography. One line of holes would consist of eleven holes and therefore a round would really consist of twenty-two holes. Players realized that some of the distances between holes are quite too short and thus in 1764, some of the holes were combined. As a result, a line of holes would consist of only nine holes and a round would now consist of eighteen holes (Golf, 2006).
In the 19 th century, the game has become increasingly popular such that better equipments were introduced to improve the game. Better mowers have become available to improve the greens, and golf ball designs have improved significantly. In 1900 golf balls have become made of rubber and other man-made materials. In 1930 s, metal shafts were also introduced. The wooden golf tee was also invented in the 1930 s. The use of metal for the woodenhead's and shafts replaced with graphite composite materials were introduced in the 1970 s (Golf 2006).
There are several new developments in the history of golf. In January of 2006, evidences were excavated that would change the history of golf. Professor Ling Hongling of the Lanzhou University showed that a game with great similarities with the modern day golf was already played in China for at least 500 years earlier than when the golf was mentioned in the laws of Scotland (Golf, 2006). The recent developments in the discovery shows that the Dongzuan Record from the Song Dynasty in China described a specific game as chuan and the records also show drawings on how the game was played. The chuan is played with 10 clubs with cuanbang, pang, and shebang, which are all similar in function as the driver, two-wood, and three-wood used in modern day golf (Golf, 2006; Timeline of Golf History, 2006). The archive also presented some important data on the Tang Dynasty Magistrate who instructed his daughter to make holes for him to play the game.
The tee that was used was also described as jewel encrusted. The clubs used in the game were also described as decorated with jade and gold. These patterns of designs are intricate and expensive and thus pointing to the fact that chuan is only a game for the wealthy people in China. The investigations of Professor Hongling suggested that the game was only transferred and imported to Scotland through the Mongolian travelers in the middle ages. This claim however is still not substantiated with evidences (Golf, 2006). Despite its global importance, the idea of tourism has not been well-defined.
According to Clive L. Morley, attempts to define tourism date back to 1933 and the various approaches to definitions taken since then display the economic, sociological, marketing or statistical concerns and interests of their framers. (Morley, Clive. The Journal of Tourism Studies). Efforts to draw up a model in order to define the idea of tourism and the synonymous term of leisure have escaped most researchers. At the most, they draw up models to define what it is. Indeed, it is difficult to reconcile the necessarily subjective element and imprecise boundaries of the concept. (Morley, Clive.
The Journal of Tourism Studies). Since tourism involves association of people from different geographical locations, and concern of social relations between people who would otherwise not meet, economic clashes can take place as a result of differences in cultures, ethnic and religious groups, values and lifestyles, languages, and levels of prosperity. The approach of local residents towards tourism development may be excitement. The visitors are welcome for awhile, but later on, there is indifference, annoyance and potential antagonism, when anti-tourist attitudes begin growing among local people. Governments may continue to fund the tourists spots that do not maximize the profits they expect. In looking at the economic implications of golf tourism, it is best to look into the mans idea and pursuit of leisure and recreation.
For example, the fast growth of Asians travelling for leisure and recreation today stresses on a reassessment of how tourism in the region is analysed and understood. Certainly, it appears tourism requires an analysis which moves beyond certain themes such as social and cultural behaviours, considering the fact that when traveling, one crosses the economic, cultural, and ethnic barriers, determined to unite humanity under one umbrella of internationalization. As one embraces the world with interest and wonder, one is also looked upon as minor ambassador of ones own nation. (Morley, Clive. The Journal of Tourism Studies).
Looking at the significance of the political side to leisure, we can examine what Aristotle said, in his Ethics which posits that the goal of life is happiness and that leisure... is the state necessary for its achievement. (as cited in A Definition, n. d. ). Presently, more and more people prefer an increased vacation time, mental-health days and other benefits to a raise in salary (Buyer, n.
d. ). Beyond the purchasing power offered by high income, people seem to be realizing the equally important need of self- discovery, times spent with family and friends, and a balanced lifestyle. However, having this kind of luxury does not necessarily imply a break or separation from the work post. Current earner seems to be enjoying a greater freedom to pursue the activities that one craves to do due to the eventual blurring of the borders of the workplace. The dawn of globalization, the improved communication that transcends through time and borders, has caused the upsurge of service-oriented enterprises that need not require a worker to leave ones comfort zones.
It was once hoped that golf tourism would arouse mutual understanding between nations and cultures. Instead, tourists arrive and take on a short program of sight-seeing and leisure in which inter-cultural understanding takes a back seat. In experiencing the poverty of the host country, the tourist may well return home with an attitude of arrogance. Foreigners on brief visits may in fact contribute to the decay of the country's social fabric. Local young people, ignorant of the world outside, may be enticed to copy the visitors' behavior. But the customs and behavior of the visitors may be very different from a country's own.
Even the UK has conceptualized its first centre for golf tourism and research at East Lothian alongside a new Hibs football academy costing 25 millions pounds... This only goes to show that the game has attracted its own set of tourists enough to attract tourists (Todd, Stephanie). Peoples penchant for leisure and consumption seldom receives the attention of those concerned about the fate of the planet. Technological change must be complemented by a reduction of material wants. Human desires will still exceed the biosphere unless they shift from material to nonmaterial ends. The ability of the earth to support billions of human beings depends on whether we continue to equate consumption with fulfillment.
At the same time, we need to challenge the received wisdom that consumption and leisure must be pursued regardless of its human and environmental effects a matter of national policy ion order to keep people employed. The game is played with a specific number of holes that must be reached in a specific order. Each round is usually composed of 18 holes that should be followed in order and according to the layout of the golf course. There are golf courses that have only nine holes and therefore a round would consist of two consecutive nine-hole rounds. A hole in the game would start with hitting the ball from a tee on the teeing ground, which is the marked area designated for the first shot. Once the ball comes to rest, the player would strike the ball again until the ball is finally resting in the cup.
If the ball in the green, which is an area of finely cut grass, the ball is usually putted or the ball is hit along the ground towards the hole. The aim of the game is to put the ball into the hole in as few strokes as possible. This capacity to shorten the strokes is...
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