Other destinations have also developed golf courses. Valderama is probably the most famous of the continental courses, the venue of the first Ryder Cup held in Mainland Europe. Golf courses have developed in both Spain and Portugal, particularly in coastal areas. Iberia offers also offers the second most important focus for European Golf. The most famous course undoubtedly would be the Old Course at St Andrews.
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Their larger neighbour England also has many fine courses. This is due to the fact that their extensive coastlines offer ample opportunities to build links courses. The Celtic countries, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, in particular hit above their weight in terms of the courses they offer. Throughout the British Isles you will find many good quality courses. The British Isles remain the main focus of golf in Europe. That biennial trophy succeeds every two years to unify the Europeans in a way that has so far eluded the European Union. However both the insular and continental European golfers do not let such matters divide them too much, when it comes to the Ryder Cup. Golf as we understand it originated in Scotland, although it is probable that ancestor games to modern golf originated on the Continent. Golf has been an Olympic sport since 2016, though the Olympic golf tournament is not as prestigious as the majors, and the top players usually choose to skip it. Today, perhaps one of the first two things that developers consider when wanting to attract more tourism to a destination is where to put the (next) golf course to go with the hotel they are wanting to develop. Golf is golf wherever you play in the world, with the same standard rules, which is particularly useful if you want to play the sport outside your own country.
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Rugby and Cricket) and an "American" analogue (e.g. This joint approach helps to ensure that golf has not suffered the fate of other sports and split between a "British" sport, (e.g. Golf has two global Governing Bodies, the "R&A" at St Andrew's, Scotland and the "United States Golf Association" which work closely in partnership, for example in agreeing to changes to the "Rules of Golf". Scotland and England followed after the First World War. By the end of the 19th Centuary, Clubs in Ireland, The United States of America, and Wales had come together to organise the sport at their respective national levels. Golf spread throughout the British Isles, and by 1829, beyond them with the establishment of the "Royal Calcutta Golf Club" in India. Because of this, Scotland, and in particular the Old Course at St Andrews, is considered the traditional home of Golf, and the standard to which all other Golf Courses are compared.
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Golf originated at St Andrews, in Scotland. While this may appear frustrating to some, the pleasure that so many people do derive from working out their frustrations in the course of this game means that golf and visiting the golf courses where the game is played is a significant reason for travel. The apparent object is to knock a small hard ball into a designated hole, using only a minimum number of blows of a stick or club, while avoiding the hazards of the terrain such as vegetation, water, soft ground and loose sand. Golf is a game that is variously considered a pastime, recreation, sport, profession, religion or an obsession.