Any astronomer will tell you that the earth revolves around the sun. However, the world seems to revolve around a smaller orb, and that would be the golf ball. This tiny ball has held countless people spellbound since the first century B.C. It is worthwhile to take a look at this spellbinding game, its origin, and in which regions of the world it is most popular.

Beginnings

As with most things modern people enjoy, the beginnings may be traced back to either ancient Rome or Greece. As far back as first century BC, the Romans played a game with bent sticks and a small, stuffed leather ball. As the Roman empire expanded, so did the idea of hitting a little ball into a small hole.

Names for Golf

Of course each culture, country, and continent had its own name for this growing sporting venture.

• England: Cambuca. This Latin word means, hooked rod.
• China: Chuiwan. This Chinese word means, strike small ball.
• France: Chambot. Bent stick hitting ball.

Actual Origin Of the Name, Golf

Many people perpetuate the falsity that golf is derived from an acronym meaning, Gentlemen Only, Ladies Forbidden. While this sounds great and gives the modern woman something to stick in the eye of male chauvinists, the tale is false. In fact, before the 20th century, very few words derived from the use of acronyms.

The Scottish Influence

The most probable origin of golf's name comes from Scotland. While a popular theory traces the root of the word to the Dutch, with the word, Kolf, there are too many contradicting factors to allow this theory to stand.

First, golf is mentioned in Scotland's history far before the Dutch came upon the sport. Second, there are no words in the Scottish language from the middle ages to suggest any connection whatsoever with the Dutch word, Kolf.

The Scottish word for strike or cuff, is Goulf. In the middle ages, the Scottish used as many spellings for any particular word as they wished. The aim was to spell a word as close to the phonetic sound of the word as possible. The closest spelling the Scottish used, which is what is believed to have morphed into the modern word, was, golph. It is interesting that the first known writing of the word, golf, in our language is in 1457. This is when Scotland's James II banned the game because he saw it as a worthless past time that distracted the citizens from the more important business of archery.

The Modern Era

It is strange that in order to speak about golf in the modern era, one must travel back in time to fifteenth century Scotland. It is this time when the modern game is believed to have begun. Few casual observers are aware that when they are watching the British Open, the walk to the 18th at St. Andrews is a pilgrimage that has been made since before 1574.

Saint Andrews: The Way Golf Was Meant To Be Played

If, indeed, golf is a good walk ruined, then playing at Saint Andrews is a bad hike made worse. Amid the moans of warriors' ghosts and the towering shadows of ruined castles, a golfer must fight, more than play. Playing Saint Andrews today is as much a duel involving clubs as it is a game.

Many golfers wax poetic over the chance of playing this historic course. As a matter of fact, the first few holes are deceptive and calm, much like the way an ambush takes place on a battlefield. Golfers soon find themselves mired down in the heather, craggy grass, and rocks. They begin to slog through the course more than they strut. Their face is stung by bugs, and their hair is sticky with sweat. Carts are not allowed at Saint Andrews. One must walk and carry his bags much the same way soldiers once limped these same grounds while carrying their dead.

While golf is possibly the world's sport of choice, there are pockets of popularity where the sport thrives more than in other regions.

Today's Most Popular Golfing Regions

While each country and region seems to have at least one world class golf course, these are the three top golfing regions in the world today:

• United States
• United Kingdom
• Australia

If you are surprised by the inclusion of Australia in this group of the Big Three, a look at some of the best golfers of all time is packed with players from the Land Down Under:

• Adam Scott
• Bruce Devlin
• Stuart Appleby
• Bruce Crampton
• Geoff Ogilvy
• Jim Ferrier
• Steve Elkington
• David Graham
• Greg Norman
• Peter Thompson
• Robert Allenby
• Jason Day

There is a surprise country that is vying to elbow its way into the Big Three, and that is Canada. Many people tend to overlook the northwest flavoring dappled into the world golfing scene over the years. Some of Canada's finest golfers include: George Knudson; Graham DeLaet; Stephen Ames; Moe Norman, and Mike Weir.

In addition to adding a maple twist to the golfing world, British Columbia also enjoys some of the greatest, most lush championship courses in the world. Here then, are eleven of the top golf courses in British Columbia:

Champions' Lake Golf Course

Situated in the Kootena Rockies, this course features three ponds that replicate the lakes of nearby Provincial Park. Built in 1992 and cut out of rugged land, this course features a par-5 seventh hole with a 556 yard launching pad.

Storey Creek

This award winning course bills itself as a Course Entwined With Nature. Indeed, this Vancouver Island course looks as though it just appeared in a forest one morning. It is rated the number one course on Vancouver Island by the PGA of BC, and the twelfth hole is rated among the top nine in the province.

Osoyoos Golf Club

This semi-private course is located in the heart of Canada's wine country and is the country's lone desert course. It features 36 holes of championship play. There is the Park Meadow Course, and the Desert Gold course. Views include desert blooms, orchards, vineyards, and a breathtaking look at Lake Osoyoos.

Salmon Arm

The legendary golf course designer Les Furber discovered this area and insisted upon building a championship golf course on the location. It opened in 1928, and features the extinct volcano, Mount Ida, among its numerous firs and pines. It was ranked number 49 in all of Canada by Score Golf Magazine in 2008, and in the same year readers of Pacific Golf Magazine rated it the number one course in British Columbia.

Revelstoke Golf Club

This historic golf course is situated alongside the Columbia River. Blue skies over pine trees with snow-topped mountains in the distance add to the pristine imagery of this course. Revelstoke is often the site of provincial championships.

Fairmont Hot Springs

This famous golf club is situated among Canada's Rocky Mountains and features three courses. The original course is the Mountainside course. The riverside course was added later, and allows the player the challenge of playing in and around the Columbia River's wetlands. The third course is a playful nine hole par three course that runs along a creek.

Morningstar Golf Club

This course is located north of Victoria by about two hours. It is located in the seaside town of Parksville. This is another course that Les Furber built, and he had over seven thousand acres of real estate with which to apply his genius. The natural preserves heighten the sense of drama and awe experienced by each golfer stepping onto the greens at Morningstar.

Whistler Resort

Whistler is a luxury resort that hosts four championship golf courses, and each one created by a legend in the golf world: Robert Cupp, Robert Trent Jones Jr., Jack Nicklaus, and Arnold Palmer. The golf courses within Whistler are the following:

Big Sky Golf and Country Club

Robert Cupp designed this course against the base of Mount Currie. There are multiple views of the mountain from three different valleys. Natural vegetation and ponds are incorporated into the landscape.

Fairmont Chateau Whistler Golf Club

Designer Robert Jones Jr. literally cut this course out of the back of Blackcomb Mountain.

Nicklaus North Golf Course

Jack Nicklaus has designed over 150 golf courses around the world, and this is the only one which bears his name.

Whistler Golf Club

Arnold Palmer designed this wide-open course among the streams and lakes, and amid old growth firs and cedars.

From first century B.C. Rome, across Europe, Asia, and now 21st century North America, golf probably has always been the world's most popular game. Golf has been with us now for thousands of years and has been called by many names, many of which are unprintable. However, it will never be anything more than a humble game of hitting a small ball with a crooked stick. And the little ball will probably still be humbling players thousands of years into the future.

About the author:

Jennifer Caughey is a freelance content writer who lives in Toronto, Canada. Jennifer has found a new love for the sport of Golf. She has most recently been writing guest posts for Play Golf BC.