Golf
/ɡɒlf/noun
A club-and-ball sport in which players try to hit a ball into a series of holes in as few strokes as possible.
Did you know?The exact origin of the word is uncertain, but it is first recorded in 15th-century Scottish English, and the game was once so disruptive that Scottish authorities repeatedly tried to ban it.
Etymological Timeline
15th Century
Scots
gouf / golf
“A stick-and-ball game played outdoors, especially in Scotland.”
15th Century
Middle Dutch
kolf / colf
“A club, cudgel, or stick used in a game.”
Old Dutch
Dutch
kolve
“A club or staff.”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*kulbô / *kulbō
“A club, cudgel, or heavy stick.”
Modern English
English
golf
“The modern sport played by striking a ball into holes with clubs.”