Golf

Podcast 1 · Introduction

Golf

A documentary-style narration: origin, meaning, and feel.

Part of speech

noun and verb

Pronunciation

golf  /ɡɒlf/

Definition

A game played on a large outdoor course with a small ball and clubs, the object being to drive the ball into a series of holes with as few strokes as possible; to play golf.

Plain meaning

Golf is the sport where players use clubs to hit a small ball around an outdoor course, aiming to get it into each hole in as few shots as possible.

Register

Neutral and widely understood. Golf is spoken of across all registers — from the technical vocabulary of the serious player to the dismissive idiom of those who find it too sedate. Golf can serve as a shorthand for corporate entertainment, leisured establishment culture, or the specific pleasures of a sporting challenge.