Golf: There's nothing like it! 高尔夫 —— 没有比它更好的运动了！

When most people think of golf, they probably think of Tiger Woods jet-setting to golf courses around the world winning prestigious tournaments and making a lot of money. It seems hard to believe that what is now an international sport and multimillion-dollar industry evolved from origins as humble as hitting a pebble around sand dunes with a stick.

It is generally agreed that golf was first played in Scotland in the 15th century. Its popularity spread throughout the 16th century, and the first international golf match took place in 1682 between players from England and Scotland. Clubs began forming soon after, and concrete rules of the game were established.

The Industrial Revolution brought a period of change for golf. Suddenly, with the mass production of golf clubs and balls, the average person could afford to play. New railway lines made it possible for people to go to the country for the day, and thus play on a different course every weekend.

Golf was made an Olympic sport in 1900, by which time there were already more than 1,000 golf courses in the United States. The famous PGA was formed in 1916, and by 1944, the equally famous PGA tour consisted of 22 events and was held throughout the year.

Legendary golfers Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, and Gary Player dominated the game from the 60s' into the 70s', wowing fans by winning almost all of the events they competed in. Nicklaus still holds an unbeaten record of five U.S. PGA championships, six U.S. Masters titles, and four U.S. Opens.

These days, it is up to current stars like Tiger Woods and David Duval to keep spectators glued to the TV set. Even if you are not a big fan, why not head off to the driving range and have a go? More than 23 million players exist in the United States alone, and they are all likely to tell you the same thing about golf: There's nothing like it!

大多数人一想到高尔夫球，可能就会想到泰格·伍兹乘喷气客机到世界各地的高尔夫球场赢得备受注目的锦标赛，并赚进大把的钞票。很难相信如今这个价值高达数百万美元的国际性工业，是从随便拿根棍子，在沙丘上挥打鹅卵石这种微不足道的运动发展起来的。

普遍认为高尔夫的第一场比赛是15世纪时在苏格兰举行的。它从16世纪开始普及起来，首场国际性高尔夫球赛就是在1682年举行的，选手均来自英格兰及苏格兰。不久，高尔夫俱乐部开始成立，同时也确立了具体的比赛规则。

工业革命为高尔夫运动带来了一段变革时期。突然间，随着高尔夫球杆及高尔夫球的大量生产，普通百姓也可以玩这项运动。到郊区的新火车路线使人们可以在比赛当天往返，因此每个周末可以在不同的球场打球。

1900年，高尔夫球正式成为奥林匹克的运动项目，那时美国已有上千个高尔夫球场。著名的职业高尔夫球员联盟于1916年成立；到1944年，同享盛名的职业高尔夫球员联盟巡回比赛，在1年内会举行22项比赛。

高尔夫球界的传奇人物──杰克·尼克芬斯，阿诺德·帕尔默，及加里·普莱耶一直称霸于60到70年代的高尔夫球坛。他们几乎囊括了所有的比赛奖项，使球迷们大为赞叹。尼克芬斯至今仍保持数项无人能破的辉煌记录：5座美国职业高尔夫锦标赛冠军、6次美国高尔夫精英赛冠军，及4个美国公开赛冠军头衔。

现在，高尔夫则靠当红球星泰格·伍兹和大卫·杜瓦的魅力吸引球迷通过电视观看比赛。即使你不是头号球迷，为什么不前往高尔夫球练习场挥一挥杆，尝试一下？仅仅在美国就有两千三百万人从事高尔夫运动，对于高尔夫，他们可能会异口同声说：“没有比它更好的运动了！”