Golf is a businessman's game. Big money deals are struck on the golf course, and a trip to the golf club is just another name for a business meeting. The connection between golf and business is such that, according to a recent survey, CEOs who play better golf actually make more money than those whose scores are too high. Too high? Golf is one of the few sports where a low score is preferable to a high one. Players try to hit the ball into a hole on the course in as few strokes as possible. To make things more interesting, the course is often littered with obstacles such as areas of long grass (known as the rough) and sand pits (or bunkers). Golfers hit the ball using a variety of clubs, each suitable for a particular area of the course. A driver, for example, is heavy and large-headed and is used for long-distance shots, while a putter is used for the final tap into the hole. The scoring system in golf is littered with odd sounding names. The target number of shots for each hole is called “par.” For an easy hole, this number might be three, for very difficult holes, par is as high as six. If the player is skilled, he may sink the ball in fewer strokes than the average par.A score of one below par is called a “birdie,” and two below an “eagle,” while one over par is a bogey. Modern golf originated in fifteenth century Scotland (though a similar game existed in the Tang Dynasty of China), where it was played by the rich and poor alike. In the 1800s however, wealthy members of the middle class became fond of escaping the city and playing golf together in the countryside. These golf clubs, which had expensive membership fees and formal dress codes, eventually became the norm, and golf passed into the realm of the elite. Golf's reputation for being exclusive to the mostly male business class has become so rooted in public opinion that a popular joke about the word “golf” is that it's an acronym for “Gentlemen Only, Ladies Forbidden.” 當你想到聖誕節時，你腦海中會浮現出什麼樣的景象？對很多人而言，經典的聖誕節景象是聖誕老公公在聖誕夜從煙囪爬下來，並將禮物放在用亮燈布置的聖誕樹下。 高爾夫球是商人的遊戲。大筆的金錢交易都是在高爾夫球場上達成的，提到去高爾夫球俱樂部打球，就像是說要去開一場商務會議。根據最近的一項調查顯示，高爾夫球與生意是有關聯的，執行總裁的高爾夫球打得愈好，與那些分數過高的人相比，他們賺的錢其實比較多。 分數過高是什麼意思？高爾夫球是少數幾項運動中，低分比高分還要好的運動。球手要盡可能以最少的桿數，將球打進球場另一端的球洞裡。為了要讓這場比賽更有趣，球場通常會佈滿障礙物，例如植滿長草的區域（又名為「亂草區」）與沙坑（或「沙坑障礙物」）。 高爾夫球手使用各式各樣的球桿打球，每一種球桿有其適用的特定區域。例如，「一號木桿」體積重且桿頭大，常用於擊出遠距離的球，而「推桿」則是在進球洞前最後一桿使用。 高爾夫球的評分系統中，有許多怪異的名稱。每一個球洞的目標桿數稱之為「標準桿」。在比較好打的球場裡，標準桿的桿數可能是三桿；在很難打的球場裡，有可能高達六桿。若是球員球技嫻熟，就可能會以低於標準桿的桿數進球。少於標準桿數一桿的稱之為「博蒂」，少於標準桿數二桿的稱之為「老鷹」，多於標準桿數一桿的則稱之為「柏忌」。 現代的高爾夫球起源於十五世紀的蘇格蘭（雖然在中國的唐朝也有類似的比賽），貧富皆可打球。不過，到了十九世紀，中產階級的有錢人興起一股逃離都市、一起到鄉間打高爾夫球的風氣。這些入會費高昂，且有正式服裝規定的高爾夫俱樂部，最終成為常態，高爾夫就此成為菁英界的運動。 高爾夫球被視為僅限於男性為主、經商人士的運動，並以此聞名，此一印象早已深植人心，就連golf 這個字也常被開玩笑地稱為「Gentlemen Only Ladies Forbidden」（只限男士，女士止步）的縮寫。 | 
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