Quick Answer: Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit a ball into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible. The game was first played in the 15th century in Scotland, and as such, the country is often accredited as "the home of Golf". Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping with the varied terrains encountered on different courses is a key part of the game. Courses typically have either 9 or 18 holes, regions of terrain that each contain a cup, the hole that receives the ball. Each hole on a course has a teeing ground for the hole's first stroke, and a putting green containing the cup. There are several standard forms of terrain between the tee and the green, such as the fairway, rough, and various hazards that may be water, rocks, or sand-filled bunkers. Each hole on a course is unique in its specific layout.