Golf golf course consists of 18 holes, but nine-hole courses are common and can be played twice through for a full round of 18 holes. Early Scottish golf courses were primarily laid out on links land, soil-covered sand dunes directly inland from beaches. This gave rise to the term "golf links", particularly applied to seaside courses and those built on naturally sandy soil inland. The first 18-hole golf course in the United States was on a sheep farm in Downers Grove, Illinois, in 1892. The course is still there today. Every round of golf is based on playing a number of
Timeline of golf history (1851–1945) two golf holes. The course was incrementally expanded to nine holes by 1916. This club is the oldest existing U.S. golf club with continuous golf in the same location. 1885 The Amateur Championship is first played at Royal Liverpool Golf Club, Hoylake. The London Metal Exchange Golf Association (LMEGA) is formed. The Royal Cape Golf Club is founded at Wynberg, South Africa, the first club in Africa. 1886 John Hamilton Gillespie lays out a two-hole golf course in Sarasota, Florida. A.J. Balfour is appointed Chief Secretary (Cabinet Minister) for Ireland; his rise to political and social prominence has an incalculable