Golf is a cross-country game played by hitting a tiny ball with various clubs from several starting places (teeing grounds) into a sequence of holes on a course. The winner is the golfer who sinks his shot with the fewest number of strokes. Golf's roots are murky, although recent evidence shows the sport may have originated in the Netherlands before spreading to Scotland. The game, which had previously been somewhat unknown, sprang to prominence in the modern era. The first European location where golf was played was in Scotland; the game was developed on seaside links with pristine grass and natural hazards. Golf is played at many levels, from casual rounds to well-attended professional championships shown on national television. Golf is not a game for the faint of heart; it calls for a high level of talent that can only be refined with a lot of time and effort.