These days you can play a round on the ice floes in the Arctic, in the war zones of Afghanistan and Iraq and on the plains of Africa. The rich history of the sport has produced a wealth of screwball, outlandish and just plain weird tales: * Golf was invented in Scotland over 500 years ago, but the Chinese claim a similar game as far back as 943 AD * In a three-day span on a course in Wales, a mother, father and son each made a hole-in-one; the odds of this feat are at least 10,000,000 to one * The Toonik Tyme Festival in Nunavut features a nine-hole golf tournament on sea ice with fluorescent balls and parka-clad golfers at Temperatures of -50 degrees Celsius * Four-time long-drive champion Jason Zuback once drove a golf ball over 700 yards on an airport runway * Eight of the world's oldest golf clubs owned by the Royal Troon Golf Club in Scotland are worth at least $5 million. * And more…

J. ALEXANDER POULTON is a writer, photographer and genuine sports enthusiast. He's even willing to admit he has ''called in sick'' during the broadcasts of major sports events so that he can get in as much viewing as possible. He has earned his BA in English literature and his graduate diploma in journalism.

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