▁may ▁share ▁a ▁common ▁ancest ry ▁with ▁golf ) ▁is ▁often ▁the ▁traditional ▁sport . ▁ ▁Scotland ▁is ▁widely ▁promoted ▁as ▁the ▁" Home ▁of ▁G olf ," ▁and ▁along ▁with ▁whis ky ▁and ▁the ▁long ▁list ▁of ▁Scottish ▁invent ions ▁and ▁discover ies , ▁golf ▁is ▁widely ▁seen ▁as ▁being ▁a ▁key ▁national ▁cultural ▁icon ▁throughout ▁the ▁world . ▁It ▁is ▁frequently ▁used ▁to ▁market ▁the ▁country ▁to ▁potential ▁visitors , ▁for ▁example ▁for ▁the ▁Home coming ▁year ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁and ▁golf ▁tour ism ▁account ed ▁for ▁approximately ▁ 2 % ▁of ▁overall ▁Scottish ▁tour ism ▁sp ending ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 4 . ▁One ▁page ▁that ▁explains ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁golf ▁in ▁Scotland ▁starts ▁off ▁by ▁stating ▁that , ▁" There ▁has ▁been ▁much ▁debate ▁as ▁to ▁the ▁orig ins ▁of ▁the ▁game ▁and , ▁in ▁some ▁cases , ▁how ▁it ▁was ▁originally ▁played . ▁One ▁thing ▁is ▁certain ▁— ▁the ▁game ▁of ▁golf ▁as ▁we ▁know ▁it ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Scotland ". ▁ ▁Scotland ▁has ▁ 5 8 7 ▁courses . ▁The ▁highest ▁concentr ations ▁are ▁around ▁Glasgow ▁( 9 4 ▁courses ) ▁and ▁Edinburgh ▁( 6 7 ▁courses ), ▁since ▁these ▁two ▁cities ▁and ▁their ▁en vir ons ▁account ▁for ▁the ▁bulk ▁of ▁the ▁population . ▁But ▁the ▁other ▁districts ▁still ▁average ▁about ▁ 4 0 ▁courses ▁each . ▁Even ▁the ▁distant ▁northern ▁islands ▁have ▁ 1 4 ▁options . ▁Such ▁larg esse ▁is ▁possible ▁because ▁Scotland ▁bo asts ▁more ▁courses ▁per ▁head