Kolf players on the ice, a painting by Hendrick Avercamp (Dutch, 1585 -1634), c. 1625. Kolf or colf is a game that originated in the Netherlands. Played by four people, the game involves hitting a ball over a certain distance whereby first people to reach their opponents' starting point wins. The games lasted multiple days. At some time during the Middle Ages, the kolf craze travelled to Scotland, where the Dutch sport was adapted to local conditions and developed in the Scottish national game of golf, played on links.