What is the Origin and Meaning of the Word Golf?

This is a guest post by Alan Sinfield

I found this on AskMen.com and thought it appropriate to send it to you.

Many a married man enjoys golf as a means for getting away from his wife, which is the reason why many golf clubs ban women. This has created the theory that the word “golf” is actually an acronym for “Gentlemen Only, Ladies Forbidden.” This, of course, is a completely false word myth. Golf actually comes from the Scottish word “gowf,” which means a “blow with an open hand” — similar to a golf club striking a ball.

Anyone out there have a different theory on the origin of the word “golf”?