Kolven

Kolven (verb; or noun: kolf) is a game originated in the Netherlands, played by four people in which players hit the ball over a certain distance and the first people to reach their opponents' starting point wins. The games lasted over multiple days at times.

Game

Kolf is played on an indoor course that measures 17.5 metres long and 5 metres wide. The course is marked with looping scoring lines and features an ornate wooden post at each end. In modern days a Kolf court is made from a type of plastic which is precisely leveled.

There are three players in a match and each has his own ball. The balls are quite large and are made either of rubber or sajet (wool covered with leather). The rubber balls are the most popular, although they have to be at least 80–100 years old before they are fully mature. The older the rubber gets, the less spring it has; this in turn encourages a better roll which is what is desired in Kolf.

The Kolf club, known as a kliek, has a very strong wooden shaft and a heavy metal head. Sajet balls and rubber balls require the use of different size clubs; the head on rubber ball club is larger than that used for the sajetball club. This is because the rubber ball is slightly larger and heavier than the sajet ball.