Handicaps in golf are the subject of public shame and personal aspiration. But they are also a crucial part of the game for many amateur players, an essential mechanism for allowing any two players of widely different skill levels to compete evenly against one another. In no other sport is the adjustment for inequity so central to everyday play.  

So how exactly do handicaps work and where did they originate? How have they evolved over the years and how do you get one? And do golfers lie about them?