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The Short History of Golf

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Written by Andrew Kelly

Friday, 21 March 2008

by AndrewKelly

Out of all the games of the world golf is one of the most popular. Irrespective of class or wealth golf is open to all sectors of the community but it is a game that generates massive incomes for television companies, golfing resorts, professional golfers and lots of other people. Out of all the luxurious golf resorts many golfers would class the Scottish town of St Andrews as the most important place to play at least one round. Scotland is known throughout the world as the home of golf.

Besides Scotland there are a few other places that claim to be the home of golf. The French have two games which many like to think of as a forerunner to golf, chole and jeu de mail, but no real evidence exists to back up the theory. Kolven, which is a Dutch game still played today has some interesting points but, again, it fails to withstand scrutiny as the source of the modern game of golf.

An ancient Roman game called paganica is one of the most interesting. Once popular across Europe this game used a ball which, like the old golf balls known as featheries, was made by stuffing feathers into a small leather pouch. However it is only golf that involves the goal of getting the ball into the hole.

The Scottish game of gowf is the obvious winner in the fight to be first. Not only does it sound very similar to golf it is, in it's very essence, the same as the modern game. It is known that the game was played in the east of Scotland as early as the 12th century on areas of ground known as links.

Links are the piece of land that 'links' the rich arable land found inland to the sandy coast. Rather hilly and covered in a fine grass, the land had little use other than for grazing and recreation. With cattle and sheep grazing and masses of rabbits, plus the effects of trampling, the grass remained short and springy. Perfect conditions for playing golf.

The first real evidence of golf being played in Scotland appears in 1457 when king James II tried to ban the game by an act of parliament. The Scottish king was furious that multitudes of men had taken to playing the game in preference to more useful sports such as archery.

Before a century had passed when, in 1552, the citizens of the small town of St Andrew had been granted a charter which stated that they could use the links for recreation. Listed amongst the games that could be played was golf. Further proof of the games popularity can be found in plenty of church records which show a great many folk being punished for playing golf on the Sunday Sabbath.

Another documented historical event, relating to golf, was when, in 1744, the Gentlemen Golfers of Leith (a club which still exists today under the name of the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers) petitioned the Edinburgh City Council for a silver club. This club was to be used as a trophy for an annual golf compition on Leith Links.

After hundreds of years of Scottish golf it wasn't until 1897 that an official set of rules was produced. Created by the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews the rules haven't really changed much at all. However, in 1951, the R & A, together with the United States Golf Association, settled upon a set of rules which could be used to ensure that everywhere in the world had the same set of official rules and modern golf had been created.

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If you are looking for golf hotels or just want to visit St Andrews you should visit Virtual Scotland's accommodation listings of St Andrews Hotels.

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