A Shortened History of Golf
The immensely popular game of golf generates enormous sums of money each year from television rights for the top competitions, incredible sponsorship deal, golf tourism and many other sources. Golfing tourism has always been a big money spinner with new golf courses being planned by the likes of Donald Trump costing a fortune. Out of all the lovely places he had to choose from he looked to the east of Scotland, the home of golf, for his latest and greatest venture.
Both the French and Dutch dispute Scotland’s claim to be the place were golf was created. The Dutch game called kolven is still played today and there are a few things that make it an interesting contender but sadly there is no hard evidence to prove it. The same could be said of two French games, chole and jeu de mail.
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.
More documented evidence of golf playing in Scotland is found in 1552 when a charter was granted which allowed the folk of St Andrews to use the links as a recreation ground. Golf is specifically listed in the games which were to be allowed. The popularity of golf annoyed the church which kindly supplies us with more evidence. Apparently there are many church records which show a mixture of punishments against sinners who had committed the crime of playing golf on Sunday (or 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.
By the end of the 19th century it had become clear that an official rule book had to be written. In 1897 it was decided that the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews should have the job and be the place where any disputes would be settled. In 1951 the R & A and the United States Golf Association decided upon the international rules of golf and thus the modern game of golf had been created.
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