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A Shortened History of Golf

Author: AndrewKelly
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Word Count: 694
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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.

Paganica was a game played by the ancient Romans across Europe. What makes this game stand out from the others is that the ball used in the game was made from a small pouch made from leather and stuffed tightly with feathers. The early golf balls were made in a similar fashion and were commonly referred to as featheries. Unfortunately, for the games mentioned, it is only in the game of golf that you need to sink the ball into a hole in the ground using a club.

Few would dare to question the fact that it is the Scottish game of gowf that is the true forerunner of modern golf. It not only sounds the same it is the same in every sense. First played as early as the 12 century gowf was widely played, on ground known as links, all along the east coast of Scotland.

All along the east coast of Scotland are stretches of, rather hilly, links, which link the sandy beaches to the fertile arable ground found further inland. Due to the fact that this land was virtually useless for growing crops it was treated as common ground for use for recreation and grazing animals. The constant grazing of sheep cattle and rabbits, plus the effects of man and beast trampling the ground, led to the area being covered in a species of grass that was very fine and always kept short. Furthermore, the fact that this ground was also rather springy, meant that this naturally occurring type of land was perfect for the game of 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.

Less than a century later, in 1552, there is further evidence of golf's popularity. It was in this year that the townsfolk of St Andrews were granted, by charter, the right to use the nearby links for recreation purposes including the playing of golf. Another source of good evidence are the church records which contain a multitude of entries listing the punishments bestowed upon those naughty members of society that had been caught playing golf on Sunday.

One of the oldest golf clubs is the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers. In 1744, when it was known as the Gentlemen Golfers of Leith, they asked Edinburgh City Council to supply a prize of a silver golf club for a competition. The competition was to be held annually on Leith Links and the winner would keep the silver club until it was passed to the next years winner.

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.