It’s golf month! WOO WOO! Golf is a wonderful, frustrating, challenging, and fun sport to play and is a truly amazing pastime. There’s no better way to celebrate than to dive into the history of golf and how it evolved into its modern form.

The very beginning  

Games similar to golf have been around for quite some time dating all the way back to the Song Dynasty in China and the time of Julius Caesar. These games involved hitting a ball or pebble towards a target with a stick, but the big difference between these games and the modern version of golf is the hole. Before golf, the many stick and ball games held names such as ‘colf’, meaning “club” in Dutch or ‘Gowf’, which is the old British dialect for golf. It’s unclear as to where the stick and ball games officially originated from, but what is definite is that Scotland is home to the game of golf.

Origins of the modern game

The modern form of golf originated from a game played in the 15th century off the eastern coast of Scotland. The game consisted of hitting a pebble around the natural terrain of the land using a stick or club directed towards a target or hole. Back in 1457, King James II of Scotland banned golf because it was distracting his soldier’s military training. He only allowed for the practice of archery because it was more honorable and more beneficial for the future of sports as well as a form of defense. This ban held up for quite some time until James IV removed it and took up the game himself.

The first courses

The oldest course in Scotland is the old course at St. Andrews Links. This course made the standard for what the game is today. The old course at St. Andrews was established in 1552 when Archbishop Hamilton signed a document allowing the people of St. Andrews to play the courses. Some of the other earliest golf courses built in Scotland include Muirfield and Musselburgh Old Links. Once golf found its way to England many people adored the game. The first club built in England was Royal Blackheath Golf Club. When the golf craze spread to North America, it is said that the first club was built in Montreal Canada. Before this in the mid 1600’s, it was recorded that golf was played on the east coast in the U.S. The earliest 18 hole course in the United States is the Chicago Golf Club and was established in 1892. This course may have been the first 18 hole course, but the Savannah Golf Club in Georgia dates back to the late 1700’s and claims it is the first course built in the U.S.

Golf becomes a worldwide sport, especially in America

The game of golf quickly spread throughout Europe and by eighteenth century it had spread throughout the world. The earliest records of golf reaching the U.S. was in the 1700s when a shipment of golf equipment came into Georgia. Unfortunately it did not grow quickly but when the 19th century hit, the game exploded in growth. The United States Golf Association (USGA) was created in 1894 in order to regulate the game and manage tournaments. Based on the Global Golf Supply report by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews (R&A), the U.S. now has 45% of the total supply of golf facilities in the entire world.

Developing the rules

The first rules of golf were formed from the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers. They created a law for the game which consisted of 13 rules all golfers must follow. These rules have constantly evolved throughout history. The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews decided it was best suited to make periodic revisions to the laws of golf. This means that they would add and amend rules throughout time as new complications arose. The USGA took the basis of rules from the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews and formed it to fit with the American golf courses.

The equipment used to play

Golf started out with pebbles and sticks and has since evolved into Clubs made out of graphite and titanium and golf balls made of rubber and plastic. Old clubs were made of stiff wood both on the shaft and head. The golf balls were made of leather with feather inside of it, they were called “featheries”.  Unfortunately, these golf balls were expensive to make and only lasted about two rounds of golf. Golf balls and clubs constantly changed throughout time and are still changing. As time went on the goal was reduce the cost, manufacture the ball quicker, and increase distance. This resulted in the materials used today.

Not only does the general game of golf have a beautiful history, each place, club, and course has their own as well. Lincoln City Golf has fantastic history and 5 beautiful courses that have evolved over time to where they are today. Make sure to head out this month as much as you can to play this spectacular game!

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