History of Golf

The origins of the term “golf” does not have a universally accepted theory. One theory that is agreed upon is that it is not an acronym for “Gentlemen Only, Ladies Forbidden.” There is open discussion that it may have derived from Scottish, British, German, or Dutch terms, including “to strike” or “club.” However, it is widely accepted that the modern day golf originated in Scotland.

The first written rules of golf that standardized the game were in 1774, in Edinburgh, Scotland. Many of the thirteen original rules still stand today. Among them is the one stroke penalty for a water hazard, and the person with the ball farthest away from the hole plays first. The U.S. Golfing Association adopted the British golfing rules and published them in 1900 for American golf. Since 1952, the British and the U.S. have worked cooperatively for a universal set of rules.

The St. Andrews Golf Club of Edinburgh held the first tournament in 1774 on an eighteen-hole course. The course was set up so there were nine holes out from the clubhouse and nine holes back. It was not until the twentieth century that courses were two nine hole circles, and each circle began and ended near the clubhouse. Golf courses were springing up in the United Kingdom in the late 1700s and early 1800s. The first golf course outside the United Kingdom was established in Charleston, South Carolina in 1786.

Today, golf is a universally accepted and popular sport. However, the prelude to modern golf was banned by the King of Scotland in 1457 and again in 1471, because it was interfering with the practice of archery, which was necessary to combat rivalries in England. Obviously, the sport won over the people and continued to flourish.