The History of Golf

Traditionalists believe that golf began in St Andrews, Scotland in the 15th century although some think it began way back in medieval times, with shepherds hitting rocks around the hillsides with their crooks.

There are also claims that the Dutch game of 'kolf', first noted as early as the 13th century, was the most likely forerunner to the game we know and love today but it was in Scotland in the 15th century that the game really developed. Down the east coast of Scotland and primarily in a place called St Andrews. Golf became extremely popular and in 1457 it was banned in an act of parliament by King James II because it interfered with archery practice which was a skill needed by all to keep the English out of Scotland.

It wasn't until James Vi of Scotland became King of England and brought the game south when its popularity began to emerge again, with a seven-hole course being laid out at Blackheath in South London.

The early Scottish courses bear little resemblance to today's masterpieces, it was played on public land with natural hazards and obstacles to negotiate, walls and ditches were a part of the game but players also had to avoid others out enjoying their recreations, horse racing, cricket, picnicking and so on. The early caddies weren't recruited to carry golf bags in the early days but to make way through the other activities and watch out for the ball.

Courses were natural pieces of land that were manicured by the animals of the land, mainly sheep and rabbits (some courses to this day still are maintained naturally).

The game was a fun game with no official rules of play until the 1750's that golf evolved in to the game we know today with the first set of standardised rules being written in 1774 by a group of Edinburgh golfers.

The equpiment back in them days is nothing like the modern equipment of today that makes golf an easier sport for the masses to get involved in.

The golf ball

Back in the 1800's the first golf ball was invented, called the Gutta-Percha, which was made from the sap of the Gutta tree. This ball was the beginning of the evolution of the golf ball from a one-piece rubber cored ball right through to the first dimple designed golf ball of the early 1900's, which was the fore-runner to the golf ball design we know and use today, although the components that make up todays golf ball have changed drastically.

The golf club

Early golf clubs were made entirely of wood with a wooden (hickory) shaft joined on to a wooden head and evolved in to the state-of-the-art clubs we use today that utilise some of the most expensive metals known to man. The golf club has evolved tremendously and continues to evolve at a rate where the golf purists are asking for equipment development to be halted and more heavily regulated due to the distance the modern equipment can hit the ball.

To find the best prices on all the latest golf equipment from Galvin Green to Ping, Taylor Made to Titleist, visit the No 1 golf shop