When people think of golf many figure that the game was created within the last century or at the most in the 19th century but it is actually older than that. Most agree that the Scottish were the first golfers to become addicted to the sport. In fact, James II of Scotland banned golf for more serous combat drills.
There is a debate about golf however, regarding which country should be credited with inventing the sport. It has been suggested that sheepherders developed the sport out of boredom. They would hit around stones into foxholes with their shepherd staffs. Since it was men who were doing this (and men are competitive in nature) it became a sport. In the early 14th century there were various versions of golf played in several central European countries, including Scotland.
While what country developed the game is controversial, it is a historical fact that James VI, a Scottish Baron, delivered golf to the English. In its infancy, golf was played for many years on reasonably flat earth that was rugged and unkempt. Holes were crudely dug out of the earth. Rules were not standardized and varied between countries and even players.
The first to organize a golf club was a group of Edinburgh players in 1744 and it was called the Honourable Company of Edinburgh. At that time the first 13 rules were drawn up for the club's annual competition. Only players from Great Britain and Ireland competed in the first competition. Outside of Scotland, one of the earliest golf clubs was the Royal Blackheath Golf Club of England. That was in 1766 and more followed in the early 1800's.
North America had caught onto the sport by the late 1800; the Royal Montreal Club and the Quebec Golf Club were the first ones. The United States didn't receive a golf club until 1888 but when it did hit the U.S. its popularity grew quickly. John Reid, a Scotsman, was the first to build golf courses in Yonkers, New York. It's popularity grew so fast in the U.S. that between 1891 and 1900 more than a thousand golf clubs opened up in North America.
From sheepherders hitting rocks into holes with canes to professional matches with millions of dollars in winnings, golf sure has evolved in just a few centuries. While the the game has changed very little in the last century, its access to people of different genders and social classes has brought golf a new appeal and audience. - 16887
There is a debate about golf however, regarding which country should be credited with inventing the sport. It has been suggested that sheepherders developed the sport out of boredom. They would hit around stones into foxholes with their shepherd staffs. Since it was men who were doing this (and men are competitive in nature) it became a sport. In the early 14th century there were various versions of golf played in several central European countries, including Scotland.
While what country developed the game is controversial, it is a historical fact that James VI, a Scottish Baron, delivered golf to the English. In its infancy, golf was played for many years on reasonably flat earth that was rugged and unkempt. Holes were crudely dug out of the earth. Rules were not standardized and varied between countries and even players.
The first to organize a golf club was a group of Edinburgh players in 1744 and it was called the Honourable Company of Edinburgh. At that time the first 13 rules were drawn up for the club's annual competition. Only players from Great Britain and Ireland competed in the first competition. Outside of Scotland, one of the earliest golf clubs was the Royal Blackheath Golf Club of England. That was in 1766 and more followed in the early 1800's.
North America had caught onto the sport by the late 1800; the Royal Montreal Club and the Quebec Golf Club were the first ones. The United States didn't receive a golf club until 1888 but when it did hit the U.S. its popularity grew quickly. John Reid, a Scotsman, was the first to build golf courses in Yonkers, New York. It's popularity grew so fast in the U.S. that between 1891 and 1900 more than a thousand golf clubs opened up in North America.
From sheepherders hitting rocks into holes with canes to professional matches with millions of dollars in winnings, golf sure has evolved in just a few centuries. While the the game has changed very little in the last century, its access to people of different genders and social classes has brought golf a new appeal and audience. - 16887
About the Author:
Leroy Calstard very often pens detailed papers on topics like la manga golf courses and map of golf courses in la manga. You can have a look at his publications on murcia golf over at http://www.alicante-spain.com .
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