Scotland

The game we know as Golf was first developed on the east coast of Scotland. The reason why it originated here is that the ground is perfect for the game. For miles along the coast there are areas of ground known as links which is useless for arable farming as the soil is extremely thin and sandy. These stretches of land were rather uneven and included areas of sand dunes with the whole area covered in grass which was rather spongy and springy underfoot (and perfect for golf).

These areas known as links were perfect for rabbits, sheep and cattle which helped to keep, the already fine, grass short. As well as being poplar with the animals the links were also a useful place for recreation. The name links comes from the fact that the seashore and sand dunes are linked by this land to the more fertile ground further inland.

It is not really known when the game of golf first appeared on the links of Scotland. Many believe that a game similar to the modern games of golf was played around the area of St Andrews as early as the twelfth century. The exact nature of this game or from where the idea came will remain unknown but there are a few things which can be considered as reasonable guesses.

The Roman game of paganica involved the use of a ball and stick. Interestingly the ball was made from a small leather pouch which had been stuffed with feathers. The first golf balls were known as featheries because they too were made from a pouch/ball stuffed with feathers.

Of course there are many games which involve the use of a ball, or a ball and stick, and many games would have been derived from paganica. Some people believe that the Dutch game known as kolven, which is still played today, was the forerunner of golf. Other folk claim that the forerunner was the French game know as chole, or possibly another French game known as jeu de mail. However none of these games have the aim of sinking the ball into a tiny hole as it’s main element so this fact, and several others, discount them.

One thing that we can be certain of is that golf was played in Scotland well before the year 1457. We know this because it was in this year that King James II attempted to ban the game by an act of parliament, and at that time the game was known as Gowf. King James had grown alarmed at the amount of time people spent enjoying the game which he thought would be better spent practising such things as archery!

On the 15th of January 1552 the inhabitants of the town of St Andrews were granted, by  charter, the right to use the local links for all manner of pastimes with several sports mentioned including golf. It must be noted that at this time it was not uncommon for some people to play golf on the Sunday which caused some conflict with the Church. The church banned such sins against the Sabbath and there are records that date back to the sixteenth century of people being punished for such a crime as playing golf on the Sabbath. Even today it is common for golf courses in Scotland to be closed on Sundays.

The first evidence of an organized golf club is a petition made, in 1744, to Edinburgh City Council by the Gentlemen Golfers of Leith for a silver club to be a prize in their annual competition held on Leith Links. Although several other golf clubs claim to be the earliest formed they lack the documentary evidence to prove it. It is therefore the Gentlemen Golfers of Leith (now known as the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers) that have the honor of being the first.

In Scotland it was not until 1897 that an official set of rules were settled upon. It was in this year that the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews drew up the set of rules which remain the Committees terms of reference to this day. In America this task had fallen upon the United States Golf Association who had created theirs three years previous. Although there was little difference in the rules of both places it was in 1951 that uniformity was sought and the creation of the modern game was complete. I wonder how the famous Tom Morris would shape up against today’s modern greats such as Tiger Woods?