How did the game of golf emerge

The game of golf today is globally popular and watched by millions on television. The origins of the sport may go back to ancient periods, but most historians trace the definitive beginning of the sport to Medieval Scotland and/or the Netherlands. However, it was in the 19th century that the sport emerged as both a modern one and started to become a global phenomenon.

Early History

The origins of golf are not universally agreed upon and there are disputes on when exactly the ancestors of the game emerged. There are records of a game called Paganica that comprised of a ball stuffed with feathers and hit with wooden sticks. While the game is very different from today's golf, the sort of Roman game may have inspired later Medieval memory and reemergence of a similar game that then led to golf. Other similar games may include the Chinese game of Chuiwan, which also involved a stick and players tried to sink a ball into holes. There were sets of up to 10 clubs, with balls made of wood and holes spread across an area, where the holes each had different degrees of difficulty. The depictions also suggest there was a tee or place to shoot the ball toward a given hole.

One possible modern origin is in Medieval Netherlands, where the term "golf" seems to have a Dutch origin. The game of kolven involved sticks or bats, perhaps similar to a shepherd's hook or stick, but the game may have not contained holes. The earliest records that depict golf come from Medieval paintings in the 15th century and the first book, called Tyrocinium linguae latinae, talks about daily life in the Netherlands where people played a game with sticks and at this points holes seem to have been utilized, where balls were hit into the holes.

In Scotland, where many people believe the modern game of golf originated, records from the 15th century suggest a game of golf existed. Early records indicate the Scottish king tried to ban the game of golf, as it distracted his soldiers from other pursuits such as archery that were needed for military discipline. In fact, several bans seem to have been initiated as the sport was seen as something that made people less moral or it was "unprofitable." King James IV soon, however, began to enjoy the game of golf and with royal sponsorship the game began to spread in popularity in Scotland by the 15th and early 16th centuries. The first clear record of the use of balls and clubs are from 1503 that state that the king use a set of golf clubs and balls to play. Throughout the 16th century more accounts indicate the game was popular, where prohibitions include not playing golf on the Sabbath, although the game by now was more accepted by the establishment. In fact, royalty such as Mary Queen of Scots are recorded as playing golf. During this time the game of golf likely had developed 18 holes.

In the 17th century, the oldest continuously used golf links came into existence. The Musselburgh Links are recorded to have been used for golf in 1672, making it the oldest known continuously used golf course in the world. It is even possible that golf was played here in the 16th century; however, those accounts are not substantiated.

Modernization of the Game

By the late 17th century, rules were developing for golf, including how to stand and swing a club. The oldest surviving golf rule book is the The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, written in 1744. The rules were in relation to the Leith links, an area that forms the port in Edinburgh, are seen as the oldest golf club where established rules have existed. These rules indicated that teeing off was a critical aspect of the game. The same ball must be used throughout playing a specific hole. Rules include what you should do if the ball is hit into the water, playing where the ball lies, and the person farthest from the hole should play first after teeing off. The use of handicaps had already developed in rules of play. Many of these rules were retained and became part of modern golf, indicating that the Leith links rules are the first established rules that led to the formation of modern golf. The 18th century saw the spread of golf clubs, including in Glasgow, St. Andrews, and Edinburgh. By 1787, in Blackheath, London, the first UK club was formed.

In the 19th century, new developments in golf led to the ball becoming more modern in appearance. Feathers used to stuff early golf balls were now replaced with latex derived from a Gutta-percha tree. This had a major effect because the balls became cheap to make, helping the game to spread in popularity. Golf clubs were now also made from hickory, a wood that was seen as more sturdy and gave golf clubs more strength. These two developments made golf an easier game to play and increased the possibility to make it more widespread. Soon, however, irons began to appear as a form of club to hit balls with. The development of golf balls, with their surface also loosing a smooth texture to one with patterns, led to further developments with clubs that gave shape to how balls look today and the variety of golf clubs one finds, from woods to irons.

A key change came with the beginning of the British Open, first called the Open Championship. It was first a 36-hole tournament that later extended to 72 holes, which is what it is today. In 1864, the first prize money was awarded, which led to the development of professional golf players. The tournament began to rotate between St. Andrews and Musselburgh, two of the old golf clubs and grounds that were already popular in the 18th century.