Handmade wooden “woods” were typical during this time and golf professionals were often better known for their club making than their ability to play the game.įor hundreds of years, all golf clubs were made with wooden shafts (hickory was determined to be the best option). It wasn’t until the 19th century that the concept of forging irons started to produce higher-quality products. ”ĭue to the lack of a uniform construction model, golf clubs were often very different depending on who built them. In the early 1500s, King James IV of Scotland had a set of clubs made and even appointed a person to the title of “ Royal Club Maker. The first golfers used sticks to hit stones and pebbles, but quickly players started to build or purchase clubs. You can’t talk about the history of golf without considering the changes in equipment. Next up, let’s take a closer look at how golf gear has changed over the last 600 years. It’s quite possible that Dutch sailors played a role in the creation and history of golf.

There was a very active trade industry between Dutch ports and ports on the east coast of Scotland during the time that golf was invented. You can find several different explanations for the term “golf,” but we can promise it has nothing to do with the old joke that all other 4-letter words were taken.įor the history of golf, we trust the USGA (United States Golf Association), so we’ll go with their explanation of the etymology: “It derives linguistically from the Dutch word 'kolf' or 'kolve,' meaning quite simply 'club.' In the Scottish dialect of the late 14th or early 15th century, the Dutch term became 'goff' or 'gouff,' and only later in the 16th-century golf.'” The first “rules of golf” were established in 1744 and the first 18-hole golf course was constructed in 1764. During the 16th century, golf started to spread across Europe and by the 1700s the game started to resemble what we play today. The game gained the royal seal of approval shortly after 1500 when King James IV took up golf. In the 1450s, the game was banned by King James II’s parliament because young men were playing instead of completing their military training. It quickly became popular and even drew attention from the Scottish government.

At first, the game was played by hitting pebbles over or around sand dunes with bent sticks. The early history of golf has many interesting twists and turns. Where was golf first played? While some of the facts are disputed about the beginning of the game, it’s widely accepted that the game of golf started in Scotland during the 15th century. Let’s start our historical investigation of golf with a location. How did we get to 350+ yard drives and 7,500-yard golf courses? How much has golf equipment changed? What would you shoot using gear from the 1800s? You can find all of these answers and more in the history of golf. The history of golf is truly an amazing story. What started as a niche hobby has grown into an 80+ billion-dollar business. You may know about today’s golf equipment and the top players in the world, but how much do you know about the history of golf? This game has been played for hundreds of years by players across the world.īelow we explore the game’s humble beginnings through the present day.

Who invented the game golf