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Before the silent mobs at Amen Corner, before the euphoric beer-tossing on the 16th at the Waste Management Open or the fist-pumping, emotional-fueled competitions of the Ryder Cup, we had the humble game of golf.
While it probably started as a couple of bored Romans with a couple of sticks and a leather ball, golf has expanded unthinkably across the globe, growing each year and cementing itself as one of the most beloved and frustrating games on the planet.
Whether you’re attempting to break your five-iron across your knee in a fit of rage or reveling in the admiration of a perfect shot, you’ve probably, at one time or another, wondered how this crazy game started.
Here is the complete history of golf.
Ancient Origins
The first actual game of golf is relatively unknown. All we have is ancient stories passed down from historic accounts. There are mentions of games similar to golf in various regions and ancient time periods that may have created the stepping stones for golf to grow.
Rome
The Roman game of paganica was similar to golf. With a bent stick, the Romans would hit a leather ball filled with wool or feathers. Clearly, this is a far cry from the shimmering tools we used today on the course, but there are critical similarities that could have inspired others to evolve the game. As the Romans conquered the European world in the first century BC, paganica spread to other peoples and grew the game — so the theory goes.
China
Others point to the Far East as the ancient origins of the game of golf. During the Ming dynasty, the Chinese had a game called chuiwan where you “hit a ball with a stick while walking.” Some say this game was introduced to Europe during the Middle Ages.
The Civilized Game
Other similar games were played in France and England later on, and the origins of these games were debated. It’s tough to pinpoint any one region or person inventing the game — after all, anyone can pick up a stick and hit a ball. It’s the way the game evolved that really made it something different than the sports of the day.
Based on many accounts, some historians have deduced that golf came into being sometime a little before the 15th century. Many medieval games during this time — such as football — included violence or physical contact. Golf produced a sport that was more civilized and devoid of the usual fierceness that other sports had.
Golf’s Criminal History
Interestingly, the beginnings of the game of golf were marred in criminality — in 1360, the magistrate of Brussels issued an ordinance that threatened anyone playing a stick and ball game with a fine of 20 shillings or confiscation of their upper garment.
Other bans followed later in Scotland. For many years people believed golf originated in Scotland. This was because of evidence found in a decree by the Scottish parliament in the second half of the 15th century.
In a resolution in 1457, the game of golf was banned in favor of more valuable games like archery, which was viewed as a functional sport that could be used in case Scotland was ever attacked by invaders.
King James IV banned golf in 1491 and yet became one of the first authentic and documented players of the game. Golf was very popular among royalty. Treasury accounts record that the King was spending money on clubs and balls in 1502, 1503 and 1506. Betting on golf matches was also widespread during this time — in 1506, it was recorded that the king lost three French crowns in a golf match. May, Queen of Scots, also became the first documented female golfer during this time.
A Game For Gentlemen
In the 1700s golfing associations started to take hold, spawning tournaments, the establishment of concrete rules and the upkeep of courses.
The oldest known club was the Gentlemen Golfers of Leith, which still survives today under a different name. The group formed with the idea that they would hold a tournament. Soon after, the Society of St. Andrews Golfers, known as the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews came together and adopted a set of rules to govern play.
Between those two golfing clubs, the game finally had parameters that would carry into the world of competitive sport.
St Andrews
One of the oldest known courses today is at St Andrews in Scotland. With over 600 years of history, St Andrews stands as a pinnacle of golf. Many travel from far and wide just to play the course. The oldest course at St Andrews is known as the Old Course, although the newest course opened as recently as 2008.
Expansion
After a central rulebook was established, golf started to take hold and expand across the globe. Just as the original game involving sticks and leather balls spread in ancient times, the new and improved game now stretched across oceans to the West.
Courses started opening up in the United States and in 1894, the U.S. created their own organization to set rules and plan tournaments — known as the USGA.
Best of the Best
Sports aren’t truly sports without having their start athletes to prove just how good you can be at a particular skill. Golf started to create its own stars as early as the 1800s — Allan Robertson of St Andrews was considered one of the best golfers of his time. As the legend goes, he never once lost a match again his competitors — without a handicap, of course.
For a long while, the British held the cream of the crop when it came to golf. No one was close until the 1920s, when golf started to grow rapidly in other regions. Then the Americans started to catch up. Golf represented a sport that welcomed all top talent, and it wasn’t long before players of all countries — South Africa, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, Argentina, Spain, Fiji — started to appear on the leaderboards.
Interestingly, golf was also a game that appealed outside of revered professionalism. The British Amateur Championship and the United States Amateur Championship offered ways for even those with no clout to take a shot at greatness.
Renowned championships soon became coveted — the Masters, Open Championship, PGA Championship and the U.S. Open were all extremely competitive. The Ryder Cup highlighted the rising talent and fierce rivalry between British and American golfers.
Americans Take Center Stage
During World War I, many from Europe sought a haven in the United States. With them, these immigrants brought fresh talent and a love for the ancient game. As the 1900s progressed, Americans began dominating tournaments.
In 1913, amateur golfer Francis Ouimet became an American hero when he beat British professionals Harry Vardon and Ted Rae to reclaim the U.S. Open trophy. “The Greatest Game Ever Played,” starring Shia LeBeouf and Stephen Dillane, does an amazing job of recreating this match. You can watch it here: https://amzn.to/3XUG5nH
Walter Hagen, Gene Sarazen, Sam Snead, Byron Nelson and Ben Hogan all had major impacts on the game.
continued to grow steadily in popularity, but it wasn’t until a central figure appeared that changed the game forever. Arnold Palmer was charismatic, wildly talented and had the face for a new age of televised golf. He won the Masters four times. Palmer was so beloved that many initially resented the entrance of Jack Nicklaus, who soon started to dominate the game. Players are still chasing Nicklaus’s records today.
Through the 60s and 70s, more amazing golfers took the stage. Gary Player, Tom Watson, Lee Trevino, Greg Norman and more all became major talents.
Tiger Woods
You can’t really write a history of golf without mentioning its best player. Up until the late 1990s, many thought the records set by Nicklaus would go unchallenged, and that the talent and fame of those golfing legends like Palmer and Hogan wouldn’t be seen again.
That all changed with the entrance of prodigy Tiger Woods, who completely changed how the game was viewed. Traditionally a game for wealthy white noblemen — remember the 22 noblemen from St Andrews — Woods was a player of African American and Asian descent who broke just about every stereotype there was to be found in the game of golf.
He was extremely fit, looked different from the usual field and, amazingly, was great at every aspect of the game. At 21 years old, he won the 1997 Masters by a record margin. Just seven years earlier, the Masters had admitted its first black member to be a part of the club.
An iconic feature of Woods’ wins is that he won them by a drastic margin, annihilating the competition at major tournaments like the U.S. Open. Even aside from breaking records and raising the bar, Woods ultimately changed how the game of golf was viewed and inspired generations after him to take up the beautiful game.
If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend watching the HBO documentary Tiger, which delves into how he became who he is today. Find it here: https://amzn.to/3XLZCah