The origin of the sports discipline, where the stick was used, and the round ball has a comprehensive history. In addition, the game of golf is widely prevalent among various segments of society. This is due to the fact that golf is a favorite way of spending time, a type of active recreation and sports for many people. Despite the case that there are still several theories about the origin of this game, it has an exciting and long history of occurrence.
The exact date of the origin of golf is still unknown. However, it is generally believed that the Scottish shepherds who tried to roll stones into rabbit holes with their staff are the pioneers of this game (Browning, 2018). Although many historians disagree with this, there is also a belief that the entertainment appeared in the Rome, where it was performed with bent sticks and with a blob filled with plumage. Another theory says that golfing game was introduced in China in the times of the Ming Dynasty, as evidenced by a scroll with the image of the emperor, who was making an attempt to kick the ball in an opening with something similar to a club.
Italians give examples that Roman soldiers back in the time of the Rome Empire used a ball made from leather while playing with sticks bent at the bottom to maintain physical shape. In ancient golf, hitting a stone with a device resembling modern clubs and moving it along natural fields, players chased the stone, overcoming obstacles such as rabbit traps, sand embankments, animal trails that appear on the fields in the wild. There is no doubt that there was no question of any rules and regulations in those days, and players at a distance of a meter from the previous hole made the first stroke.
Following the officially recognized data, the birthplace of modern golf is Scotland. It is believed that golf was invented in the small town of Saint Andrews (Butler, 2019). Whigham et al. (2021) write that “the claims for the Scottish origins of golf has been seriously questioned and have been undermined by evidence suggesting that the sport may have been introduced to Scotland from elsewhere in Europe” (p. 203). At the same time, the so-called golf clubs began to emerge, in which players could hone their skills. Someone was playing for fun; for some people, it meant much more than just fun. Moreover, golf has opened a new direction in the sport, forcing many people to give themselves to their favorite business.
When golf appeared in Scotland, residents were often so fond of the game that they forgot about their duties, giving all of their time to the new engaging activity. These activities were not in vain because soon tournaments began to be held between Scottish cities, where the masters gave all their strength to win. The most longstanding golfing championship venue was OldLinks at Musselburgh Racecourse (Musselburgh Links, n.d.). At the end of the nineteenth century, international popularity came to golf. The passion for the game spread first to England and then around the world. The first golf club was called The Gentlemen Golfers of Leith and opened in 1744 (Zhang & Wu, 2018). Competitions were held among the players every year, where the main prize was a silver stick. In this golf club, a regulated set of rules appeared for the first time, which was announced by Duncan Forbes. Over time, the club was renamed the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers.
Golf is not just a sports discipline but also an extensive culture. There are many well-established traditions and legends associated with golf. For example, the first female player in such an ancient sport was the Queen of Scotland, Mary Stuart (Whigham et al., 2021). The royal passion for playing golf in the beauties of Scotland and the increased interest in the country contributed to the widespread obsession with Scottish history and traditions.
The game of golf began to spread rapidly around the world. In 1879, the first Open Championship was held, and by 1914 there were already more than a thousand golf courses in England. By the end of the nineteenth century, golfing activities and training organizations were opened in many countries across Europe and other continents of the world. Many European resorts have also built golf courses to meet the needs of British tourists. America and Japan were also among the first countries where golf appeared.
The history of golf developed over many centuries before Europeans migrated to America and presumably brought the game with them from all over the Atlantic Ocean. It took time for the game to become popular in the United States, but it has flourished and grown since the late nineteenth century. Data from the Savannah Golf Club, which is considered to be the oldest American golf organization, states that the game was first introduced in 1794. However, according to the USGA, the club in Charleston, South Carolina, was founded in 1786 (Yasuda, 2018). For most residents of the America, this reputable and exclusive activity had gained considerable respect and honour for over hundred years. At the beginning of the twentieth century, more than a thousand golf clubs were in the United States of America. In addition, due to the support of sponsors and the regular holding of championships, the United States has become the focus of professional golf. However, the most prestigious events were still those that were held in the United Kingdom.
The very first women’s golf club in the world was founded in St. Andrews. This women’s golf club has become the best and most recognized in the world. It had developed general rules, where the field was of very high quality, the club was under the royal family’s patronage. The most important thing was that there were all the basics for golf to become a full-fledged sport.
Golf equipment was also constantly improved during its history. At all times, equipment made with their own hands was expensive, so much a sport as golf was not available to all segments of society. Clubs were originally made of wood, but closer to the nineteenth century, they began to be made of metal in order to strengthen the design of the object. The first golf balls are considered to be wooden balls made from hardwood trees. In the seventeenth century, leather balls stuffed with goose feathers appeared. Moreover, only in the twentieth century, the so-called hard balls appeared. Synthetic resins were used for their manufacture, which is still used today.
Over the years, in addition to the ball, the stick has also undergone changes. Hickory was used as the benchmark material for the handle and the bolt was made of persimmon because of such features as durability and firmness. When strong balls made of a very flexible material appeared, metal clubs also appeared. Steel attributes appeared closer the end of the nineteenth century, but the authorized bodies did not approve them for a considerable amount of time. In the beginning of seventies of the twentieth century, such material as graphite was implemented to make handles because of its ruggedness and low weight. The first metal stick of the “wood” type was introduced towards the end of twentieth century, and later, metalworking materials fully substituted wood because of its hardness and multifunctionallity. Thanks to new modern technologies, it became realizable to create the main part of the putter from plumbago, and the bolt from light titanium metal and due to that the crochet could be created more extensive than before. The increased capabilities of the used matters gave the opportunity to produce the finer playing tools, which made it permissible to grow the flying capacity of the golfing ball because of the flexibility of the contents.
It is important to note that golf is popular and relevant to this day. People from different countries devote much free time to this ancient entertainment. For some, this is a way to relax, relax and get a storm of emotions; for others, it is a professional sport. There is also a stereotype that this is a game only for the privileged strata of society, but golf is spread everywhere and among all people. One way or another, golf does not lose its position and is constantly winning the love of new people.
References
Browning, R. (2018). A history of golf: The royal and ancient game. Pickle Partners Publishing.
Butler, R.W. (2019). Contributions of tourism to destination sustainability: golf tourism in St Andrews, Scotland, Tourism Review, 74(2), 235-245.
History. (n.d.). Musselburgh Links, The Old Course. Web.
Whigham, S., Bowes, A., Kitching, N., & Bairner, A. (2021). Selling Scotland? Selling women’s golf? The 2019 Solheim Cup in the ‘Home of Golf’. Journal of Sport & Tourism, 201-216.
Yasuda, A. (2018). South Carolina. Weigl Publishers.
Zhang, J., & Wu, K. (2018). A cross-cultural and historical analysis of Chinese Chui Wan in comparison to early Scottish golf. The International Journal of the History of Sport, 35(12-13), 1356-1368. Web.