Thursday 25th March 2010
A Brief History of Golf
Golf has been around for quite some time and the history of golf is quite interesting. In fact, it has been around for at least 500 years because it was outlawed in Scotland by James II in 1457 because it was interfering with the Scottish realm’s archery practice. As a result you can see the game is quite old but who actually came up with the game is not known for sure although lots of countries like to claim it! It is believed that golf was born when shepherds who were out tending their flocks became bored and created a game by using their wooden crooks to hit round rocks into rabbit holes. That may not be the exact way golf was invented but it is the legend!
The game was originally played without greens and the holes were just open spaces in the ground wherever there was a space deemed flat enough. Grass was not kept meticulously short and the holes were very simply designed. Forget designed water features with waterfalls and beautiful landscaping.
The first golf clubs were actually made by craftsmen who previously made bows and arrows for war. The first golf club maker on record is William Maybe from 1603 when he made the clubs for James I. The clubs were carved of holly, beech, dogwood, apple, or pear and the shafts were made with hazel or ash to allow the club to “whip” better when swung. And if you think that is amazing you will be shocked by the first golf balls. They were made of hand stitched leather that was then filled with boiled feathers. These feather balls actually had some distance on them and could travel as far as 180 yards. In the mid 1800s it was found that a substance known as gutta-percha could be made into a hard ball and that it played better at the end of the game than at the beginning thanks to the scratches. So, a new design was made that had little marks all over. The result was amazing and the feather balls were put to rest.
Today we have golf balls that can travel significantly further and that are designed for different types of golfers! Also, clubs are made different lengths and sizes to fit your size not to mention there are special designs to help take the ball further. That in addition to the trend of golf communities makes golf an amazing sport that has lasted a long time. However, nobody would have believed hundreds of years ago that a golf course community would actually exist not to mention be so popular!
