The history of modern golfing dates back to the sixteenth century, some 400 years ago. Records shows that the first official rounds of golf were played in 1577 and the first competitive golf championship, the British Open was contested in 1860, some forty years before the first World golf series. The St. Andrew golf course in Scotland is the probably the oldest course in the world and considered by many to be the Home of Golf.
One theory about the history of golfing holds that the game of golf evolved in Scotland from shepherds hitting rocks off the ground into holes made by burrowing animals. Another theory was that the game came to Scotland from Holland where a similar game using a stick and a ball was once played on ice.
Golf club shafts in the early days were made of hickory wood but today are made of steel and graphite. The golf balls used then were often stuffed with feathers and due to their lightness were often blown off line by the wind. They are not able to fly or roll as far as today’s golf balls do. The golf courses of the yesteryears were not well maintained and were often rutted and uneven.
The game of golf only started in America in 1890, with the formation of the United States Golf Association (USGA) in 1894. Its popularity started growing after 1913 when an American amateur, Francis Quimet beat some of Britain’s finest golfers to win the U.S Open.
Many great players have graced the golfing scene since then including personalities such Arnold Parmer in the 1960’s, Jack Nicklaus in the 1970’s and recently Tiger Woods. The game of golfing has indeed came a long way since its history started 400 years ago. It has become a very popular sport everywhere in the world played by the young and old alike, in the Americas, Europe and Asia as well.
