Golf in Scotland was first recorded in the Scottish late Middle Ages, and the modern game of golf was first developed and established in the country. The game plays a key role in the national sporting consciousness. The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of

St Andrews St Andrews ( la, S. Andrea(s); sco, Saunt Aundraes; gd, Cill Rìmhinn) is a town on the east coast of Fife in Scotland, southeast of Dundee and northeast of Edinburgh. St Andrews had a recorded population of 16,800 , making it Fife's fou ...

, known as the R&A, was the world governing body for the game (except in the United States and Mexico). The R&A, a separate organisation from the club, was created in 2004 as the governing body. The Scottish Ladies' Golfing Association was founded in 1904 and the Scottish Golf Union (SGU) in 1920. They merged in 2015 into a new organization, Scottish Golf. To many golfers, the Old Course at St Andrews, an ancient links course dating to before 1574, is considered to be a site of pilgrimage. There are many other famous golf courses in Scotland, including Carnoustie, Gleneagles, Muirfield,

Kingsbarns Kingsbarns is a village and parish in Scotland lies near the eastern coast of Fife, in an area known as the East Neuk, southeast of St Andrews and north of Crail. The name derives from the area being the location of the barns used to store ...

, Turnberry and Royal Troon. The world's first Open Championship was held at Prestwick in

1860 Events January–March * January 2 – The discovery of a hypothetical planet Vulcan is announced at a meeting of the French Academy of Sciences in Paris, France. * January 10 – The Pemberton Mill in Lawrence, Massachusett ...

, and Scots golfers have the most victories at the Open at 42 wins, one ahead of the United States. Although golf is often seen as an

elitist Elitism is the belief or notion that individuals who form an elite—a select group of people perceived as having an intrinsic quality, high intellect, wealth, power, notability, special skills, or experience—are more likely to be construc ...

sport elsewhere in the world, in the land of its birth it enjoys widespread appeal across the social spectrum, in line with the country's egalitarian tradition. For example, the Old Course at St Andrews is a charitable trust and

Musselburgh Links Musselburgh Links, The Old Golf Course in Musselburgh, East Lothian, Scotland, is generally accepted as being one of the oldest golf courses in the world. The course is not to be confused with The Royal Musselburgh Golf Club or the Levenhall Li ...

is public courses.

Council A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or natio ...

-owned courses, with low fees and easy access, are common throughout the country wherever demography and geography allow. Therefore, golf courses, whether public or private, are far more common in the Lowlands than in the Highlands and Islands, where

shinty Shinty ( gd, camanachd, iomain) is a team game played with sticks and a ball. Shinty is now played mainly in the Scottish Highlands and amongst Highland migrants to the big cities of Scotland, but it was formerly more widespread in Scotland, an ...

(a game which may share a common ancestry with golf) is often the traditional sport. Scotland is widely promoted as the "Home of Golf," and along with whisky and the long list of

Scottish inventions and discoveries Scottish inventions and discoveries are objects, processes or techniques either partially or entirely invented, innovated, or discovered by a person born in or descended from Scotland. In some cases, an invention's Scottishness is determined by ...

, golf is widely seen as being a key national cultural icon throughout the world. It is frequently used to market the country to potential visitors, for example for the

Homecoming year Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni or other former members of an organization to celebrate the organization's existence. It is a tradition in many high schools, colleges, and churches in the United States, Canada and Liberia. ...

in 2009, and golf tourism accounted for approximately 2% of overall

Scottish tourism Scotland is a well-developed tourist destination, with tourism generally being responsible for sustaining 200,000 jobs mainly in the service sector, with tourist spending averaging at £4bn per year. In 2013, for example, UK visitors made ...

spending in 2004. One page that explains the history of golf in Scotland starts off by stating that, "There has been much debate as to the origins of the game and, in some cases, how it was originally played. One thing is certain — the game of golf as we know it was born in Scotland". Scotland has 587 courses, the most courses per head of any country, with the majority being in Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Etymology

The word ''golf'' was first recorded in the 15th century, appearing twice in an Act of the Scots Parliament of 6 March 1457, in the reign of

James II James II may refer to: * James II of Avesnes (died c. 1205), knight of the Fourth Crusade * James II of Majorca (died 1311), Lord of Montpellier * James II of Aragon (1267–1327), King of Sicily * James II, Count of La Marche (1370–1438), King C ...

. The Act, which ordered the holding of ''wappenschaws'' ( en,

musterings The term Mustering is used by the Royal Australian Air Force "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = ...

) four times a year for the purpose of

archery Archery is the sport, practice, or skill of using a bow to shoot arrows.Paterson ''Encyclopaedia of Archery'' p. 17 The word comes from the Latin ''arcus'', meaning bow. Historically, archery has been used for hunting and combat. In m ...

practice, stated that "the fut bal ande the golf" (

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

and golf) were to be "vtterly criyt done" (''condemned''; lit. "cried down") and "nocht vsyt" (''not engaged in''; lit. "not used"). Offenders were to be punished by the

barony Barony may refer to: * Barony, the peerage, office of, or territory held by a baron * Barony, the title and land held in fealty by a feudal baron * Barony (county division), a type of administrative or geographical division in parts of the British ...

courts, otherwise they were "to be tane be the kingis officiaris" (''arrested by the king's officers''). Football (see Football in Scotland) and golf are again both explicitly named and forbidden in two further 15th century Scottish

statute A statute is a formal written enactment of a legislative authority that governs the legal entities of a city, state, or country by way of consent. Typically, statutes command or prohibit something, or declare policy. Statutes are rules made by le ...

s encouraging archery practice, in 1470 and 1491. The 1470 Act, in the reign of James III, again uses the spelling ''golf'', but the 1491 Act, in the reign of

James IV James IV (17 March 1473 – 9 September 1513) was King of Scotland from 11 June 1488 until his death at the Battle of Flodden in 1513. He inherited the throne at the age of fifteen on the death of his father, James III, at the Battle of Sauchi ...

, spells it ; and variants such as , , became the usual spellings during the Early Modern Period. The Scottish National Dictionary states that "''golf'' represents a revival of the Middle Scots form; Loudoun Gowf Club, Newmilns, retains the old form in its title"; i.e. the spelling changed from Medieval ''golf'' to Early Modern ''gowf'', and then back again. The Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue gives the etymology of the word ''golf'' or (with many alternative spellings) as probably from the Dutch ''kolf'' (see

Kolven Kolven (verb; or noun: kolf) is a game originating from the Netherlands. Played by four people; it has players hit the ball over a certain distance. The first people to reach their opponents' starting point win. Games can last multiple days. G ...

, a Dutch indoor ballgame); although the dictionary also records the noun ''golf'' (with alternative spellings ''golfe'' or ''golph'') as deriving from Middle English ''golf'' or or Old French , meaning "a deep pool or hollow; an abyss"; a

cognate In historical linguistics, cognates or lexical cognates are sets of words in different languages that have been inherited in direct descent from an etymology, etymological ancestor in a proto-language, common parent language. Because language c ...

of modern English ''gulf''.

Other golfing words of Scots origin

*'' Links'': first recorded in 1453 - "Et de xxx s. de le lynkis de Leith" *'' Golf club'': first recorded in 1503-1504 - "For golf clubbes and balles to

the King In the British English-speaking world, The King refers to: * Charles III (born 1948), King of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms since 2022 As a nickname * Michael Jackson (1958–2009), American singer and pop icon, nicknamed "T ...

that he playit with" *'' Golfball'': first recorded as a term in 1545 (although also referred to in the 1503-1504 Treasury account) - "Three dossoun and thre goif bawis" *''Drive'': first recorded in 1583 - " Ane golf staff to driffe the ball vithe all" *''Tee'' ( Teeing ground): first recorded in 1721 - "Driving their Baws frae Whins or Tee, There’s no ae Gowfer to be seen." *''

Putt Putt can refer to: * Putt (golf), golf stroke * Putt (surname) * Putt baronets, a title in the Baronetage of England * Pitch and putt, sport similar to golf * Miniature golf, also known as mini-putt or putt-putt See also * Put (disambiguation) * ...

'': first recorded in 1743 - "Let each social soul Drink to the putter, the balls, and the hole." *''

Caddie In golf, a caddie (or caddy) is the person who carries a player's bag and clubs, and gives the player advice and moral support. Description A good caddie is aware of the challenges and obstacles of the golf course being played, along with the ...

'': first recorded in 1773 - "In order to preserve the holes, no Golfer or Cadie shall be allowed to make any Tee within ten yards of the hole.rules are to score a goal"

Origins

The exact origins of the sport of golf are unclear. The most widely accepted theory is that the modern game of golf originated in Scotland in the High Middle Ages. The first golf courses and clubs were established in the country. The first written rules originated in Scotland, as did the establishment of the 18 hole course. The first tournament structures developed and competitions were held between various

burgh A burgh is an autonomous municipal corporation in Scotland and Northern England, usually a city, town, or toun in Scots. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when King David I created the first royal burghs. Burg ...

s. The modern game was spread by Scots to the rest of the world. The earliest reference to golf is the purchase of a set of golf clubs by

from a bowmaker of St Johnston ( Perth) in 1502. Where he played is not known, but it is likely to have been on the open ground called the North Inch at Perth. It is recorded that Robert Maule of Panmure played golf at Carnoustie in the mid 16th century, as a wager for drink.An erroneous date of 1527 is sometimes given, but this occurs earlier Maule's narrative and relates to possession of the Mill of Strathdighty.
:''lykwayes he exerciset the gowf, and oftymes past to Barry lynkes, quhan the wadfie vos for drink. If he tint, he newir vald entir in ane browster hows, bot cawsit ane of his serwandis to gange and pay for al.'' The old road leading from Panmure estate to the coast terminates at the eastern part of Barry Links, occupied now by Carnoustie Golf Links.
* Around the same time, in 1552, John Hamilton the Archbishop of St Andrews granted the right of the people of

to play golf and gather turf on the links, retaining his rights to the rabbit warrens there. The Old Links at

Musselburgh Racecourse Musselburgh Racecourse is a horse racing venue located in the Millhill area of Musselburgh, East Lothian, Scotland, UK, close to the River Esk. It is the second biggest racecourse in Scotland (the first being Ayr) and is the fourteenth bigges ...

is claimed to be the oldest playing golf course in the world. Evidence has shown that golf was played on

in 1672, although Mary, Queen of Scots reputedly played there even earlier in 1567. An entry in the Edinburgh burgh records for 19 April 1592 includes golf in a list of pastimes to be avoided on the Sabbath. The parish register for neighbouring South Leith records the appearance of four parishioners before the kirk session on 7 December 1610 who "confessed they had prophaned the Sabbath be playing at the gowffe in tyme off preaching and thairfore was ordained to mak thair publict repentance the nixt Sabboth."

Golf course evolution

Golf courses have not always consisted of eighteen holes. The St Andrews Links occupy a narrow strip of land along the sea-shore). As early as the 15th century, golfers at

established a trench through the undulating terrain, playing to holes whose locations were dictated by topography. The course that emerged featured eleven holes, laid out end to end from the clubhouse to the far end of the property. One played the holes out, turned around, and played the holes in, for a total of 22 holes. In 1764, several of the holes were deemed too short, and therefore combined. The number was thereby reduced from 11 to nine, so that a complete round of the links comprised 18 holes. Due to the status of St Andrews as the 'home of golf', other courses followed suit and the 18 hole course became the standard which has remained to the present day. There are now more than 550 golf courses throughout the country, with at least 21 courses in Edinburgh alone.

Spreading the game outwith Scotland

When James VI succeeded to the thrones of England and Ireland in 1603 (see Union of the Crowns) a large number of his Scottish courtiers followed him to London. The King resided at Greenwich Palace, and there is documentary evidence that some of these Scottish noblemen played golf on

Blackheath Blackheath may refer to: Places England *Blackheath, London, England ** Blackheath railway station **Hundred of Blackheath, Kent, an ancient hundred in the north west of the county of Kent, England *Blackheath, Surrey, England ** Hundred of Blackh ...

, on the hill behind the palace.

Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales (19 February 1594 – 6 November 1612), was the eldest son and heir apparent of James VI and I, King of England and Scotland; and his wife Anne of Denmark. His name derives from his grandfathers: Henry Stuar ...

, the king's eldest son, was playing golf in 1606. The Royal Blackheath Golf Club traces its origins from these Scottish noblemen, thus claiming a pre-1745 foundation date. Although it is certainly the oldest English golf club, and the oldest outwith Scotland, there is no evidence that it is the oldest golf club in the world, as is sometimes claimed. This accolade is claimed by The Royal Burgess Golfing Society of Edinburgh who date back to 1735. The first record of North American golf was a consignment of 96 golfclubs and 432 golf balls which was shipped from Leith to

Charleston Charleston most commonly refers to: * Charleston, South Carolina * Charleston, West Virginia, the state capital * Charleston (dance) Charleston may also refer to: Places Australia * Charleston, South Australia Canada * Charleston, Newfoundlan ...

, South Carolina, in 1743; and on 29 September 1786 Scottish merchants established the South Carolina Golf Club in Charleston, the first golf club in the United States.

Players

Several Scots golfers are members of the World Golf Hall of Fame. Players marked * are also members of the

Scottish Sports Hall of Fame The Scottish Sports Hall of Fame is the national sports hall of fame of Scotland, set up in 2002. It is a joint project organised by sportscotland, the national governmental body for Scottish sport, and National Museums Scotland. It is also funded ...

: * Willie Anderson* (1879–1910) * Tommy Armour* (1894–1968) * James Braid* (1870–1950) * Dorothy Campbell (1883–1945) * Jock Hutchison (1884-1977) * Sandy Lyle (1958- ) * Alister MacKenzie (1870–1934) - golf course architect * Colin Montgomerie (1963- ) *

Old Tom Morris Thomas Mitchell Morris (16 June 1821 – 24 May 1908), otherwise known as Old Tom Morris, and The Grand Old Man of Golf, was a Scottish golfer. He was born in St Andrews, Fife, the "home of golf" and location of the St Andrews Links, and died t ...

* (1821–1908) *

Young Tom Morris Thomas Morris (20 April 1851 – 25 December 1875), known as Tom Morris Junior, Young Tom Morris and also Tommy Morris, was a Scottish professional golfer. He is considered one of the pioneers of professional golf, and was the first young prodig ...

* (1851–1875) *

Willie Park, Sr. William Park Sr. (30 June 1833 – 25 July 1903) was a Scottish professional golfer. He was a 4-time winner of the Open Championship. Early life Park was born in Wallyford, East Lothian, Scotland. Like some of the other early professional gol ...

(1834–1903) * Allan Robertson (1815–1859) *

Donald Ross Donald Ross may refer to: *Donald A. Ross (1857–1937), Canadian politician * Donald Ross (golfer) (1872–1948), Scottish-born American golfer and golf course designer *Donald P. Ross (1902–1973), American horse racetrack and racing stable owner ...

(1872–1948) - golf course architect Belle Robertson (born 1936) and

Jessie Valentine Jessie Valentine (née Anderson) (18 March 1915 – 6 April 2006) was a Scottish amateur golfer who won the British Ladies Amateur in 1937, 1955 and 1958. In 1937, after winning the British Ladies title at Turnberry she was the world number ...

(1915–2006) are all inducted into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame, but not the World Golf Hall of Fame.

References

External links

Scotland - The Home of Golf
the official golf site of Scotland's national tourism organisation VisitScotland
Golf History
at Scotland.org - the official online gateway to Scotland

at the

Gazetteer for Scotland The ''Gazetteer for Scotland'' is a gazetteer covering the geography, history and people of Scotland. It was conceived in 1995 by Bruce Gittings of the University of Edinburgh and David Munro of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society, and cont ...

Scottish Golf History
at www.scottishgolfhistory.org
Golf
at '' The Scotsman'' newspaper {{DEFAULTSORT:Golf In Scotland