The following is a partial timeline of the history of golf.

1851–1860

1851 Events January–March * January 11 – Hong Xiuquan officially begins the Taiping Rebellion. * January 15 – Christian Female College, modern-day Columbia College, receives its charter from the Missouri General Assembly. ...

The Prestwick Golf Club is founded.

1856 Events January–March * January 8 – Borax deposits are discovered in large quantities by John Veatch in California. * January 23 – American paddle steamer SS ''Pacific'' leaves Liverpool (England) for a transatlantic voyag ...

Pau Golf Club The Pau Golf Club is one of the oldest golf clubs in the world. It is a private members-only club based in Pau, France. Founded by a group of Lord Hamilton, the colonels William Neilson Hutchinson and Lloyd-Anstruther, the major Pontifex, the ...

is founded, the first in

continental Europe Continental Europe or mainland Europe is the contiguous continent of Europe, excluding its surrounding islands. It can also be referred to ambiguously as the European continent, – which can conversely mean the whole of Europe – and, by ...

. A rule change is enacted that, in match play, the ball must be played as it lies or the hole be conceded. It is the last recorded toughening of the rules structure.

1857 Events January–March * January 1 – The biggest Estonian newspaper, ''Postimees'', is established by Johann Voldemar Jannsen. * January 7 – The partly French-owned London General Omnibus Company begins operating. * Janua ...

''The Golfer's Manual'', by "A Keen Hand" (

H. B. Farnie Henry Brougham Farnie (8 April 1836 – 21 September 1889), often called H. B. Farnie, was a British librettist and adapter of French operettas and an author. Some of his English-language versions of operettas became record-setting hits on the ...

), is published. It is the first book on golf instruction. The Prestwick Club institutes the first Championship Meeting, a foursomes competition at

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 ...

attended by eleven golf clubs. George Glennie and J.C. Stewart win for Blackheath.

1858 Events January–March * January – **Benito Juárez (1806–1872) becomes Liberal President of Mexico. At the same time, conservatives install Félix María Zuloaga (1813–1898) as president. **William I of Prussia becomes regent f ...

The

Royal Curragh Golf Club The Royal Curragh Golf Club is a private members' club with an 18-hole golf course in County Kildare, Ireland. Dating from 1858, it is the oldest golf club in Ireland. Located next to Curragh Camp, its course has historically had strong links t ...

is founded at Kildare, the oldest golf club in Ireland. The format of the Championship Meeting is changed to individual match play and is won by Robert Chambers of Bruntsfield. Allan Robertson becomes the first golfer to break 80 at the Old Course, recording a 79. The King James VI Golf Club is founded in

Perth, Scotland Perth (Scottish English, locally: ; gd, Peairt ) is a city in central Scotland, on the banks of the River Tay. It is the administrative centre of Perth and Kinross council area and the historic county town of Perthshire. It had a population o ...

1859 Events January–March * January 21 – José Mariano Salas (1797–1867) becomes Conservative interim President of Mexico. * January 24 ( O. S.) – Wallachia and Moldavia are united under Alexandru Ioan Cuza (Romania since 1866, final u ...

The first Amateur Championship is won by George Condie of Perth. Death of Allan Robertson, the first great professional golfer.

1860–1870

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 ...

The Prestwick Club institutes a Professional Championship played at Prestwick; the first Championship Belt is won by Willie Park, Snr.

1861 Statistically, this year is considered the end of the whale oil industry and (in replacement) the beginning of the petroleum oil industry. Events January–March * January 1 ** Benito Juárez captures Mexico City. ** The first steam-p ...

The Professionals Championship is opened to amateurs, and The Open Championship is born. The first competition is won by

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 ...

1864 Events January–March * January 13 – American songwriter Stephen Foster ("Oh! Susanna", "Old Folks at Home") dies aged 37 in New York City, leaving a scrap of paper reading "Dear friends and gentle hearts". His parlor song " ...

The North Devon Golf Club is founded at Westward Ho!

1865 Events January–March * January 4 – The New York Stock Exchange opens its first permanent headquarters at Broad Street (Manhattan), 10-12 Broad near Wall Street, in New York City. * January 13 – American Civil War : Sec ...

The

London Scottish Golf Club London Scottish Golf Club near the windmill on Wimbledon Common is the third oldest golf club in England. It was founded in 1865 by members of the London Scottish Volunteer Rifles (later the London Scottish regiment), who were stationed on the c ...

is founded on Wimbledon Common

1867 Events January–March * January 1 – The Covington–Cincinnati Suspension Bridge opens between Cincinnati, Ohio, and Covington, Kentucky, in the United States, becoming the longest single-span bridge in the world. It was renamed a ...

The Ladies' Golf Club at St. Andrews is founded, the first golf club for women.

1869 Events January–March * January 3 – Abdur Rahman Khan is defeated at Tinah Khan, and exiled from Afghanistan. * January 5 – Scotland's oldest professional football team, Kilmarnock F.C., is founded. * January 20 – E ...

The Liverpool Golf Club is founded at Hoylake, later Royal Liverpool.

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 ...

, age 17, wins the first of four successive Open Championships. His streak would include an 11-stroke victory in 1869 and a 12-stroke victory in 1870 (in a 36-hole format). His 149 in the 1870 Open over 36 holes is a stroke average that would not be equalled until the invention of the rubber-cored ball.

1870–1880

1870 Events January–March * January 1 ** The first edition of ''The Northern Echo'' newspaper is published in Priestgate, Darlington, England. ** Plans for the Brooklyn Bridge are completed. * January 3 – Construction of the Broo ...

wins his third consecutive Open Championship, thus winning permanent possession of the Belt. The Royal Adelaide Golf Club is founded, the first golf club in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

1871 Events January–March * January 3 – Franco-Prussian War – Battle of Bapaume: Prussians win a strategic victory. * January 18 – Proclamation of the German Empire: The member states of the North German Confederation and the sout ...

The Forfar Golf Club is formed, Tom Morris Snr lays out the course. The Otago Golf Club is formed, the first club in New Zealand.

1872 Events January–March * January 12 – Yohannes IV is crowned Emperor of Ethiopia in Axum, the first ruler crowned in that city in over 500 years. * February 2 – The government of the United Kingdom buys a number of forts on ...

The Open Championship is reinstituted when Prestwick, St. Andrews and the

Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers ''The Honourable'' (British English) or ''The Honorable'' (American English; see spelling differences) (abbreviation: ''Hon.'', ''Hon'ble'', or variations) is an honorific style that is used as a prefix before the names or titles of certain ...

offer a new trophy, with the Open Championship to be hosted in rotation by the three clubs. Young Tom Morris wins his fourth consecutive Open Championship.

1873 Events January–March * January 1 ** Japan adopts the Gregorian calendar. ** The California Penal Code goes into effect. * January 17 – American Indian Wars: Modoc War: First Battle of the Stronghold – Modoc Indians defeat ...

The Christchurch Golf Club is formed, the second club in New Zealand. The Royal Montreal Golf Club is formed, the oldest surviving golf club in Canada and North America. The Open Championship is held for the first time at the Old Course.

1874 Events January–March * January 1 – New York City annexes The Bronx. * January 2 – Ignacio María González becomes head of state of the Dominican Republic for the first time. * January 3 – Third Carlist War &ndas ...

The

Royal Quebec Golf Club The Royal-Quebec Golf Club ( French: Club de Golf Royal Québec) is a golf course founded in 1874 in Boischatel by members of the local business community, mainly Scots-Quebecers bankers and businessmen. Located approximately 12 miles (18 k ...

is formed in Quebec City, and remains the second oldest surviving golf club in Canada and North America.

1875 Events January–March * January 1 – The Midland Railway of England abolishes the Second Class passenger category, leaving First Class and Third Class. Other British railway companies follow Midland's lead during the rest of the ...

The Oxford and Cambridge University Golf Clubs are founded. Young Tom Morris dies at age 24. He did not emotionally recover from the death of both his wife and their daughter in childbirth earlier that year.

1876 Events January–March * January 1 ** The Reichsbank opens in Berlin. ** The Bass Brewery Red Triangle becomes the world's first registered trademark symbol. * February 2 – The National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs i ...

The

Toronto Golf Club The Toronto Golf Club is a private golf club in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, a suburban municipality adjacent to Toronto. Established in Toronto in 1876, the Toronto Golf Club is the third oldest golf club in North America after Royal Montreal Go ...

is established, the third oldest golf club in Canada and North America. Originally located on the Fernhill property in Toronto, the Club moved to its current location on the banks of the Etobicoke River in 1911.

1877 Events January–March * January 1 – Queen Victoria is proclaimed ''Empress of India'' by the ''Royal Titles Act 1876'', introduced by Benjamin Disraeli, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom . * January 8 – Great Sio ...

Jamie Anderson wins the first of three consecutive Open Championships.

1878 Events January–March * January 5 – Russo-Turkish War – Battle of Shipka Pass IV: Russian and Bulgarian forces defeat the Ottoman Empire. * January 9 – Umberto I becomes King of Italy. * January 17 – Battle o ...

The first University Match is played on the

course at Wimbledon, won by Oxford.

1880–1890

1881 Events January–March * January 1– 24 – Siege of Geok Tepe: Russian troops under General Mikhail Skobelev defeat the Turkomans. * January 13 – War of the Pacific – Battle of San Juan and Chorrillos: The C ...

Royal Belfast is founded. The use of moulds is instituted to dimple the gutta-percha ball. Golfers had long noticed that the guttie worked in the air much better after it had been hit several times and scuffed up.

1882 Events January–March * January 2 ** The Standard Oil Trust is secretly created in the United States to control multiple corporations set up by John D. Rockefeller and his associates. ** Irish-born author Oscar Wilde arrives in ...

Great Yarmouth Golf Club
is founded by Dr. Thomas Browne R.N, who moved to the area to work at th
Royal Naval Hospital

1883 Events January–March * January 4 – ''Life'' magazine is founded in Los Angeles, California, United States. * January 10 – A fire at the Newhall Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States, kills 73 people. * Ja ...

Bob Ferguson of

Musselburgh Musselburgh (; sco, Musselburrae; gd, Baile nam Feusgan) is the largest settlement in East Lothian, Scotland, on the coast of the Firth of Forth, east of Edinburgh city centre. It has a population of . History The name Musselburgh is Ol ...

, losing The Open in extra holes, comes one victory shy of equalling Young Tom Morris' record of four consecutive titles. Ferguson ends up later in life penniless, working out of the Musselburgh caddy-shack.

1884 Events January–March * January 4 – The Fabian Society is founded in London. * January 5 – Gilbert and Sullivan's ''Princess Ida'' premières at the Savoy Theatre, London. * January 18 – Dr. William Price atte ...

The Edgewood Club of Tivoli is founded in Tivoli, New York with two golf holes. The course was incrementally expanded to nine holes by 1916. This club is the oldest existing U.S. golf club with continuous golf in the same location.

1885 Events January–March * January 3– 4 – Sino-French War – Battle of Núi Bop: French troops under General Oscar de Négrier defeat a numerically superior Qing Chinese force, in northern Vietnam. * January 4 – ...

The Amateur Championship is first played at Royal Liverpool Golf Club, Hoylake. The London Metal Exchange Golf Association (LMEGA) is formed. The

Royal Cape Golf Club The Royal Cape Golf Club in Cape Town, South Africa was established in 1885 and is the oldest golf club in Africa. History Royal Cape is South Africa's oldest and traditionally most prestigious course, set to the backdrop of Cape Town's Tabl ...

is founded at Wynberg, South Africa, the first club in Africa.

1886 Events January–March * January 1 – Upper Burma is formally annexed to British Burma, following its conquest in the Third Anglo-Burmese War of November 1885. * January 5– 9 – Robert Louis Stevenson's novella ''Strange ...

John Hamilton Gillespie Colonel John Hamilton Gillespie (14 October 1852 – 7 September 1923) was a Scottish-American soldier, land developer, businessman and politician, who settled in Sarasota, Florida, becoming Sarasota's first mayor. Biography Gillespie was born ...

lays out a two-hole golf course in Sarasota, Florida. A.J. Balfour is appointed Chief Secretary (Cabinet Minister) for Ireland; his rise to political and social prominence has an incalculable effect on the popularity of golf, as he is an indefatigable player and catalyzes great interest in the game through his writing and public speaking. Alexander H. Findlay, later to become the Father of American Golf, was the first in the world to score a 72 in competition for 18 holes at the Mercantile Golf Club in Montrose, Scotland.

1887 Events January–March * January 11 – Louis Pasteur's anti-rabies treatment is defended in the Académie Nationale de Médecine, by Dr. Joseph Grancher. * January 20 ** The United States Senate allows the Navy to lease Pearl Har ...

''The Art of Golf'' by Sir Walter Simpson is published. The Quogue Field Club was founded in Quogue, New York. The original course had 18 holes, but after the Hurricane of 1938 the club lost 3 holes to the bay and had to reduce the course to 9 holes from that point forward.

The

Foxburg Country Club Foxburg Country Club, established in 1887, is the oldest golf course in continuous use in the United States. It is located in Foxburg, Clarion County, Pennsylvania, United States of America, approximately north of Pittsburgh on a hill rising abou ...

is founded in

Foxburg, Pennsylvania Foxburg is a borough in Clarion County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located along the east bank of the Allegheny River, about north of the mouth of the Clarion River. As of the 2020 census it had a population of 181. History The town t ...

Essex County Country Club in West Orange, NJ was incorporated in May 1887, a Constitution was adopted in January 1888 which established the Club

1888 In Germany, 1888 is known as the Year of the Three Emperors. Currently, it is the year that, when written in Roman numerals, has the most digits (13). The next year that also has 13 digits is the year 2388. The record will be surpassed as late ...

Kebo Valley Golf Club opens in Maine The Town & Country Club is founded in

St. Paul, Minnesota Saint Paul (abbreviated St. Paul) is the capital of the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Ramsey County. Situated on high bluffs overlooking a bend in the Mississippi River, Saint Paul is a regional business hub and the center o ...

. The

Saint Andrew's Golf Club The Saint Andrew's Golf Club is a golf club located in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York (state), New York, United States. History Founded in 1888 by John Reid (businessman), John Reid of Dunfermline, Scotland, the club is the oldest golf club in the ...

, consisting of a three-hole course, is founded in Yonkers, New York. The Karachi Golf Club is founded (Karachi, Sindh, India) The Royal Malta Golf Club is founded (became Royal in 1903)

1890–1900

1890 Events January–March * January 1 ** The Kingdom of Italy establishes Eritrea as its colony, in the Horn of Africa. ** In Michigan, the wooden steamer ''Mackinaw'' burns in a fire on the Black River. * January 2 ** The steamship ...

John Ball, an English amateur, becomes the first non-Scotsman and first amateur to win The Open Championship. The concept of playing a match under handicap against the number of shots a hypothetical golfer playing perfect golf at every hole was conceived by Hugh Rotherham, a member at Coventry Golf Club. Rotherham called this a "Ground Score." This idea was suggested to Dr. Thomas Browne, honorary secretary of th
Great Yarmouth Club
and it was introduced on a match play basis at the club. During one such competition, one golfer was playing incredibly well and was hailed a Bogey Man to Dr Browne. The phrase 'a bogey' was invented and the ground score became known as a ' bogey. henceforth.' At the time, "Hush, here comes the Bogey man" was a popular music hall song of the day. With the invention of the rubber-cored ball, golfers are able to reach the greens in fewer strokes, and so bogey has come to represent one over the par score for the hole. Berkhamsted Golf Club (Founded 1890)

1891 Events January–March * January 1 ** Paying of old age pensions begins in Germany. ** A strike of 500 Hungarian steel workers occurs; 3,000 men are out of work as a consequence. **Germany takes formal possession of its new Africa ...

The Golfing Union of Ireland is founded on 12 October 1891 and is the oldest Golfing Union in the world.

Shinnecock Hills Golf Club Shinnecock Hills Golf Club is a Links (golf), links-style golf club located in an Shinnecock Hills, New York, unincorporated area of the Southampton (town), New York, Town of Southampton on Long Island, New York (state), New York, situated betwee ...

is founded on

Long Island Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...

. The Royal Golf Club of Las Palmas in Gran Canaria is founded; it is the oldest Club in Spain. The Cannes Golf Club is founded in Cannes by Grand Duke Michael of Russia. The first golf club in the French Rivera. It is here that Michael taught Prince Albert to play golf.

1892 Events January–March * January 1 – Ellis Island begins accommodating immigrants to the United States. * February 1 - The historic Enterprise Bar and Grill was established in Rico, Colorado. * February 27 – Rudolf Diesel applies for ...

The Oakhurst Golf Club is founded at White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. It hosted the Oakhurst Challenge, the oldest known golf tournament in the U.S. The Oakhurst Challenge Medal is recognized as the oldest known prize for golf in the U.S. The first hole at The Homestead survives from this course and is the oldest surviving golf hole in

America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. Glen Arven Country Club golf course established in Thomasville, Georgia USA; the oldest course still in use in Georgia. Gate money is charged for the first time, at a match between Douglas Rollard and Jack White at Cambridge. The practice of paying for matches through private betting, rather than gate receipts and sponsorships, survives well into the 20th Century as a " Calcutta," but increasingly gate receipts are the source of legitimate prize purses. The Amateur Golf Championship of India and the East is instituted, the first international championship event.

1893 Events January–March * January 2 – Webb C. Ball introduces railroad chronometers, which become the general railroad timepiece standards in North America. * Mark Twain started writing Puddn'head Wilson. * January 6 – Th ...

The

Ladies' Golf Union The Ladies' Golf Union (LGU) was the governing body for women's and girls' amateur golf in Great Britain and Ireland. It was founded in 1893 and was based in St Andrews, Fife, Scotland until merging with The R&A at the start of 2017. Issette ...

of Great Britain and Ireland is founded and the first British Ladies Amateur Golf Championship won by

Lady Margaret Scott Lady Margaret Rachel Scott (5 April 1874 – 27 January 1938) was a dominant player in early women's golf, who won the first three British Ladies Amateurs in 1893, 1894, and 1895. Scott was a daughter of John Scott, 3rd Earl of Eldon, and the fo ...

Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club in Lytham St Annes, Lancashire, England, is one of the courses in the The Open Championship, Open Championship rotation. The Women's British Open has also been played on the course five times: once prior to being ...

. The Irish Ladies' Golf Union is founded and is the oldest Ladies Golf Union in the world. The

Chicago Golf Club Chicago Golf Club is a private golf club in the central United States, located in Wheaton, Illinois, a suburb west of Chicago. The oldest 18-hole course in North America, it was one of the five founding clubs of the United States Golf Association ...

opens the United States' first 18-hole golf course on the site of the present-day

Downers Grove Downers Grove is a village in DuPage County, Illinois, United States. It was founded in 1832 by Pierce Downer, whose surname serves as the eponym for the village. It is a south-west suburb of Chicago. The village is located between I-88 and I-55. ...

Golf Course. The Chicago Golf Club moved to its current location in 1895. Victoria Golf Club is formed and remains the oldest course west of the Mississippi on its original site.

1894 Events January–March * January 4 – A military alliance is established between the French Third Republic and the Russian Empire. * January 7 – William Kennedy Dickson receives a patent for motion picture film in the United S ...

The Open is played on an English course for the first time and is won for the first time by an Englishman,

J.H. Taylor John Henry "J.H." Taylor (19 March 1871 – 10 February 1963) was an English professional golfer and one of the pioneers of the modern game of golf. Taylor is considered to be one of the best golfers of all time. He was a significant golf ...

. Taylor, along with Harry Vardon and James Braid (together known as the

Great Triumvirate In U.S. politics, the Great Triumvirate (known also as the Immortal Trio) refers to a triumvirate of three statesmen who dominated American politics for much of the first half of the 19th century, namely Henry Clay of Kentucky, Daniel Webste ...

) would dominate the Open Championship for the next two decades. The United States Golf Association is founded as the Amateur Golf Association of the United States. Charter members are the Chicago Golf Club,

The Country Club The Country Club, located in Brookline, Massachusetts, is the oldest golf-oriented country club in the United States. (The Philadelphia Cricket Club, founded in 1854, was the first country club for any sport.) It holds an important place in ...

, Newport Country Club, St. Andrew's Golf Club, and

. The Richmond County Country Club was founded on Staten Island, NY. It is the only private golf course in NYC. 1894 The Otsego Golf Club, Springfield Center, New York, officially opened with 12 holes. Founded by Henry L. Wardwell and Leslie Pell-Clarke, the Otsego Golf Club has operated continuously since 1894 and is a nine-hole course today. Tacoma Golf Club is founded, the first golf club on the US Pacific Coast.

1895 Events January–March * January 5 – Dreyfus affair: French officer Alfred Dreyfus is stripped of his army rank, and sentenced to life imprisonment on Devil's Island. * January 12 – The National Trust for Places of Histor ...

1895 - Istanbul Golf Club "IGK" formerly known as Constantinople Golf Club is founded - the first golf club in Turkey The U.S. Amateur is instituted, with

Charles B. Macdonald Charles Blair Macdonald (November 14, 1855 – April 21, 1939) was a major figure in early American golf. He built the first 18-hole course in the United States, was a driving force in the founding of the United States Golf Association, won the f ...

winning the inaugural event. The first U.S. Open is held the following day, with

Horace Rawlins Horace Thomas Rawlins (5 August 1874 – 22 January 1935) was an English professional golfer who won the first U.S. Open Championship in 1895. Early life Rawlins was born at Shanklin on the Isle of Wight, England, the son of Thomas Horatio and ...

winning. May 1, 1895 - Brooklawn Country Club in Bridgeport, Connecticut, is founded as a nine-hole course. The club operates in the same location today, although the location is now part of Fairfield, Connecticut. The course is now 18 holes, redesigned by A.W. Tillinghast in 1929. July 6, 1895 - Van Cortlandt Park Golf Course opens - the first public golf course in America. The pool cue is banned as a putter by the USGA. The

U.S. Women's Amateur The U.S. Women's Amateur is the leading golf tournament in the United States for female amateur golfers. It is played annually and is one of the 13 United States national golf championships organized by the United States Golf Association (USGA). F ...

is instituted. Mrs. Charles S. Brown (née Lucy N. Barnes) is the first winner. Cherokee Golf Course in Louisville, Kentucky, was laid out in Cherokee Park and played. Play picked up considerably by 1897 and in 1900 The Committee on Cherokee Park to make the links "safe" to the public was sanctioned. A caretaker for the Cherokee Park Greens was hired for $25 per month. Cherokee Park is part of the Olmsted Park system. Mr Olmsted did not want golf in this park, but the public created, played and the course was ultimately sanctioned and is played today. Cherokee GC is one of the oldest municipal and public golf courses in America.

1896 Events January–March * January 2 – The Jameson Raid comes to an end, as Jameson surrenders to the Boers. * January 4 – Utah is admitted as the 45th U.S. state. * January 5 – An Austrian newspaper reports that Wil ...

Harry Vardon wins his first British Open. Wee Burn Country Club is founded in Darien, Connecticut. A difficult links-style course that pays homage to the home nation of the game—Scotland. "Wee Burn" means "small river" in traditional Scottish dialect.

1897 Events January–March * January 2 – The International Alpha Omicron Pi sorority is founded, in New York City. * January 4 – A British force is ambushed by Chief Ologbosere, son-in-law of the ruler. This leads to a puniti ...

The first NCAA Championship is held. Louis Bayard, Jr. is the winner. ''Golf'', America's first golfing magazine, is published for the first time.

1898 Events January–March * January 1 – New York City annexes land from surrounding counties, creating the City of Greater New York as the world's second largest. The city is geographically divided into five boroughs: Manhattan, B ...

The term "birdie" is coined at Atlantic C.C. from "a bird of a hole." Freddie Tait, betting he could reach the

Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club is an 18-hole links golf course in southeastern England, in the town of Deal in the County of Kent (the course is often known simply as "Deal"). Founded in 1892, its name derives from Deal's membership of an ancient ...

clubhouse from the clubhouse at Royal St George's Golf Club - a three-mile distance - in forty shots or less, puts his 32nd stroke through a window at the Cinque Ports club. The Haskell ball is designed and patented by Coburn Haskell. It is the first rubber-cored ball. Church Stretton Golf Club is founded, the oldest 18-hole course in Shropshire and one of the highest courses in England and the United Kingdom.

1899 Events January 1899 * January 1 ** Spanish rule ends in Cuba, concluding 400 years of the Spanish Empire in the Americas. ** Queens and Staten Island become administratively part of New York City. * January 2 – **Bolivia sets up a c ...

The Western Open is first played at The Glen View Club in Golf, Illinois, the first tournament in what would evolve into the PGA Tour. Vesper Country Club is formed in

Tyngsboro, Massachusetts Tyngsborough (also spelled Tyngsboro) is a town in northern Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. Tyngsborough is from Boston along the Route 3 corridor, and located on the New Hampshire state line. At the 2020 census, the town popula ...

1900–1910

1900 As of March 1 ( O.S. February 17), when the Julian calendar acknowledged a leap day and the Gregorian calendar did not, the Julian calendar fell one day further behind, bringing the difference to 13 days until February 28 ( O.S. February 15), 2 ...

Walter Travis Walter J. Travis (January 10, 1862 – July 31, 1927) was an American amateur golfer during the early 1900s. He was also a noted golf journalist and publisher, an innovator in all aspects of golf, a teacher, and golf course architect. Golfing ca ...

wins the first of his three U.S. Amateurs. Harry Vardon wins the U.S. Open, the first golfer to win both the British and U.S. Opens. Golf is placed on the

Olympic Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece b ...

calendar for the 2nd Games at Paris.

1901 Events January * January 1 – The Crown colony, British colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria (Australia), Victoria and Western Australia Federation of Australia, federate as the Australia, ...

The

PGA PGA is an acronym or initialism that may stand for: Aviation * IATA code for Page Municipal Airport, Coconino County, Arizona * ICAO designator for Portugália, regional airline based in Lisbon, Portugal * Abbreviation for Prince George Airport ...

- Professional Golfers' Association (Great Britain & Ireland) is established. Walter Travis wins his second U.S. Amateur, and becomes the first golfer to win a major title with the Haskell ball, the first rubber-cored golf ball. When Sandy Herd wins the British Open and

Laurie Auchterlonie Lawrence Auchterlonie (8 December 1867 – 20 January 1948) was a Scottish professional golfer, a native of St Andrews. In 1902 U.S. Open (golf), 1902, representing the Glen View Club, he won the eighth U.S. Open (golf), U.S. Open at Garden City ...

the U.S. Open the next year with the Haskell, virtually all competitors switch to the new ball. Sunningdale, a course built amidst a cleared forest, opens for play. It is the first course with grass grown completely from seed. Previously, golf courses were routed through meadows, which frequently created drainage problems as the meadows were typically atop clay soil. The first course at the Carolina Hotel (later the Pinehurst Resort & CC) in

Pinehurst, North Carolina Pinehurst is a village in Moore County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2010 census, the village population was 13,124. It is home of the historic Pinehurst Resort, a Golf resort, which has hosted multiple United States Open Champion ...

, is completed by

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 ...

. Ross will go on to design 600 courses in his storied career as a golf course architect. Walter Travis publishes his first book, ''Practical Golf'', a tome that received a rave review in ''The New York Times''.

1902 Events January * January 1 ** The Nurses Registration Act 1901 comes into effect in New Zealand, making it the first country in the world to require state registration of nurses. On January 10, Ellen Dougherty becomes the world's f ...

England and Scotland inaugurate an Amateur Team competition, with Scotland winning at Hoylake. The first grooved-faced irons are invented.

1903 Events January * January 1 – Edward VII is proclaimed Emperor of India. * January 19 – The first west–east transatlantic radio broadcast is made from the United States to England (the first east–west broadcast having been ...

Walter Travis becomes the first three-time U.S. Amateur champion. Robert Maxwell won the 1903 British Amateur Championship, held at Muirfield, by the score of 7&5 over Horace Hutchinson.

Oakmont Country Club Oakmont Country Club is a country club in the eastern United States, located mostly in Plum with only a very small portion of the property located in Oakmont, suburbs of Pittsburgh in western Pennsylvania. Established in 1903, its golf course i ...

is founded in Oakmont, Pennsylvania, designed by Henry Fownes. It is widely regarded as one of the finest examples of penal-style golf architecture.

1904 Events January * January 7 – The distress signal ''CQD'' is established, only to be replaced 2 years later by ''SOS''. * January 8 – The Blackstone Library is dedicated, marking the beginning of the Chicago Public Library system. * ...

Walter Travis becomes the first American to win the British Amateur using the center-shafted, Schenectady putter. Golf makes its second and final Olympic appearance at the Olympic Games in St. Louis.

1905 As the second year of the massive Russo-Japanese War begins, more than 100,000 die in the largest world battles of that era, and the war chaos leads to the 1905 Russian Revolution against Nicholas II of Russia (Shostakovich's 11th Symphony i ...

opens a nine-hole course in Sarasota. Women golfers from Britain and the United States play an international match, with the British winning 6 matches to 1. The first dimple-pattern for golf balls is patented by William Taylor in England. ''The Complete Golfer'' by Harry Vardon is published. It promotes and demonstrates the Vardon or overlapping grip. The Toronto Golf Club hosts the Canadian Open and then again in 1909, 1914, 1921 and 1927.

1906 Events January–February * January 12 – Persian Constitutional Revolution: A nationalistic coalition of merchants, religious leaders and intellectuals in Persia forces the shah Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar to grant a constitution, ...

Goodrich introduces a golf ball with a rubber core filled with compressed air. The "Pneu-matic" proves quite lively, but also prone to explode in warm weather, often in a golfer's pocket. The ball is eventually discontinued; at this time the Haskell ball achieves a dominance of the golf ball market.

1907 Events January * January 14 – 1907 Kingston earthquake: A 6.5 Mw earthquake in Kingston, Jamaica, kills between 800 and 1,000. February * February 11 – The French warship ''Jean Bart'' sinks off the coast of Morocco. ...

Arnaud Massy becomes the first golfer from Continental Europe to win The Open Championship.

1908 Events January * January 1 – The British ''Nimrod'' Expedition led by Ernest Shackleton sets sail from New Zealand on the ''Nimrod'' for Antarctica. * January 3 – A total solar eclipse is visible in the Pacific Ocean, and is the 46 ...

Mrs. Gordon Robertson, at Princes Ladies GC, becomes the first female professional. ''The Mystery of Golf'' by

Arnold Haultain Theodore Arnold Haultain (1857–1941) was a British writer. He was for many years secretary to Goldwin Smith in Toronto, writing a memoir and acting as literary executor after his death. His book, "Hints for Lovers", was a limited edition, dedi ...

is published. The golf magazine ''The American Golfer'' is launched by Walter Travis. A dispute over the format of the competition leads to the cancellation of the golf tournament at the

1908 Summer Olympics The 1908 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the IV Olympiad and also known as London 1908) were an international multi-sport event held in London, England, United Kingdom, from 27 April to 31 October 1908. The 1908 Games were ori ...

. The

Great Southern Golf Club Great Southern Golf Club was an 18-hole golf course located in Gulfport, Mississippi overlooking the Mississippi Sound. Designed by Donald Ross and built in 1908, the Great Southern Golf Club was the oldest golf course in Mississippi. To satisfy ...

was the first golf course was in Mississippi. Fort Wayne Country Club in Fort Wayne, IN was formed.

1909 Events January–February * January 4 – Explorer Aeneas Mackintosh of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition escaped death by fleeing across ice floes. * January 7 – Colombia recognizes the independence of Panama. * Januar ...

The USGA rules that caddies, caddymasters and greenkeepers over the age of sixteen are professional golfers. The ruling is later modified and eventually reversed in 1963.

1910–1920

1910 Events January * January 13 – The first public radio broadcast takes place; live performances of the operas '' Cavalleria rusticana'' and ''Pagliacci'' are sent out over the airwaves, from the Metropolitan Opera House in New York C ...

The R & A bans the center-shafted putter while the USGA keeps it legal - marking the beginning of a 42-year period with two official versions of The Rules of Golf. Steel shafts are patented by Arthur F. Knight.

1911 A notable ongoing event was the Comparison of the Amundsen and Scott Expeditions, race for the South Pole. Events January * January 1 – A decade after federation, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory ...

The United States gets its first national standardized

handicapping Handicapping, in sport and games, is the practice of assigning advantage through scoring compensation or other advantage given to different contestants to equalize the chances of winning. The word also applies to the various methods by which th ...

system. John McDermott becomes the first native-born American to win the U.S. Open. At 19 years of age, he is also the youngest winner to date.

1912 Events January * January 1 – The Republic of China (1912–49), Republic of China is established. * January 5 – The Prague Conference (6th All-Russian Conference of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party) opens. * January 6 ...

John Ball wins his eighth British Amateur championship, a record not yet equalled.

1913 Events January * January 5 – First Balkan War: Battle of Lemnos (1913), Battle of Lemnos – Greek admiral Pavlos Kountouriotis forces the Turkish fleet to retreat to its base within the Dardanelles, from which it will not ven ...

Francis Ouimet, age 20, becomes the first amateur to win the U.S. Open, defeating favorites Harry Vardon and Ted Ray in a play-off. The first professional international match is played between France and the United States at La Boulie Golf Club, France.

1914 This year saw the beginning of what became known as World War I, after Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir to the Austrian throne was Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, assassinated by Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip. It als ...

Formation of The Tokyo Club at Komozawa kicks off the

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

ese golf boom. Harry Vardon wins his sixth Open Championship, a record to this day ( Peter Thomson and Tom Watson have since won five Opens each).

1915 Events Below, the events of World War I have the "WWI" prefix. January * January – British physicist Sir Joseph Larmor publishes his observations on "The Influence of Local Atmospheric Cooling on Astronomical Refraction". *January 1 ...

The Open Championship is discontinued for the duration of the First World War.

1916 Events Below, the events of the First World War have the "WWI" prefix. January * January 1 – The British Royal Army Medical Corps carries out the first successful blood transfusion, using blood that had been stored and cooled. * ...

The PGA of America is founded by 82 charter members and the PGA Championship is inaugurated. Jim Barnes is the first champion. The first

miniature golf Miniature golf, also known as minigolf, mini-putt, crazy golf, or putt-putt, is an offshoot of the sport of golf focusing solely on the putting aspect of its parent game. The aim of the game is to score the lowest number of points. It is played ...

course opens in Pinehurst, North Carolina. Francis Ouimet is banned from amateur play for his involvement with a sporting goods business. The ruling creates a stir of protest and is reversed in 1918.

1917 Events Below, the events of World War I have the "WWI" prefix. January * January 9 – WWI – Battle of Rafa: The last substantial Ottoman Army garrison on the Sinai Peninsula is captured by the Egyptian Expeditionary Force's ...

The PGA Championship and the U.S. Open are discontinued for the duration of the First World War.

1919 Events January * January 1 ** The Czechoslovak Legions occupy much of the self-proclaimed "free city" of Pressburg (now Bratislava), enforcing its incorporation into the new republic of Czechoslovakia. ** HMY ''Iolaire'' sinks off the c ...

The R & A assumes control over The Open Championship (British Open) and The Amateur Championship (British Amateur). Pebble Beach Golf Links opens as the Del Monte G.L. in Pebble Beach, California.

1920–1930

1920 Events January * January 1 ** Polish–Soviet War in 1920: The Russian Red Army increases its troops along the Polish border from 4 divisions to 20. ** Kauniainen, completely surrounded by the city of Espoo, secedes from Espoo as its own ma ...

The USGA founds its famed Green Section to conduct research on turfgrass. The first practice range is opened in Pinehurst, North Carolina. ''The Professional Golfer of America'' is first published which, today known as ''PGA Magazine'', is the oldest continually-published golf magazine in the United States. A golf tournament is scheduled for the

1920 Summer Olympics The 1920 Summer Olympics (french: Jeux olympiques d'été de 1920; nl, Olympische Zomerspelen van 1920; german: Olympische Sommerspiele 1920), officially known as the Games of the VII Olympiad (french: Jeux de la VIIe olympiade; nl, Spelen van ...

in Antwerp but it is ultimately cancelled.

1921 Events January * January 2 ** The Association football club Cruzeiro Esporte Clube, from Belo Horizonte, is founded as the multi-sports club Palestra Italia by Italian expatriates in First Brazilian Republic, Brazil. ** The Spanish lin ...

The R & A limits the size and weight of the ball.

1922 Events January * January 7 – Dáil Éireann (Irish Republic), Dáil Éireann, the parliament of the Irish Republic, ratifies the Anglo-Irish Treaty by 64–57 votes. * January 10 – Arthur Griffith is elected President of Dáil Éirean ...

Walter Hagen becomes the first native-born American to win The Open Championship. He subsequently becomes the first professional golfer to open a golf equipment company under his own name. The Walker Cup Match is instituted. Two direct descendants of Walker Cup founder

George Herbert Walker George Herbert "Bert" Walker Sr. (June 11, 1875 – June 24, 1953) was an American banker and businessman. He was the maternal grandfather of President George H. W. Bush and a great-grandfather of President George W. Bush, both of whom were nam ...

would become President of the United States—his grandson

George H. W. Bush George Herbert Walker BushSince around 2000, he has been usually called George H. W. Bush, Bush Senior, Bush 41 or Bush the Elder to distinguish him from his eldest son, George W. Bush, who served as the 43rd president from 2001 to 2009; pr ...

, the 41st President, and his great-grandson

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...

, the 43rd President. The Prince of Wales is elected Captain of the R & A. The

Texas Open The Texas Open, known as the Valero Texas Open for sponsorship reasons, is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, played near San Antonio, Texas. It dates back years to 1922, when it was first called the Texas Open; San Antonio-based Val ...

is inaugurated, the second-oldest surviving PGA Tour event. Pine Valley Golf Club opens in New Jersey.

1923 Events January–February * January 9 – Lithuania begins the Klaipėda Revolt to annex the Klaipėda Region (Memel Territory). * January 11 – Despite strong British protests, troops from France and Belgium occupy the Ruhr area, t ...

The West and East courses at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, New York open for play, designed by

A.W. Tillinghast Albert Warren "Tilly" Tillinghast (May 7, 1876 – May 19, 1942) was an American golf course architect. Tillinghast was one of the most prolific architects in the history of golf; he worked on more than 265 different courses. He was inducted into ...

1924 Events January * January 12 – Gopinath Saha shoots Ernest Day, whom he has mistaken for Sir Charles Tegart, the police commissioner of Calcutta, and is arrested soon after. * January 20– 30 – Kuomintang in China hol ...

Joyce Wethered wins her record fifth consecutive English Ladies' Championship.

The Olympic Club The Olympic Club is an athletic club and private social club in San Francisco, California. First named the "San Francisco Olympic Club", it is the oldest athletic club in the United States. Established on May 6, 1860, its first officers were ...

in San Francisco opens for play. The USGA legalizes steel shafted golf clubs. The R & A does not follow suit until 1929, widening the breach in The Rules of Golf.

1925 Events January * January 1 ** The Syrian Federation is officially dissolved, the State of Aleppo and the State of Damascus having been replaced by the State of Syria. * January 3 – Benito Mussolini makes a pivotal speech in the Italia ...

The first fairway irrigation system is developed in Dallas, Texas. Deep-grooved irons are banned by both the USGA and the R & A.

1926 Events January * January 3 – Theodoros Pangalos declares himself dictator in Greece. * January 8 **Abdul-Aziz ibn Saud is crowned King of Hejaz. ** Crown Prince Nguyễn Phúc Vĩnh Thuy ascends the throne, the last monarch of V ...

Men's golf in Great Britain and Ireland gets its first standardized

system.

Jess Sweetser Jesse William Sweetser (April 18, 1902 – May 27, 1989) was an amateur golfer, best known as the first American-born player to win the British Amateur. Early life Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Sweetser later attended Phillips Exeter Academy and ...

becomes the first native-born American to win the British Amateur. Bobby Jones wins the British Open. Gate money is instituted at the British Open. Walter Hagen defeats Bobby Jones 12 and 11 in a privately sponsored 72-hole match in Florida. The Los Angeles Open is inaugurated, the third-oldest surviving PGA Tour event. It is also the first tournament to offer a $10,000 purse.

1927 Events January * January 1 – The British Broadcasting ''Company'' becomes the British Broadcasting ''Corporation'', when its Royal Charter of incorporation takes effect. John Reith becomes the first Director-General. * January 7 * ...

The inaugural

Ryder Cup The Ryder Cup is a biennial men's golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is contested every two years with the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe. The Ryder Cup is named af ...

Matches are played between Britain and the United States. Creeping bentgrass is developed for putting greens by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

1928 Events January * January – British bacteriologist Frederick Griffith reports the results of Griffith's experiment, indirectly proving the existence of DNA. * January 1 – Eastern Bloc emigration and defection: Boris Bazhanov, J ...

Cypress Point Club opens, designed by Alister MacKenzie.

1929 This year marked the end of a period known in American history as the Roaring Twenties after the Wall Street Crash of 1929 ushered in a worldwide Great Depression. In the Americas, an agreement was brokered to end the Cristero War, a Catholic ...

Walter Hagen wins The Open Championship for the fourth time. Seminole Golf Club opens in

Palm Beach, Florida Palm Beach is an incorporated town in Palm Beach County, Florida. Located on a barrier island in east-central Palm Beach County, the town is separated from several nearby cities including West Palm Beach and Lake Worth Beach by the Intracoas ...

, from a design by Donald Ross. Cobleskill Golf & Country Club opens in upstate New York. It remains the only golf course in Schoharie County.

1930–1940

1930 Events January * January 15 – The Moon moves into its nearest point to Earth, called perigee, at the same time as its fullest phase of the Lunar Cycle. This is the closest moon distance at in recent history, and the next one will be ...

Bobby Jones completes the original Grand Slam, winning the U.S. and British Amateurs and the U.S. and British Opens in the same year. Since Jones is an amateur, however, the financial windfall belongs to professional

Bobby Cruickshank Robert Allan Cruickshank (16 November 1894 – 27 August 1975) was a prominent professional golfer from Scotland. He competed in the PGA of America circuit in the 1920s and 1930s, the forerunner of the PGA Tour. Early life Born in Grantown-on- ...

, who bets on Jones to complete the Slam, at 120-1 odds, and pockets $60,000. Jones, perhaps satisfied that he has achieved all he can in the game, retires from competition aged 28 to practice law full-time (and to found a new club that would become known as Augusta National). The Minehead Club makes Captaincy elective. They had been the last club to award the Captaincy to the winner of the annual competition. The Duke of York (later

King George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of Ind ...

) is elected Captain of the R & A.

opens its modern course on

Long Island, New York Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United States and the 18th ...

. Bob Harlow is hired as manager of the PGA's Tournament Bureau, and he first proposes the idea of expanding "The Circuit," as the Tour is then known, from a series of winter events leading up to the season ending

North and South Open The North and South Open was one of the most prestigious professional golf tournaments in the United States in the first half of the twentieth century. It was played at Pinehurst Resort in North Carolina, long the largest golf resort in the world, ...

in spring, into a year-round Tour. In 1926 under the approval of Gov. Wallace R. Farrington and guidance of longtime local politicians Eddie Tam and then chairman Sam Kalama, a plan for constructin
Waiehu Municipal Golf Course
was born. Maui County engineers went to work on creating 9 holes of municipal golf along the coast of Maui's Waihee north shore beach. The golf course was completed in 1930 making it Maui's first and only municipal golf course for the working class men and women of Maui. Golf was such a huge success on Maui that the course was later expanded to 18 holes, it still exists today as a hidden Maui County treasure.

1931 Events January * January 2 – South Dakota native Ernest Lawrence invents the cyclotron, used to accelerate particles to study nuclear physics. * January 4 – German pilot Elly Beinhorn begins her flight to Africa. * January 22 – Sir I ...

Billy Burke defeats George Von Elm in a 72-hole playoff at

Inverness Inverness (; from the gd, Inbhir Nis , meaning "Mouth of the River Ness"; sco, Innerness) is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for The Highland Council and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands. Histori ...

to win the 1931 U.S. Open, in the longest playoff ever played. They were tied at 292 after regulation play, and both scored 149 in the first 36-hole playoff. Burke is the first golfer to win a major championship using steel-shafted golf clubs. The USGA increases the minimum size of the golf ball from 1.62 inches to 1.68 inches, and decreases the maximum weight from 1.62 ounces to 1.55. The R & A does not follow suit. The lighter, larger "balloon ball" is universally despised and eventually the USGA raises the weight back to 1.62 ounces.

1932 Events January * January 4 – The British authorities in India arrest and intern Mahatma Gandhi and Vallabhbhai Patel. * January 9 – Sakuradamon Incident (1932), Sakuradamon Incident: Korean nationalist Lee Bong-chang fails in his effort ...

The first Curtis Cup Match is held at Wentworth in England. The concave-faced wedge is banned.

Gene Sarazen Gene Sarazen (; born Eugenio Saraceni, February 27, 1902 – May 13, 1999) was an American professional golfer, one of the world's top players in the 1920s and 1930s, and the winner of seven major championships. He is one of five players (along ...

is credited with the introduction of the sand-wedge. Sarazen wins both the British and U.S. Open titles in 1932, becoming only the second man (after Bobby Jones) to achieve the feat. Walter Hagen wins a fifth Western Open. At the time, and until the 1950s, the Western Open was considered among the most important tournaments, behind only the National Opens and the PGA Championship (of which Hagen won eleven in total) in status.

1933 Events January * January 11 – Sir Charles Kingsford Smith makes the first commercial flight between Australia and New Zealand. * January 17 – The United States Congress votes in favour of Philippines independence, against the wis ...

The Prince of Wales reaches the final of the Parliamentary Handicap Tournament. Augusta National Golf Club, designed by Alister MacKenzie with advice from Bobby Jones, opens for play. Craig Wood hits a 430-yard (393 m) drive at the Old Course's fifth hole in the British Open; this is still the longest drive in a major championship. Wood loses a playoff for the championship to

Denny Shute Herman Densmore "Denny" Shute (October 25, 1904 – May 13, 1974) was an American professional golfer who won three major championships in the 1930s. Life and career Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Shute was the son of a golf pro from England; Hermon ...

finishes third, and later in the year wins the PGA Championship. Hershey Chocolate Company, in sponsoring the Hershey Open, becomes the first corporate title sponsor of a professional tournament. The Golf Club Managers' Association is formed in the UK (originally called the Association of Golf Club Secretaries). Two years later it launches Course and Club House magazine (now called Golf Club Management), the third oldest golfing magazine in the world that is still running.

1934 Events January–February * January 1 – The International Telecommunication Union, a specialist agency of the League of Nations, is established. * January 15 – The 8.0 1934 Nepal–Bihar earthquake, Nepal–Bihar earthquake strik ...

The first Masters is played. Horton Smith is the first champion. In this inaugural event, the present-day back and front nines were reversed.

Olin Dutra Olin A. Dutra (January 17, 1901 – May 5, 1983) was an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour in the 1920s and 1930s. He won two major titles, the PGA Championship in 1932 and the U.S. Open in 1934, and was the first major c ...

wins the U.S. Open by a shot from

. Henry Cotton wins his first British Open, at Royal St. George's, and shoots a 65 in his second round, a feat that was commemorated by the "Dunlop 65" golf ball.

Sid Brews Sydney Francis Brews (29 May 1899 – 1972) was a South African professional golfer. Brews was born in Blackheath, London, England. He turned pro in 1914 and emigrated to South Africa in 1924. He won the South African Open title a total of eig ...

, winner of the

South African __NOTOC__ South African may relate to: * The nation of South Africa * South African Airways * South African English * South African people * Languages of South Africa * Southern Africa Southern Africa is the southernmost subregion of the Afric ...

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

and Dutch Opens in 1934, enjoys his best finish at a British Open, in second place. The official U.S. PGA Tour is created, built around events like the major championships, Western Open and Los Angeles Opens which pre-dated it. Paul Runyan is the first official Money List leader.

1935 Events January * January 7 – Italian premier Benito Mussolini and French Foreign Minister Pierre Laval conclude Franco-Italian Agreement of 1935, an agreement, in which each power agrees not to oppose the other's colonial claims. * ...

Glenna Collett Vare wins the

a record sixth time. Pinehurst #2 is completed by

, generally described as his masterpiece.

double-eagles the par-5 15th hole to catch the leaders at The Masters. His "Shot Heard Round the World" propels him to victory, and due to the coverage of his feat, propels both the game of golf and Augusta National to new heights of popularity.

1936 Events January–February * January 20 – George V of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India, dies at his Sandringham Estate. The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King E ...

Johnny Fischer becomes the last golfer to win a major championship (the U.S. Amateur) with hickory-shafted clubs. Harry Cooper finishes second at both the Masters and the U.S. Open, where he breaks the all-time tournament record only for Tony Manero to better it. Cooper would finish in the top four of major championships eleven times in his career without winning one.

1937 Events January * January 1 – Anastasio Somoza García becomes President of Nicaragua. * January 5 – Water levels begin to rise in the Ohio River in the United States, leading to the Ohio River flood of 1937, which continues into Fe ...

The

Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...

Pro-Am is inaugurated in San Diego. A few years later it moves to the Monterey Peninsula, where it remains to this day. Henry Cotton wins his second British Open at Carnoustie, from a field that includes the entire U.S. Ryder Cup side, including Snead, Nelson, Hagen, Sarazen and Guldahl.

1938 Events January * January 1 ** The Constitution of Estonia#Third Constitution (de facto 1938–1940, de jure 1938–1992), new constitution of Estonia enters into force, which many consider to be the ending of the Era of Silence and the a ...

The British amateurs score their first victory over the United States in the Walker Cup Match at the Old Course. Ralph Guldahl retains his U.S. Open crown, becoming only the fourth man to win back-to-back titles. The Palm Beach Invitational becomes the first tournament to make a contribution to charity-$10,000. The 14-club rule is instituted by the USGA. The USGA also begins a two-year trial of the first major modification to the stymie. An obstructing ball within of the hole could be marked and moved regardless of the distance between the balls. The USGA made this rule permanent in 1941, but the Royal and Ancient Golf Club never made this change.

1939 This year also marks the start of the Second World War, the largest and deadliest conflict in human history. Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 ** Third Reich *** Jews are forbidden to ...

Byron Nelson wins the U.S. Open at Philadelphia Country Club after a 3-man playoff against Craig Wood and

. Sam Snead, needing a 5 at the last hole to win the championship, takes 8, and misses even making the playoff. The U.S. Open would remain the only major championship Snead never won.

1940–1945

1940 A calendar from 1940 according to the Gregorian calendar, factoring in the dates of Easter and related holidays, cannot be used again until the year 5280. Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January *January ...

The British Open and Amateur are discontinued for the duration of the Second World War. Golf courses all over the United Kingdom are converted to airfields or otherwise given over to anti-air and anti-invasion defences.

1942 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 – WWII: The Declaration by United Nations is signed by China, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Soviet Union, and 22 other nations, in wh ...

The U.S. Open is discontinued for the duration of the war. A world-wide shortage of rubber, a vital military supply, creates a shortage and huge price increase in golf balls. Sam Snead manages to complete an entire four-day tournament playing one ball, but the professional circuit is severely curtailed. The U.S. government halts the manufacture of golf equipment for the duration of the war.

1943 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 1 – WWII: The Soviet Union announces that 22 German divisions have been encircled at Stalingrad, with 175,000 killed and 137,650 captured. * January 4 – ...

The PGA Championship is cancelled for the year, and The Masters is discontinued for the duration of the war.

1944 Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January * January 2 – WWII: ** Free French General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny is appointed to command French Army B, part of the Sixth United States Army Group in Nor ...

The PGA expands its tour to 22 events despite the absence of many of its star players due to military service.

1945 1945 marked the end of World War II and the fall of Nazi Germany and the Empire of Japan. It is also the only year in which nuclear weapons have been used in combat. Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. Januar ...

Byron Nelson wins 18 tournaments in a calendar year to set an all-time PGA Tour record-including a record 11 in a row and a record 19 consecutive rounds under 70. His total prize earnings during his 11-win streak, $30,000, is less than last place money for the PGA Tour Championship by 1992. The Tam O'Shanter Open offers a then-record purse of $60,000. In Japan, the Shimofusa Country Club (also known as the Musashino Country Club), once the premier golf course in the Tokyo area, is appropriated by the Imperial Japanese Army Air Service and converted into a fighter airfield as part of efforts to combat allied air raids. Post-war it will eventually become Shimofusa Air Base.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Timeline of golf history (1851-1945) History of golf Golf timelines