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In 1457, James II issued a decree banning golf, fearing it would affect the fighting ability of Scottish men
In 1502, James IV lifted the ban on golf. He was very much a golf-loving king and he realised that cannons would replace bows and arrows
Mary Queen of Scots
1567
The first golf tournament was held at Leith Links in March 1744, when a group of golf enthusiasts persuaded the City of Edinburgh's Board of Management to organise an annual golf tournament. The prize was a silver club. The competition followed rules similar to those of the Royal Archery Society, borrowing elements from the sport of archery. The awarding of prizes in which the winner tied the ball to the club is also modelled on the Archery Champion's practice of tying a medal to a silver arrow. The first place winner of the inaugural tournament, John Rattray, was also an archery champion.
Golf Rules
On that day in 1744, the most significant in the history of golf, the sport was played under one set of rules for the first time.
The rules, 13 in all, are very loose and there are no penalties for foul play.
St Andrews Old Course
St Andrews, which has been the centre of the Scottish priesthood since the 12th century, organised its own club in 1754.
One of their first initiatives was the drastic renovation of the Old Course in 1764. 22 holes were converted into 18 holes, which became the standard for golf courses
Boxwood balls - Feathered balls - Gutta-percha balls
The earliest golf balls were made of boxwood.
In the middle of the 17th century, feathered balls appeared, which had excellent elasticity and could be hit very far. The most powerful golfers could hit it 200 yards away. But the best craftsmen could only make 3-4 of these balls per day.
In the middle of the 19th century, the gutta-percha ball, a solid rubber ball from the Far East, appeared. Taking hydrodynamics into account, the craftsmen carved a pattern on the surface of the ball, which hit far, was easy to control, and was also cheap. Each craftsman could make an average of 100 gutta-percha balls per day.
From then on, the sport grew out of aristocratic exclusivity and became prevalent once again. By 1890, there were 387 golf clubs and 140 courses in England.
Golfing implements did not change at all for more than two centuries, and woods were used far more than irons.
Irons were the killers of the feathered ball and were used for the worst situations.
As the ball evolved, so did the clubs. The gutta-percha ball could withstand more impact, which promoted the use of irons.
More and more Scottish blacksmiths were engaged in the production of golf irons. At this time, the first golf canvas bag was also created.
In 1834, King William IV of England began funding St Andrews Golf Club and formally declared it the Royal and Ancient Golf Club, thus giving it an official identity. In 1834, the game of golf was far from established, and there were only 17 clubs in the world, 14 of which were in Scotland, two in England, and one in India (founded by a group of British colonialists as the Royal Calcutta Golf Club).
Coburn Haskell (1968-1922)
Inventor of the modern golf ball
Coburn Haskell
(1968-1922)
Inventor of the modern golf ball
The Haskell ball, with a sturdy rubber for the centre of the ball, is wrapped with taut rubber strings around the surface and finally wrapped with an outer skin. This double-layered ball obtained a better flight, flying about 20 yards farther than the gutta percha ball. Since then, the internal material structure of the golf ball has also been largely finalised.
The popularity of the Haskell ball changed the club once again. The softer, more flexible Haskell ball required a wood shaft for added striking power. The heads of the irons were also enlarged and grooved to produce backspin. At this point, golfers were looking for more than just getting the ball to fly, but also how to stop the ball.
Allan Robertson
(1815-1859)
Allan Robertson is widely considered one of the first professional golfers in history. At first, he resisted the use of the gutta-percha ball because it negatively impacted his business of making feathered balls. However, he eventually embraced the innovation and was among the first to recognize the need to develop a new set of clubs specifically for gutta-percha balls. His foresight and adaptability played a key role in the transition to modern golf.
- One of the Earliest Professional Golfers
Allan Robertson
(1815-1859)
- One of the Earliest Professional Golfers
The railway linking St Andrews, Leith and Glasgow with Edinburgh was completed in 1852 and enabled players scattered across Scotland to come together from time to time to play golf.
In 1861 the Prestwick Club hosted the first professional golf tournament, a precursor to The Open. Tom Sr. was the oldest winner of the tournament to date. Tom Jr. was the youngest winner of the tournament to date.
At the same time, women's participation in golf in the United States became increasingly active, when the New York Times published an article saying that for women to have health and beauty, they had to play golf and participate in the best sport that was just being introduced and emerging. At that time, golf was still an upper class sport in the United States because it was very expensive.
H.J.Whigham
（1869-1954）
The railway linking St Andrews, Leith and Glasgow with Edinburgh was completed in 1852 and enabled players scattered across Scotland to come together from time to time to play golf.
In 1861 the Prestwick Club hosted the first professional golf tournament, a precursor to The Open. Tom Sr. was the oldest winner of the tournament to date. Tom Jr. was the youngest winner of the tournament to date.
