The Origins of Golf

The origins of golf are not exactly known. The origin that is best known and most widely accepted is that golf originated in Scotland in 12th century, which was around the time of the middle ages. The game of golf is believed to have started when shepherds knocked stones into rabbit holes. This was said to have occurred at the now known, the royal and ancient golf club of St. Andrews.

Scholars state that the first form of golf was found from hieroglyphs in Egypt, dating back to the time of the Egyptian pharaohs. It is also known that china had a form of golf which consisted of driving a ball with a stick to a whole in the ground. Professor, Ling Hongling claims that the game of golf was brought to Europe by the Mongols in the 12th and 13th centuries. These earlier types of golf are known as ancestors of the modern golf game that is played today. The modern version that is played today is believed to have begun in Scotland.

The first golf game recorded in history was in 1456, which was played at Bruntsfield links in Edinburgh, Scotland. The modern game of golf spread from Scotland to England, and later expanding to the rest of world. It was also in Scotland where the first establishment of the rules of the game was put in place and it was also where the 18 holes originated from.

There is an urban legend that states that the word golf comes from the acronym for, “gentlemen only, ladies forbidden”.