Online Golf Lessons – The History of Golf

Online Golf Lessons – The History Of Golf

Golf is one of the most popular of the organized sports in the entire world right now. Golf is played, watched and followed in nearly every country, in nearly every corner of the world these days. But, when did golf actually get its start and how popular was it back then? What has changed over the centuries, and what has stayed the same? And what exactly is on the horizon for the game?

History Of Golf

Read on for a brief history of golf, as well as a look ahead for what might be looming in the future of the game, including the ability to get online golf lessons. We will look at how the equipment has changed from wooden clubs to titanium shafts and what that has meant for the games and the players themselves. And finally, we will take a quick look at one of the most popular players that the game has ever seen. (No peeking ahead, now.)

The Much Debated Beginnings

The Scots have long claimed the right to be called the inventors of golf. Other cultures have looked into their past histories, and that right has been greatly debated, especially recently. To find the first contestant for the real father of golf, you have to travel all the way back to ancient Egypt. Yep, when the Egyptians when are not killing off their rulers and each other, it would appear that that they were developing sports that may well have been the precursors to modern sports.

According to ancient writings and hieroglyphics, a game that appears remarkably similar to modern golf was played, probably as a religious rite. And because the Egyptians were so fond of symbolism and such, it is believed that this religious rite/sporting event was related in some way to fertility. Of course, the actual game that they were playing may not have been as golf-like as originally thought, and may possibly be more closely related to baseball or cricket instead.  It doesn’t really matter though, because the ancient Egyptians, with their wars and art and other contributions to culture are not the only contenders for the claim on golf.

Next up in the debate: the Chinese. China shocked the world by laying claim to the invention of not only soccer but also judo, which has long thought to have once been a Japanese martial art. Now the Chinese have announced that their historians have found evidence of a game that appears remarkably similar in style and form to modern day golf. If the Chinese are correct in their assumption, then their golf precursor dates to around AD 945. The Chinese book, called the Dongxuan Records tells of a game called “chuiwan” (chui= to hit, wan= ball) with the accompanying description of the ten clubs that were used to play the game. These clubs were alleged to have been jewel encrusted, indicating that the game, whether it was golf or not, was meant for the wealthy.

The Dongxuan Records include a reference to a Chinese magistrate having his daughter go out to “dig holes in the ground so that he could drive balls into them.” The claim further asserts that it was Mongol traders who brought the game to Europe in the late Middle Ages, further proof that the Chinese are the ones that invented the game.

Of course, the Chinese are not the only challengers to the Scottish claim of golf’s inventor. The French insist that the game was originally “pallemail”and played sometime in the fifteenth century. And in the fourteenth century, some version of the game was thought to have once  been played by athletes in Belgium and Holland as well. So, who gets the title? The only definitive facts about the history of golf are these:

1) On March 6, 1457, James II banned both golf and football by an official act of Parliament.  (The sports were taking up too much time that he felt would be better used for archery practice.)

2) James VI brought the game to England in 1603- the game itself was basically the rough version of the game we call golf today.

3) Edinburgh golfers formed the first official club or society for the sport in 1744. The very first, thirteen rules for golf were written and a competition was held annually between golfers from any part of Britain and Ireland.

4) King William IV became the patron of the Society of St. Andrews Golfers in 1834 and the name was changed to the Royal and Ancient Golf club of St. Andrews.

5) The Royal Blackheath Golf Club of England was formed in 1766, thought to be one of the first clubs formed outside of Scotland.  This was followed in 1818 by the Old Manchester Golf Club.

6) Golf makes it to North America in 1873 with the forming of the Royal Montreal Club. Canada took to golf quite well, and the Quebec Golf Club formed in 1875, with one in Toronto forming the following year.

7) The United States did  not take to the sport as readily, and although it was thought to have actually been played sporadically, historically, golf did not really officially take off in the US until 1888 when a three-hole course was built near Yonkers. That same year, the St. Andrews Club of Yonkers was formed. Golf dug in, found its niche and by the turn of that century there were more than 1000 golf clubs all over North America.

So, who is to say which country should get the bragging rights? Most golfers and golfing enthusiasts have the same opinion: let the historians fight over who wrote what ancient paper or described some ancient game. Leave the scholars to their dusty books and dimly lit libraries. The true golfer will take the fresh air, the warm sunshine and the sweet tang of the freshly sheared greens.

Is the Grass on the Greens Always Greener?

Considering that golf may or may not have been invented by bored shepherds, it is amazing the change that has taken place in golf courses. Golf courses are a testament to man’s ability to adopt and adapt to nature, sometimes bending to her will, sometimes coaxing her to bend to his. Today’s modern golf courses are beautiful, lush and a tremendous amount of work. You ask any greens’ keeper how long a day he puts in to keep his course so pristine and see what he tells you. And don’t think that the greens’ man is just a glorified lawnmower- most are highly educated, dedicated and golfers themselves. They have to know what type of grass they are dealing with, how best to water it, feed it, cut it. They have to know what type of weather conditions to watch out for that would be dangerous to their finely maintained lawns. And they have to know the fastest, most efficient ways to keep out the vermin and varmints that can destroy a course.

Back to the beginning of the sport- the game is alleged to have been started with those bored shepherds who were using their crooked staffs to hit rounded stones into nearby rabbit holes while they sat around with their sheep in the fields. In the Chinese history of the sport, the magistrate’s daughter was told to cut holes into the ground, with no indication to the depth or location of these holes. And remaining in the modern times, there are still places where the ground can be too hard to firmly seat a tee, hence the development and use of the tripod tee.

Most courses take years of planning and millions of dollars to build. The planning that goes into a course’s layout is astounding, it is sometimes more than what goes on in building a skyscraper!

Public courses usually stick with a more basic layout because they will more than likely not see the huge revenue or return that a private club or resort type course will make in a year. Basic does not mean that these are any less cared for, there is just not as many fancy frills to them. Public courses usually have some of the same amenities as the private clubs, but with less restrictions and a little more welcoming making the public course the first step in a new golfer’s introduction to the game.

No matter where you play, the next time you head to the links for a round of golf, take note of the type of grass that is growing there. Some grasses are softer and will remain bent, while others are firmer and will remain upright, especially if they are not cut short enough on a frequent basis. The way that grass grows and is cut will affect the way that your ball rolls, so it is worth noting these things before you tee up the first shot.

Because the greens see so many stomping feet, part of basic golf etiquette is to help the greens keeper out by repairing any divots that you make, as well as raking the sand-traps clear of footprints after you are done there.  Just how much abuse does the grass take at a typical golf course on a typical day? Let’s assume that there are 15 groups of four golfers that play 18 holes of golf on the day. That is sixty people, or a total of 120 shoe-clad feet that will stomp, trample, scuff and clump through these greens.

Holey Moley- How Holes Can Be Improved

Once upon a time, golf was nothing more than stones hit into holes made by rats, rabbits and other small animals. Once the stone rolled into the hole, it was considered gone, because no self-respecting sheepherder was going to get caught up to his elbows rooting around a rabbit hole for a rock. Of course, that was probably in their best interest, because if the stone rolled in and woke the resident, a questing hand might find itself a varmint chew toy as the hole owner voices their displeasure at this invasion. (Obviously, rabbits are just not big golf fans.)

Another upgrade to the golf hole was when it began being purposely dug by the golfer’s themselves (or their servants, children, etc.) specifically for the sport. No more looking around for handy rabbit holes; no more gnawed fingers and lost round stones. The holes were crudely shaped and if the ground was too hard, not very deep, but they did actually serve their purpose.

Flash forward to the modern day: holes are a standard depth, with a lining that keeps them well maintained and prevents you from having to fight varmints for your ball. Of course, there are those that think the added thrill of a potential animal bite would enliven the game, but nobody listens to those people anyway!

The Clubs: How the Past Drove a “Wedge” Between Rich and Poor

The Chinese version of how they invented golf included stories of jewel-encrusted clubs, which spoke volumes of who actually was playing this game. It would be a serious stretch to believe that the peasants and farmers were in position of such magnificent clubs, especially when they were used for a game.

In the Scottish legend, the shepherd’s used their long, wooden crooks to hit balls into rabbit holes. At least it was not only the wealthy or the royal that got to play this version of the game! From the shepherd’s crook, the next version of the golf club was born. The most skilled artisans, the same artisans who regularly made bows and arrows and other weaponry, made earlier golf clubs. William Mayne, the first official club maker, was appointed to the court of James I in 1603. Early clubs were made with the wood of beech, holly, dogwood, pear or apple trees for the heads, and ash or hazel for the shafts. The latter gave more flex than the others. Upgrades came along to these wooden clubs with the addition of lead in the back of the club’s head, and leather and other materials put in the clubface.

Modern day golfers can buy clubs with differing sized club heads. Some of the club head sizes are not as legal as others, so always make sure that you follow the rules of the course that you play at the most. Also make sure you know the difference between regulation and non-regulation club head size, especially if you plan to pursue tournament play.

Modern day golfers also get the advantage of a wide range of materials, from common steel to ultra strong titanium. When choosing your clubs, make sure that you understand the terms loft and flex. Also make sure that you know what type of club will fit your style of play and body type the best. And as always, only buy clubs that are within your budget. Beginning players do not need the top of the line golf clubs, for instance.

Another huge advantage for the modern day golfer is the ability to custom build your own clubs. There are two ways to accomplish this option. The higher end option is to have computer analysis of your swing and body frame, and then your special clubs are built for you. Would your budget bear up to this option, though? The lower end option is to build your own clubs. You choose the heads, the shafts and the grips from a wide range of selections and then you assemble the various pieces into your own version of the perfect club.

Once you have unlocked your potential for golf, and you know that you are going to stick with it, you can then start upgrading. Buy a new club every month or so if your budget will allow. There is no rule that all clubs must be bought on the same day- you can technically mix the new in with the old. The rules do say however that you can only carry a maximum of fourteen clubs at one time- but not which ones those fourteen actually are. You could technically carry fourteen of the exact club if you choose to do so, but that would be kind of foolish!

Golf Balls: Dimples, Feathers and Other Interesting Ideas

The size and shape of golf balls are governed by the United States Golf Association (USGA)and the ball manufacturers must adhere to these specifications. These include:

1) Size. The ball must be at least 1.68 inches in diameter, no smaller. It can be bigger though, but that is the minimum size allowable.

2) Weight. Maximum weight is 1.62 ounces.

3) Velocity. Yes, the USGA measures a ball’s velocity. The ruling here is that no ball can exceed 250 feet per second at temperature of 75 degrees.

4) Distance. This is one of the most important considerations when judging a ball. A ball is only supposed to go a distance of 280 yards, (with a leeway of around six percent, that totals out to around 296.8 yards). The USGA measures distance using a machine named Iron Byron which hit’s the ball. Modern day golfers are blasting the balls at distances of close to 300 yards on fairly regular intervals, so this rule will probably need to be changed slightly, or the design of the ball changed.

5) Spherical.  The shape of all golf balls must be round, period. Fault corrective balls that are weighted on one side failed the test on this one. Golf balls are round, end of story.

Back in the days of James I of England, balls were hand stitched affairs, stuffed with boiled feathers. King James felt so strongly about the balls that he had had commissioned that any balls not bearing his mark were confiscated. Depending on the weather, the feather-balls actually traveled farther than one would expect them to go- including about 180 yards in dry weather and about 30 yards less when it was wet.

The feather ball remained in play until roughly 1848 when gutta-percha was first used. After heating, the substance could be molded into a hard ball. Unfortunately, this smooth ball did not do as well in flight as the golfers would have liked and they started abusing this new design, leaving nicks, scratches and dings in the side. Golfers soon discovered that these defects actually made the ball behave far better, so all balls were scored before play- these dimples improved play so much that the feathers all, ahem, flew away and the golf ball as we know it now was born. Well, at least the basic design of the modern ball, anyway.

The next improvement in the golf ball came in 1903 when an American dentist started playing around with a liquid filled rubber core, elastic covering, ending with the traditional gutta-percha casing. The ball gained popularity after it was used in several championships and it was crowned king of the golf ball.

The new golf balls carry the familiar design, but more durable synthetic materials are used for the coverings. But, they left the dimples alone, because sometimes the simplest ideas are the most brilliant.

Tees and Other Accessories: Those You Want, Need or Could Do Without

If you pick up a golf magazine, or turn on a golf tournament on television, you will instantly be floored by the sheer volume of stuff that “they” will try to convince you that you need in order to be considered a real golfer. Not true! Golf is not about the toys and gadgets that you buy, and they are never going to invite you to the US Open simply because you have the most golf themed items in your master bathroom. Golf is about getting out there, working hard on your swing and trying to get your score as low as possible. You do not need a “I’d Rather Be Golfing” toilet seat cover to accomplish that. You really only need your clubs, some balls and a couple of tees. Of course there are other things that you might like to have, or might come in handy, but they are not necessary to the game itself.

Tees have not changed in design since the early days of the history of golf, as they were basically wood splinters with a sharpened end that would slip into the ground and a flattened top to cradle the ball; a simple, straightforward design that did not need to be upgraded in any way. Of course, tees come in a variety of colors and materials now, but the most basic design is still the best. There are novelty tees, but they are basically for laughs and red faces at office parties, not for pushing into the ground for a round of golf.

Another item that may or may not be necessary is the head cover. Basic designs resemble socks that will keep your heads from banging into each other, and will protect them from the elements. At the other end of the spectrum, is the super-duper, deluxe types that are like stuffed toys for your golf clubs. You can get designs to show what your favorite animal is, your college team, your color- almost everything imaginable. By all means choose a cover that is functional and suits your personality, but really, a little touch of restraint here is a good idea!

This is the end of the first part of the History of Golf – Continue….

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