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From 15th Century Scotland to The Open: The Rise of Golf
Ahead of the 152nd British Open, American writer Jack Shaw investigates the origins of golf, spanning an illegal 15th-century pastime to one of the most prestigious competitions in all of sports.
Golf is one of the world’s oldest and most popular sports. It has captivated audiences for over 500 years and brought recreational fun to young and older adults. But how did the sport go from a Scottish pastime to significant events like the British Open?
Discovering its Scottish roots
History shows stick and ball games have been popular for nearly a thousand years. While people may have played golf iterations in the Middle Ages, the modern game goes back to 15th-century Scotland.
Understanding the history of sports starts with European History. Scotland and England were at war for much of the 1300s, with the former wielding a military alliance with France. This partnership led to the French introducing choule à crosse to the Scottish people.
People in northern France played Choule in the early 1400s until the mid-1900s. You could play with or without sticks, but the stick version led to the golf game you know today.
Choule à crosse involves hitting a ball with a stick to your opponent’s goal. You get a specific number of tries to score, and the opponent can manipulate the ball away from the goal. Once it arrived in Scotland, the game became more of an individual competition than a team sport.
King James II of Scotland ruled the country between 1437 and 1460. In 1457, he banned golf and football through an act of parliament because he believed citizens prioritised these sports over military training. The ban remained for almost half a century, with succeeding kings affirming the sport’s prohibition.
Golf did not become legal again in Scotland until 1502. King James IV oversaw the nation’s Treaty of Perpetual Peace with neighbouring England and lifted the golf ban. His custom order of clubs was offically the first recorded purchase of sport’s tools in the same year it was unbanned.
Establishing a sport
The 16th century saw a slow rise for golf, as royals and aristocrats were the only ones who could afford equipment. They formed private clubs and required exclusive memberships to participate in the sport. However, it gradually became more open to the general public. A significant shift occurred at St. Andrews — one of the world’s oldest golf courses still operating.
John Hamilton — the archbishop of St. Andrews — signed a charter in 1552 to allow everyone to play golf on the famous course. This historic moment made St. Andrews a symbolic home for the sport.
For the rest of the 16th and 17th centuries, enthusiasts fought governing bodies over the right to play golf. For example, a 1589 ban made golf illegal once more in Glasgow, Scotland. The sport would have to wait another century to establish itself officially.
Clubs started forming in Scotland and other parts of the world in the early 18th century. The oldest one originated in 1735, with the formation of the Royal Burgess Golfing Society in Edinburgh. Scotland’s capital was a golfing hub and helped the sport establish its first guidelines.
A group of Edinburgh golfers gathered in 1744 to write the official rules for the sport. Before this time, golf was largely decentralised for the private clubs. The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers wrote the original 13 rules for golf and formalised it as a sport.
The rules were strict, forcing you to be meticulous when hitting the ball each time. For instance, the 10th rule said you must play the ball where it stopped, even if another person or animal got in the way.
The Modern Game of Golf
Golf continued its rise, with more clubs forming across the United Kingdom and the United States. You may have seen competitions at the time, but there were not any prestigious tournaments until the mid-19th century.
The first golf championship was the British Open in 1860. The competition occurred at the Prestwick Golf Club in Ayrshire, Scotland. Golfers only played three rounds of 12 holes, unlike today where you’ll see competitors take on four rounds of 18 holes.
While he was one of the world’s best golfers, Allan Robertson died before the British Open. The Open’s organisers founded the tournament to see who would take Robertson’s place as the best golfer. Willie Park Sr. won the inaugural Open Championship and gained the respect of his peers.
If you win the British Open, you get the special Claret Jug championship trophy. The organisers first awarded this keepsake in 1872 after changing the tournament’s location. Prestwick Golf Club would no longer be the sole host, as Muirfield and St. Andrews joined the British Open’s rotation.
The Open now travels among 10 courses in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. In 2024, the competitors will play at the Royal Troon Golf Club in Troon, Scotland, for the 152nd edition of the tournament. This famed course will be the British Open’s host for the 10th time since 1923.
Open championships are unique because they let amateur golfers join and play against the pros. If you haven’t tried the sport, get some clubs and head to the links. Experts say golf helps older adults with memory and coordination skills needed for the game.
The sport also increases physical activity levels because of the walking involved. While you can ride a golf cart, the 18 holes provide excellent opportunities for exercise. Take yourself back in time by strolling through the course like the 15th century Scots once did.
About Jack Shaw
As an accomplished writer and Fitness editor at Modded, Jack Shaw has established his reputation as a respected authority on sports and their effect on physical health. His work can also be found in publications such as SportsEdTV, Better Triathlete and Simply Family Magazine.
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