History Of Golf - By: Mike Dutton

The history of golf is a debate as to whether the game was developed by the Chinese, the Dutch, or the Scottish. A game somewhat equivalent to golf was originally mentioned in Dongxuan Records which is a Chinese book of the Eleventh Century. It was also mentioned in the year 1297 in the Netherlands where the Dutch played a game with a stick and a leather ball. Someone who hit the ball in a target several hundreds of meters away the least number of times, won.

Nonetheless, the Scots are generally unwavering that the game of golf was a Scottish invention on St. Andrews golf course. The name “golf” is a derivative of the Dutch word “kolf” however, so as for who honestly invented the game, we say who really cares!

It really doesn’t matter who actually invented the game, but what does matter is how the history of golf has developed over the years. Golf courses have not always had eighteen holes. St. Andrews began with eleven holes dictated by the topography of the land the course was positioned on. Players would play the eleven holes out and then back in to total 22 holes. Later, quite a few of the holes were deemed too short and were combined with each other. That condensed the number from 11 down to 9 so a full round of golf was comprised of 18 holes.

By 1744, the game of golf had come to be wildly popular. So much so that a group of men called Gentlemen Golfers decided that a set of rules must be laid out for fair play. These people came up with a record of thirteen guidelines on taking part in the game.

Major changes since the 19th century have occurred in the equipment needed for play. Better mowers made greens easier for you to play on. Golf balls designs would grow and change by using rubber and man-made substances which made the ball fly longer on a drive. The wooden golf tee would make the drive easier and help to generate a much better strike.

No conversation of golf history would be complete without talking about the advances made in golf clubs. Metal shafts came about in the 1930s and many drivers were made of wood which is why they are called woods today despite the fact they are most commonly made these days of metal or titanium. The golf shaft design has also gravitated towards graphite which is lighter and makes the club easier for you to swing.

When referring to the history of golf, we can debate exactly where the game originated, but the game of golf as we know it today, most certainly came about in Scotland. Even if we’re wrong, we do still have this amazing game and the majority of of us are very pleased about that!

About the Author

For more information on the history of golf and game changing tips please visit http://www.Golfsimpleswing.org

Article Directory Source: http://www.articlerich.com/profile/Mike-Dutton/177831

Additional Articles From - Home | Recreation & sport | Golf