Who invented golf is a question that has been asked many times. Golfer sites tried to see if there is there a definite answer.
Golfer Sites would first like to have a bit of a look at the history of golf. Some say it was invented by the Scottish, some by the Chinese and others by the Dutch.
Possibly the earliest record of a similar game is in the eleventh century Chinese book, Dongxuan Records.
In the Netherlands at the very end of the 13th century there was mention of a game played with a leather ball and a stick. Just like golf, you had to get the ball to a target several hundred meters away. The word golf does derive from a Dutch word.
However, it is a reasonable assumption to make that St Andrews golf course in Scotland was the first place where golfing as we know it was played.
Having looked at the alternatives, it does not seem clear so who really knows.
Since it was invented by whomever it may be, let us have a look at some of the ways in which the game has developed since then.
1. The number of holes.
When people first started to play golf at St Andrews, there were only 11 holes. This was determined at that time by the layout of the land on which the course was built. Usually though, people played 11 holes out and then 11 holes back to play a total of 22 holes.
Some of the eleven holes were a bit short though and two holes were dropped. This meant that there were 18 holes played in a round, albeit the same 9 holes twice.
2. Rules changes.
A group of golf players called Gentleman Golfers got together in 1744 to formulate the first official set of rules of golf. That first set comprised of thirteen rules.
3. Equipment changes.
Initially the greens were not kept very flat but with the onset of better mowing and rolling equipment, the quality improved enormously.
The materials used to manufacture the golf ball were constantly upgraded to help the ball travel further.
The wooden golf tee was introduced which meant that the driver could be used more reliably.
Initially all golf clubs were made of wood and it was not until the 1930s that metal shafts became the normal. It is interesting that they still retain the name woods even though they are normally made of titanium or some other metal nowadays.
The shaft itself is now normally made of graphite which makes it a lot lighter and easier to use.
So, whoever invented the great game of golf, the equipment that is used by today’s golfer has changed significantly over a period of many years.
