Golf in Scotland
Encyclopedia
Scotland in the Late Middle Ages
Scotland in the late Middle Ages established its independence from England under figures including William Wallace in the late 13th century and Robert Bruce in the 14th century...
, and the modern game of golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
was first developed and established in the country. The game plays a key role in the national sporting consciousness
Sport in Scotland
Sport plays a central role in Scottish culture. The temperate, oceanic climate has played a key part in the evolution of sport in Scotland, with all-weather sports like association football, rugby union and golf dominating the national sporting consciousness...
.
The R&A, based at the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews
St Andrews
St Andrews is a university town and former royal burgh on the east coast of Fife in Scotland. The town is named after Saint Andrew the Apostle.St Andrews has a population of 16,680, making this the fifth largest settlement in Fife....
, is the world governing body
Sport governing body
A sport governing body is a sports organization that has a regulatory or sanctioning function. Sport governing bodies come in various forms, and have a variety of regulatory functions. Examples of this can include disciplinary action for rule infractions and deciding on rule changes in the sport...
for the game (except in the United States and Mexico), and to many golfers the Old Course
Old Course at St Andrews
The Old Course at St Andrews is the oldest golf course in the world. The Old Course is a public course over common land in St Andrews, Fife, Scotland and is held in trust by The St Andrews Links Trust under an act of Parliament...
, an ancient links
Links (golf)
A links is the oldest style of golf course, first developed in Scotland. The word "links" comes from the Scots language and refers to an area of coastal sand dunes and sometimes to open parkland. It also retains this more general meaning in the Scottish English dialect...
course dating to before 1574, is considered to be a site of pilgrimage. There are many other famous golf courses in Scotland, including Carnoustie
Carnoustie Golf Links
The Carnoustie Golf Links are in Carnoustie, Angus, Scotland. Its historic championship golf course is one of the venues in the Open Championship rotation.-History:...
, Gleneagles
Gleneagles, Scotland
Gleneagles is a glen which connects with Glen Devon to form a pass through the Ochil Hills of Perth and Kinross in Scotland...
, Muirfield
Muirfield (Scotland)
Muirfield is a privately owned links which is the home of The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers. Located in Gullane, East Lothian, Scotland, overlooking the Firth of Forth, Muirfield is one of the golf courses used in rotation for The Open Championship.Muirfield has hosted The Open...
, Balcomie and Royal Troon. The world's first Open Championship
The Open Championship
The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...
was held at Prestwick
Prestwick Golf Club
Prestwick Golf Club is located in the town of Prestwick, South Ayrshire, Scotland. It is approximately southwest of Scotland's largest city, Glasgow. Prestwick is a classic links golf course, being built on the rolling sandy land that "links" the beach and the land further inland...
in 1860
1860 Open Championship
The 1860 Open Championship was a golf competition held at Prestwick Golf Club, in Ayrshire, Scotland. Eight Scottish golfers entered the event, with Willie Park, Sr. winning the championship....
, and Scots golfers have the most victories at the Open at 42 wins, one ahead of the United States.
Although golf is often seen as an elitist
Elitism
Elitism is the belief or attitude that some individuals, who form an elite — a select group of people with intellect, wealth, specialized training or experience, or other distinctive attributes — are those whose views on a matter are to be taken the most seriously or carry the most...
sport elsewhere in the world, in the land of its birth it enjoys widespread appeal throughout the spectrum of society, in line with the country's egalitarian
Egalitarianism
Egalitarianism is a trend of thought that favors equality of some sort among moral agents, whether persons or animals. Emphasis is placed upon the fact that equality contains the idea of equity of quality...
tradition. For example, the Old Course at St Andrew's and Musselburgh Links
Musselburgh Links
Musselburgh Links in Musselburgh, East Lothian, Scotland, is generally recognised as the oldest golf course in the world, and the oldest on which play has been continuous...
are public courses. Council
Local government of Scotland
Local government in Scotland is organised through 32 unitary authorities designated as Councils which consist of councillors elected every four years by registered voters in each of the council areas....
-owned courses, with low fees and easy access, are common throughout the country wherever demography
Demographics of Scotland
Scotland has a population of 5,222,100 . Covering an area of , Scotland has a population density of . Around 70% of the country's population live in the Central Lowlands — a broad, fertile valley stretching in a northeast-southwest orientation between the cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow, and...
and geography
Geography of Scotland
The geography of Scotland is highly varied, from rural lowlands to barren uplands, and from large cities to uninhabited islands. Located in north-west Europe, Scotland comprises the northern one third of the island of Great Britain...
allow. Therefore golf courses, whether public or private, are far more common in the Lowlands
Scottish Lowlands
The Scottish Lowlands is a name given to the Southern half of Scotland.The area is called a' Ghalldachd in Scottish Gaelic, and the Lawlands ....
than in the Highlands and Islands
Highlands and Islands
The Highlands and Islands of Scotland are broadly the Scottish Highlands plus Orkney, Shetland and the Hebrides.The Highlands and Islands are sometimes defined as the area to which the Crofters' Act of 1886 applied...
, where shinty
Shinty
Shinty is a team game played with sticks and a ball. Shinty is now played mainly in the Scottish Highlands, and amongst Highland migrants to the big cities of Scotland, but it was formerly more widespread, being once competitively played on a widespread basis in England and other areas in the...
(a game which may share a common ancestry with golf) is often the traditional sport.
Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
is widely promoted as the
Scotch whisky
Scotch whisky is whisky made in Scotland.Scotch whisky is divided into five distinct categories: Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Single Grain Scotch Whisky, Blended Malt Scotch Whisky , Blended Grain Scotch Whisky, and Blended Scotch Whisky.All Scotch whisky must be aged in oak barrels for at least three...
and the long list of Scottish inventions and discoveries
Scottish inventions and discoveries
Scottish inventions and discoveries are objects, processes or techniques either partially or entirely invented or discovered by a person born in or descended from Scotland. In some cases, an invention's Scottishness is determined by the fact that it came into existence in Scotland , by non-Scots...
, golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
is widely seen as being a key national cultural icon throughout the world. It is frequently used to market
Marketing
Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
the country to potential visitors, for example for the Homecoming year
Homecoming Scotland 2009
Homecoming Scotland 2009 was a series of events designed to attract people of Scottish ancestry to visit Scotland. The campaign, organised by EventScotland and VisitScotland on behalf of the Scottish Government, and part-financed by the European Regional Development Fund, claimed that "for every...
in 2009, and golf tourism
Sports tourism
Sports, or more correctly, Sport Tourism refers to travel which involves either viewing or participating in a sporting event staying apart from their usual environment. Sport Tourism is the fastest growing sector in the global travel industry and equates to $600 Billion a year.-Classification of...
accounted for approximately 2% of overall Scottish tourism spending in 2004. One page that explains about the history of golf in Scotland starts off saying this - "There has been much debate as to the origins of the game and, in some cases, how it was originally played. One thing is certain — the game of golf as we know it was born in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
has more than 500 courses which are liberally divided among its ten regions. The highest concentrations are around Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
(94 courses) and Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
(67 courses), since these two cities and their environs account for the bulk of the population. But the other districts still average about 40 courses each. Even the distant northern islands have 14 options. Such largesse is possible because Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
boasts more courses per head of population than any other country.
Etymology
Parliament of Scotland
The Parliament of Scotland, officially the Estates of Parliament, was the legislature of the Kingdom of Scotland. The unicameral parliament of Scotland is first found on record during the early 13th century, with the first meeting for which a primary source survives at...
of 6 March 1457, in the reign of James II
James II of Scotland
James II reigned as King of Scots from 1437 to his death.He was the son of James I, King of Scots, and Joan Beaufort...
. The Act, which ordered the holding of wappenschaws (musterings
Muster (military)
The term muster designates the process or event for the of accounting for members in a military unit. Within the United States Army Reserve, it is an annual event used for screening purposes.-Historical:...
) four times a year for the purpose of archery
Archery
Archery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow, from Latin arcus. Archery has historically been used for hunting and combat; in modern times, however, its main use is that of a recreational activity...
practice, stated that "the fut bal ande the golf" (football and golf) were to be "vtterly criyt done" (utterly condemned; lit. "utterly cried down") and "nocht vsyt" (not engaged in; lit. "not used"). Offenders were to be punished by the barony courts, otherwise they were "to be tane be the kingis officiaris" (to be taken by the king's officers).
Football (see Football in Scotland
Football in Scotland
Association football is the national sport in Scotland and highly popular throughout the country. There is a long tradition of "football" games in Orkney, Lewis and southern Scotland, especially the Scottish Borders, although many of these include carrying the ball and passing by hand, and despite...
) and golf are again both explicitly named and forbidden in two further 15th century Scottish statute
Statute
A statute is a formal written enactment of a legislative authority that governs a state, city, or county. Typically, statutes command or prohibit something, or declare policy. The word is often used to distinguish law made by legislative bodies from case law, decided by courts, and regulations...
s encouraging archery practice, in 1470 and 1490. The 1470 Act, in the reign of James III
James III of Scotland
James III was King of Scots from 1460 to 1488. James was an unpopular and ineffective monarch owing to an unwillingness to administer justice fairly, a policy of pursuing alliance with the Kingdom of England, and a disastrous relationship with nearly all his extended family.His reputation as the...
, again uses the spelling golf, but the 1490 Act, in the reign of James IV
James IV of Scotland
James IV was King of Scots from 11 June 1488 to his death. He is generally regarded as the most successful of the Stewart monarchs of Scotland, but his reign ended with the disastrous defeat at the Battle of Flodden Field, where he became the last monarch from not only Scotland, but also from all...
, sees the use of gouff; and gowf, gowff, gouf and variants became the usual spelling during the Early Modern Period
Scotland in the Early Modern Era
Scotland in the Early Modern Era refers, for the purposes of this article, to Scotland between the death of James IV in 1513 and the end of the Jacobite rebellions and beginnings of industrialisation, roughly corresponding to the early modern era in Europe....
. The Scottish National Dictionary
Scottish National Dictionary
The Scottish National Dictionary was produced by the Scottish National Dictionary Association from 1931 to 1976 and documents the Modern Scots language. The original editor, William Grant, was the driving force behind the collection of Scots vocabulary...
states that "golf represents a revival of the Middle Scots
Middle Scots
Middle Scots was the Anglic language of Lowland Scotland in the period from 1450 to 1700. By the end of the 13th century its phonology, orthography, accidence, syntax and vocabulary had diverged markedly from Early Scots, which was virtually indistinguishable from early Northumbrian Middle English...
form; Loudoun Gowf Club, Newmilns
Newmilns
Newmilns and Greenholm is a small burgh in East Ayrshire, Scotland. It has a population of 3,057 people and lies on the A71, around seven miles east of Kilmarnock and twenty-five miles southwest of Glasgow...
, retains the old form in its title"; ie. the spelling changed from Medieval golf to Early Modern gowf, and then back again.
The Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue
Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue
The Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue is a 12-volume dictionary that documents the history of the Scots language covering Older Scots from the earliest written evidence in the twelfth century until the year 1700...
gives the etymology
Etymology
Etymology is the study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time.For languages with a long written history, etymologists make use of texts in these languages and texts about the languages to gather knowledge about how words were used during...
of the word golf or gouf (with many alternative spellings) as probably from the Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
kolf (see Kolven
Kolven
Kolven is a game originated in the Netherlands, played by several individuals with heavy curved bats and a ball between two poles on an indoor kolf court...
, a Dutch indoor ballgame); although the dictionary also records the noun golf (with alternative spellings golfe or golph) as deriving from Middle English
Middle English
Middle English is the stage in the history of the English language during the High and Late Middle Ages, or roughly during the four centuries between the late 11th and the late 15th century....
golf or goulf or Old French
Old French
Old French was the Romance dialect continuum spoken in territories that span roughly the northern half of modern France and parts of modern Belgium and Switzerland from the 9th century to the 14th century...
golfe, meaning "a deep pool or hollow; an abyss"; a cognate
Cognate
In linguistics, cognates are words that have a common etymological origin. This learned term derives from the Latin cognatus . Cognates within the same language are called doublets. Strictly speaking, loanwords from another language are usually not meant by the term, e.g...
of modern English
Modern English
Modern English is the form of the English language spoken since the Great Vowel Shift in England, completed in roughly 1550.Despite some differences in vocabulary, texts from the early 17th century, such as the works of William Shakespeare and the King James Bible, are considered to be in Modern...
gulf.
Other golfing words of Scots origin
- LinksLinks (golf)A links is the oldest style of golf course, first developed in Scotland. The word "links" comes from the Scots language and refers to an area of coastal sand dunes and sometimes to open parkland. It also retains this more general meaning in the Scottish English dialect...
: first recorded in 1453 - "Et de xxx s. de le lynkis de LeithLeith LinksLeith Links is the principal open space within Leith, the harbour district of Edinburgh, Scotland. This public park extends to . In its current form it is largely flat and bordered by mature trees. Historically it was an undulating area of former sand-dunes utilised as a golf links.-Current...
" - Golf clubGolf club (equipment)A golf club is used to hit a golf ball in a game of golf. Each club is composed of a shaft with a grip and a clubhead. Woods are mainly used for long-distance fairway or tee shots; irons, the most versatile class, are used for a variety of shots; Hybrids that combine design elements of woods and...
: first recorded in 1503-1504 - "For golf clubbes and balles to the KingJames IV of ScotlandJames IV was King of Scots from 11 June 1488 to his death. He is generally regarded as the most successful of the Stewart monarchs of Scotland, but his reign ended with the disastrous defeat at the Battle of Flodden Field, where he became the last monarch from not only Scotland, but also from all...
that he playit with" - Golfball: first recorded as a term in 1545 (although also referred to in the 1503-1504 Treasury account) - "Three dossounDozenA dozen is a grouping of approximately twelve. The dozen may be one of the earliest primitive groupings, perhaps because there are approximately a dozen cycles of the moon or months in a cycle of the sun or year...
and thre goif bawis" - Drive: first recorded in 1583 - "Ane golf staff to driffe the ball vithe all"
- Tee (Teeing groundTeeing groundIn golf, the teeing ground is the area at the beginning of a hole from which the player's first stroke is taken. When referring to the area, the terms "tee", "tee box", and "teeing ground" are often used interchangeably....
): first recorded in 1721 - "Driving their Baws frae Whins or Tee, There’s no ae Gowfer to be seen." - Putt: first recorded in 1743 - "Let each social soul Drink to the putter, the balls, and the hole."
- Caddie (CaddyCaddyIn golf, a caddy is the person who carries a player's bag and clubs, and gives insightful advice and moral support. A good caddy is aware of the challenges and obstacles of the golf course being played, along with the best strategy in playing it. This includes knowing overall yardage, pin...
): first recorded in 1773 - "In order to preserve the holes, no Golfer or Cadie shall be allowed to make any Tee within ten yards of the hole.rules are to score a goal"
Origins
The exact origins of the sport of golfGolf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
are unclear. The most widely accepted theory is that the game originated in Scotland in the High Middle Ages
Scotland in the High Middle Ages
The High Middle Ages of Scotland encompass Scotland in the era between the death of Domnall II in 900 AD and the death of king Alexander III in 1286...
.
The modern game of golf we understand today is generally considered to be a Scottish invention. The first golf courses and clubs were established in the country. The first written rules originated in Scotland, as did the establishment of the 18 hole course. The first tournament structures developed and competitions were held between various burgh
Burgh
A burgh was an autonomous corporate entity in Scotland and Northern England, usually a town. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when King David I created the first royal burghs. Burgh status was broadly analogous to borough status, found in the rest of the United...
s. The modern game was spread by Scots to the rest of the world.
The earliest reference to golf is the purchase of a set of golf clubs by James IV
James IV of Scotland
James IV was King of Scots from 11 June 1488 to his death. He is generally regarded as the most successful of the Stewart monarchs of Scotland, but his reign ended with the disastrous defeat at the Battle of Flodden Field, where he became the last monarch from not only Scotland, but also from all...
from the bowmaker of St Johnston (Perth
Perth, Scotland
Perth is a town and former city and royal burgh in central Scotland. Located on the banks of the River Tay, it is the administrative centre of Perth and Kinross council area and the historic county town of Perthshire...
) in 1502. Where he played is not known, but is likely to be the North Inch at Perth. It is recorded that Robert Maule of Panmure
Panmure House
Panmure House was a 17th-century country house in the Parish of Panbride, Angus, Scotland, to the north of Carnoustie. It was the seat of the Earl of Panmure. It was rebuilt in the 19th century, and demolished in 1955....
played golf at Carnoustie
Carnoustie Golf Links
The Carnoustie Golf Links are in Carnoustie, Angus, Scotland. Its historic championship golf course is one of the venues in the Open Championship rotation.-History:...
in the mid 16th century, and that the wager was for drink. Around the same time, in 1552, John Hamilton
John Hamilton (archbishop)
The Most Rev. Dr. John Hamilton , Scottish prelate and politician, was an illegitimate son of James Hamilton, 1st Earl of Arran....
the Archbishop of St Andrews
Archbishop of St Andrews
The Bishop of St. Andrews was the ecclesiastical head of the Diocese of St Andrews and then, as Archbishop of St Andrews , the Archdiocese of St Andrews.The name St Andrews is not the town or church's original name...
granted the right of the people of St Andrews
St Andrews
St Andrews is a university town and former royal burgh on the east coast of Fife in Scotland. The town is named after Saint Andrew the Apostle.St Andrews has a population of 16,680, making this the fifth largest settlement in Fife....
to play golf and gather turf on the links, retaining his rights to the rabbit warrens there.
The oldest playing golf course in the world is the Old Links at Musselburgh Racecourse
Musselburgh Racecourse
Musselburgh Racecourse, known until the 1990s as Edinburgh Racecourse, is a horse racing venue located in the Millhill area of Musselburgh, East Lothian, Scotland, UK, close to the River Esk....
. Evidence has shown that golf was played on Musselburgh Links
Musselburgh Links
Musselburgh Links in Musselburgh, East Lothian, Scotland, is generally recognised as the oldest golf course in the world, and the oldest on which play has been continuous...
in 1672 although Mary, Queen of Scots reputedly played there in 1567.
Spreading the game outwith Scotland
When James VI succeeded to the thrones of EnglandThrone of England
The Throne of England is the English term used to identify the throne of the King of England. The term can refer to very specific seating, as in King Edward's Chair, which has been used in the coronations of British kings for eight centuries...
and Ireland in 1603 (see Union of the Crowns
Union of the Crowns
The Union of the Crowns was the accession of James VI, King of Scots, to the throne of England, and the consequential unification of Scotland and England under one monarch. The Union of Crowns followed the death of James' unmarried and childless first cousin twice removed, Queen Elizabeth I of...
) he took a large number of his Scottish courtiers with him to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The king resided at Greenwich Palace, and there is documentary evidence that some of these Scottish noblemen played golf on Blackheath
Blackheath, London
Blackheath is a district of South London, England. It is named from the large open public grassland which separates it from Greenwich to the north and Lewisham to the west...
, on the hill behind the palace. Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales
Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales
Henry Frederick Stuart, Prince of Wales was the elder son of King James I & VI and Anne of Denmark. His name derives from his grandfathers: Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley and Frederick II of Denmark. Prince Henry was widely seen as a bright and promising heir to his father's throne...
, the king's eldest son, was playing golf in 1606. The Royal Blackheath Golf Club itself traces its origins from these Scottish noblemen, and claims a pre-1745 foundation date. Although it is certainly the oldest English golf club and the oldest golf club outwith Scotland, there is no evidence that it is the oldest golf club in the world, as is sometimes claimed.
The first record of North American golf was a consignment of 96 golfclubs and 432 golf balls were shipped from Leith
Leith
-South Leith v. North Leith:Up until the late 16th century Leith , comprised two separate towns on either side of the river....
to Charleston
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
, South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
, in 1743; and on 29 September 1786 Scottish merchants established the South Carolina Golf Club in Charleston, the first golf club in the United States.
Players
World Golf Hall of Fame
The World Golf Hall of Fame is located at World Golf Village near St. Augustine, Florida, in the United States, and it is unusual among sports halls of fame in that a single site serves both men and women. It is supported by a consortium of 26 golf organizations from all over the world.The Hall of...
. Players marked * are also members of the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame
Scottish Sports Hall of Fame
The Scottish Sports Hall of Fame is the national sports hall of fame in Scotland, initiated on St Andrew's Day 2001. It is a joint project organised by sportscotland, the national governmental body for Scottish sport, and the National Museums of Scotland. It is also funded by BBC Scotland and...
:
- Willie AndersonWillie Anderson (golfer)William Law Anderson was a Scottish immigrant to the United States who became the first golfer to win four U.S. Opens, with victories in 1901, 1903, 1904, and 1905. He is still the only man to win three consecutive titles, and only Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan, and Jack Nicklaus have equalled his total...
(1879–1910) - Tommy ArmourTommy ArmourThomas Dickson Armour was a Scottish-American professional golfer. He was nicknamed The Silver Scot.Armour was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, and educated at Fettes College and the University of Edinburgh....
* (1894–1968) - James BraidJames Braid (golfer)James Braid was a Scottish professional golfer and a member of the Great Triumvirate of the sport alongside Harry Vardon and John Henry Taylor. He won The Open Championship five times...
* (1870–1950) - Dorothy CampbellDorothy CampbellDorothy Iona Campbell was the first internationally dominant female golfer. She was also known in her lifetime as Dorothy Hurd, Mrs. J.V. Hurd and as Dorothy Howe...
(1883–1945) - Alister MacKenzieAlister MacKenzieDr. Alister MacKenzie was an internationally renowned, British golf course architect whose course designs, on three different continents, are consistently ranked among the finest golf courses in the world...
(1870–1934) - golf course architect - Old Tom MorrisTom Morris, Sr.Thomas Mitchell Morris, Sr. , otherwise known as Old Tom Morris, was a pioneer of professional golf. He was born in St Andrews, Fife, Scotland, the "home of golf" and location of the St Andrews Links and died there as well. His son was Tom Morris, Jr...
* (1821–1908) - Young Tom MorrisTom Morris, Jr.Tom Morris, Jr. , known as "Young Tom Morris", was one of the pioneers of professional golf, and was the first young prodigy in golf history...
* (1851–1875) - Willie Park, Sr. (1834–1903)
- Allan RobertsonAllan RobertsonAllan Robertson was a golf player, considered one of the first professional golfers. He was born in St Andrews, Scotland, the "home of golf"....
(1815–1859) - Donald Ross (1872–1948) - golf course architect
Sandy Lyle
Sandy Lyle
Alexander Walter Barr "Sandy" Lyle, MBE is a Scottish professional golfer. Lyle has won two major championships during his career. Along with Nick Faldo and Ian Woosnam, he became one of Britain's top golfers during the 1980s...
(born 1958), Belle Robertson (born 1936) and Jessie Valentine (1915–2006) are all inducted into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame, but not the World Golf Hall of Fame.
See also
- Sport in ScotlandSport in ScotlandSport plays a central role in Scottish culture. The temperate, oceanic climate has played a key part in the evolution of sport in Scotland, with all-weather sports like association football, rugby union and golf dominating the national sporting consciousness...
- Scottish Golf UnionScottish Golf UnionThe Scottish Golf Union , established in 1920 and based in St Andrews, Fife, is the governing body for amateur golf in Scotland. It is affiliated to The R&A, which is also based at St Andrews, and is responsible for administering the Rules of Golf, as laid down by The R&A, at national level...
- British Golf MuseumBritish Golf MuseumThe British Golf Museum is located opposite the Clubhouse at the Royal and Ancient Golf Club in St Andrews, Scotland.The museum, which opened in 1990, documents the history of golf from Medieval times to the present, including the men's and women's games, British and international, both...
- Timeline of golf history (1353-1850)Timeline of golf history (1353-1850)The following is a partial timeline of the history of golf:*1421 - A Scottish regiment aiding the French against the English at the Siege of Bauge is introduced to the game of chole...
- Timeline of golf history (1851-1945)Timeline of golf history (1851-1945)-1851–1860:1851The Prestwick Golf Club is founded.1856The Royal Curragh Golf Club is founded at Kildare, the first golf club in Ireland. Pau Golf Club is founded, the first on the Continent....
- Timeline of golf history (1945-1999)Timeline of golf history (1945-1999)-1945–1949:1945Byron Nelson wins 18 tournaments in a calendar year to set an all-time PGA Tour record-including a record 11 in a row and a record 19 consecutive rounds under 70...
- Timeline of golf (2000-present)Timeline of golf (2000-present)-Men's Golf:Tiger Woods recorded arguably the most dominant season in history by any player. He won 11 of the 25 events he entered worldwide, including three major championships, breaking all-time scoring records at each. His season-long scoring average was 68.11, breaking an all-time record most...
- Football Act 1424Football Act 1424The Football Act 1424 was passed by the Parliament of Scotland in the reign of James I. It became law on 26 May 1424, one of a set of statutes passed that day; it is recorded as James I. 1424 c.18 in the Record Edition of the statutes, and James I. Parl. 1-1424 c.17 in the Duodecimo Edition...
- Sports tourismSports tourismSports, or more correctly, Sport Tourism refers to travel which involves either viewing or participating in a sporting event staying apart from their usual environment. Sport Tourism is the fastest growing sector in the global travel industry and equates to $600 Billion a year.-Classification of...
Further reading
- 2010, 18 Greatest Scottish Golf Holes, 18 Greatest
- Browning, Robert, 1955, A History of Golf, A & C Black, London
- Campbell, Malcolm, 2001, The Scottish Golf Book, Lomond Books
- Clark, Robert, 1875 and 1893, Golf: A Royal and Ancient Game, EP Publishing
- Cameron, Robbie J, 1936, Chronicle of Royal Burgess Golfing Society of Edinburgh, Morrison & Gibb
- Cruden, Stewart, 1992, Bruntsfield Links Golfing Society, BLGS and John Donald Publishers
- Geddes, Olive, 1992, A Swing Through Time Golf in Scotland 1457–1743, HMSO for the National Library of ScotlandNational Library of ScotlandThe National Library of Scotland is the legal deposit library of Scotland and is one of the country's National Collections. It is based in a collection of buildings in Edinburgh city centre. The headquarters is on George IV Bridge, between the Old Town and the university quarter...
- Hamilton, David, 1998, Golf Scotland’s Game, Patrick Press
- Jarrett, Tom, 1995, St Andrews Golf Links The First 600 Years, Mainstream PublishingMainstream PublishingMainstream Publishing is a publishing company in Edinburgh, Scotland, founded in 1978. It is associated with the Random House Group, who bought Mainstream in 2005....
- Kidd, Roger, 2002, Golf in Scotland, Roger Kidd's Golf Guides
- Mair, NormanNorman MairNorman G.R. Mair is a sports journalist and a former Scottish international rugby union and cricket player. He later became a journalist for The Scotsman on rugby and golf., and also wrote for Rugby World His daughter is Suzi Mair, who presents STV News at Six.Mair has always been outspoken in his...
, 1994, Muirfield, Mainstream Publishing - Price, Robert, 1989, Scotland's Golf Courses, Mercat PressMercat PressMercat Press is an imprint of the Edinburgh, Scotland-based publishing company Birlinn Limited. It was established in 1970 as a subsidiary of the bookseller James Thin, and published facsimile editions of out-of-print Scottish works, such as the five-volume The Castellated and Domestic Architecture...
- Royal & Ancient, The 2004 Golfer's Handbook, Renton Laidlaw Macmillan Publishers
- Stirk, David I, 1987, Golf: the history of an obsession, Phaidon PressPhaidon PressPhaidon Press is a British publisher of books on the visual arts, including art, architecture, photography, and design worldwide.As of 2009, Phaidon's headquarters are in London, UK, though they were in Oxford for many years, with offices in New York City, Paris, Berlin, Milan, and Tokyo...
External links
- Scotland - The Home of Golf, the official golf site of Scotland's national tourism organisation VisitScotlandVisitScotlandVisitScotland is Scotland's national tourism agency. It is a public body, with offices in Edinburgh, Inverness, London as well as other parts of Scotland...
- Golf History, at Scotland.org - the official online gateway to Scotland
- Sport - Golf, at the Gazetteer for ScotlandGazetteer for ScotlandThe Gazetteer for Scotland is a gazetteer covering the geography, history and people of Scotland. It was conceived in 1995 by Bruce Gittings of the University of Edinburgh and David Munro of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society, and contains 15,500 entries as of January 2008, making it one of...
- Scottish Golf History, at www.scottishgolfhistory.net
- Golf at The ScotsmanThe ScotsmanThe Scotsman is a British newspaper, published in Edinburgh.As of August 2011 it had an audited circulation of 38,423, down from about 100,000 in the 1980s....
newspaper - Golf Tours Scotland, at Golf Made Simple in Scotland
- Scottish Golf Course Listing, at www.scottishgolfcourses.com
- Scottish Golf, at www.puregolfhotels.com