Golf's History - At a Glance

Golf’s history can be traced back to the 1400’s originating in Scotland. Although it is not certain the Scottish invented the game, they were the first to become avid golf players. The game gained most popularity when James VI brought the game to England from Scotland when he gained the English throne in 1603. The first official competitive golf match was played in 1744 by a group of men called the Honorable Company of Edinburgh Golfers.

Early golfers used wooden clubs made of ash or hazel and balls called “Featherie.” The Featherie was composed of three pieces of leather sewed together around tightly packed fine feathers. Metal irons were not popular among golfers for three reasons. They were expensive. They were heavy. And they damaged Featherie balls which weren’t cheap.

In the 1700’s Scotland began making clubs and balls to meet the wealthy American and Europeans requests. Shafts were made from durable hickory wood up until 1925 when steel shafts were put to use. Now cavity irons and large drivers are mounted to iron shafts with custom grips. Golf balls changed in 1898 when the Haskell ball was invented. It had a three piece design using a solid core wound with rubber string covered in gutta percha.

Now, two piece balls are the most used as they are made of rubber and plastic. This ball lasts longer and is less expensive than the three piece ball used by most professionals.

Works Cited

"Golf Club History." Golf Club Revue. 21 Jul 2007 .

Haaheim, Don. "How the Game Evolved." A Brief History of Golf. 30 Oct 1996. TourCanada. 21 Jul 2007 .