posted by JNevil on Nov 26
Golf can be seen as quite a dull sport as Oscar Wilde said “golf is a waste of a good walk” and previously I couldn’t have agreed more but the further I looked into the wonderful game the further I realised and understood its complexities. So when you next find yourself on the green and want to sound like a pro you’ll have a few fun facts to interject with. If you want to learn more about the game itself watch some golf videos online. It’s par-tee time!
* So let’s start with the basics it was first documented 600 years ago in 1421 when Scotland helped France during the Seige of Bauge against the English.
* It was originally called ‘chole’ which over time changed into ‘goff’ ‘golve’ then ‘golf’.
* The balls used in the sport were made out of a light leather casing and tightly packed feathers until 1848.
* 1457-1502 it was band within Scotland so the Scots weren’t distracted from preparing for an English invasion.
* Charles I was playing when he heard about the Irish Rebellion which marked the beginning of The English Civil War but before he did anything he finished his round…what a politician.
* Thomas Mathison’s epic The Goff in 1743 was the first literary piece devoted to the game.
* In 1786 the first course was formed in America at South Carolina.
* Earliest recorded to a women’s competition was at Musselburgh in 1810.
* By 1844 a 18 hole course became standard.
* The Golfer’s Manual by H.B.Farnie in 1857 was the first instruction manual published.
* The Professionals Championship is opened to amateurs and The Open Championship was born 1861.
* The St. Andrew’s Golf Club is founded in 1888 in New York the oldest surviving club in America.
* 1898 the term birdie gets coined which over time creating other terms such as Eagle, Albatross and Condor.
* PGA (professional golfers’ association) is established in 1901.
* John Ball wins his eighth British Amateur championship a record still to this day that is not yet equalled.
* During the two world wars all major tours were cancelled.
* 1968 Arnold Palmer passes the $1 million mark in career earnings sparking a new level of competence to the game.
* In 1979 the first metal woods were introduced.
* Lori Garbacz orders a pizza between holes at the U.S. Women’s Open 1988 to protest slow play.
* 1996 Tiger Woods becomes a professional and dominates the world of golf for years.
* 2011 you learn 20 fun historical facts about the wonderful game.
Jeffrey Nevil writes on a number of subjects including golf videos
