ALL ABOUT GOLF

The History of Golf


The history of golf is a debate as to whether the game was invented by the Chinese, the Dutch, or the Scottish.  A game somewhat similar to golf was first 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.  Whoever hit the ball in a target several hundreds of meters away the least number of times, won.

However, the Scots are generally adamant 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 really 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 evolved 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 located on.  Players would play the eleven holes out and then back in to total 22 holes.  Later, several of the holes were deemed too short and were combined with each other.  That reduced the number from 11 down to 9 so a complete round of golf was comprised of 18 holes.

By 1744, the game of golf had become 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.  They came up with a list of thirteen guidelines on playing the game.

Major changes since the 19th century have occurred in the equipment needed for play.  Better mowers made greens easier to play on.  Golf balls designs would evolve by using rubber and man-made materials which made the ball fly longer on a drive.  The wooden golf tee would make the drive easier.

No discussion of golf history would be complete without talking about the advances made in golf clubs.  Metal shafts came about in the 1930s and most drivers were made of wood which is why they are called woods today even though 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 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 wonderful game – and most of us are very glad about that!

Sports


Of all the various sports practiced in the world today, golf has got to be one of the most often played by amateurs and professionals alike.  It is one of those sports that can be played with little skill by people of all ages – young and old alike.  Recognizing that golf is one of the major sports in the world has been a great advancement for people who love this game.

Most people think of traditional sports as one on one or team competitions.  While golf is often played with other people, the real competitors in the game of golf are you against the golf course.  Sure, you can try to score better than your opponents, but really what you are doing is trying to take into consideration things like sand traps, water hazards, and distance so you can make it from tee box to hole with as few strokes as possible.

While golf isn’t a very intensive sports activity, it does provide for good exercise – especially if you walk the course instead of taking a cart.  You’re not going to get a good cardio workout, but you certainly will benefit from a good stroll across the links.  Plus, the swinging motion will work your back muscles as well as your arm muscles.

Golf is one of the most competitive sports both professionally as well as for amateurs.  The lighthearted bantering you can hear on the golf course during a tournament is quite interesting.  Many side bets occur on tee boxes and before a match begins.  There’s quite a lot of ways you can try to best your opponents and make a little money on the side as well!

You can also find competitive golf in schools as part of their sports programs.  These days, it’s not uncommon to find a golf team at the middle school level, and high school and college golf teams have been part of sports programs for years. This is great as it introduces golf to kids at younger ages and they are more likely to continue that interest into their adult years.

Golf is one of the fastest growing sports in the world with fans spanning all age groups coming from all walks of life.  Participating in golf as part of a sports regimen provides for much enjoyment, some stress, and a lot of great experiences.  If you’ve never tried golf as one of the sports you participate in, you really should.  Gain the benefits of this traditional game and see all of the amazing things you have in store!

Golf Course


The game of golf is played on a golf course – obviously.  But have you ever thought what goes into making a good golf course?  I mean, what makes a good golf course, and what makes a not-so-good golf course?  While we don’t have the space to go through specific design layouts, we can touch on some of the aspects of a golf course that makes it fun to play yet challenging too.

Like the miniature golf course, a regular golf course should be fun.  You really can’t add the fun windmills or other hazards on a regular golf course, but you can use the natural elements of the land to help build challenges into the layout.

Obviously, the first thing you’re going to need is land.  I mean, you’re going to need A LOT of land!  The golf course must have some long yardage holes as well as some shorter yardage holes.  However, most golfers will agree that having mostly longer holes is a great challenge.  But they also need those short par 3s for a little ego boost!

Having several sand bunkers is a great way to present challenge on the golf course.  Most bunkers are located around the hole, but they can also be placed in the fairway for added headaches!  Having to hit out of the sand provides for all sorts of stroke modifications, and golfers love to have the challenge at hand!

Water hazards are another great way to give golfers a challenge on the golf course.  Natural lakes and rivers can be found all over the place, but you can also create man-made water hazards by digging out a large area and filling it with water – obviously!  Water hazards make a player have to use finesse to avoid them and make a golf course fun to navigate.

The golf course that we play most often used to be a cow pasture.  The rolling hills that used to have Holstein’s instead of golf carts make this particular golf course a lot of fun to try and get “up and down” on.  Rolling hills cause a golf ball to – take a guess here – roll!  You may have a great drive, but if your ball lands on the side of a hill, it will either stick there making your shot hard or it will roll off the side.  Either way, this is another way to make a golf course challenging.

Natural trees and woods are also part of the golf course environment.  There’s nothing worse to hear on a golf course than the sound of your ball hitting a tree.  Then you have the fun task of trying to find out where the ball landed.  Did it go further in or did the tree propel it out into the fairway?  Either way, you have another great way to challenge yourself with natural elements.

Designing a golf course can be great fun – for both the designer as well as the player.  Take in the natural elements of your favorite golf course and then navigate through those hazards with a positive attitude.  Then you’ll be having fun!