1457 β Golf, along with
football, is banned by the
Scots Parliament of
James II to preserve the skills of archery. Golf is prohibited on Sundays because it has interfered with military training for the wars against the English.
1470 β The ban on golf is reaffirmed by the Parliament of
James III.
1491 β The golf ban is affirmed again by Parliament, this time under
James IV.
1502 β With the signing of the
Treaty of Perpetual Peace between England and Scotland, the ban on golf is lifted.
James IV makes the first recorded purchase of golf equipment, a set of
golf clubs from a
bow-maker in
Perth.
1682 β In the first recorded international golf match, the
Duke of York and John Patersone of Scotland defeat two
English noblemen in a match played on the links of Leith.
Andrew Dickson, carrying clubs for the Duke of York, is the first recorded
caddie.
1687 β The student diary of
Thomas Kincaid includes his Thoughts on Golve, and contains the first instructions on playing golf and an explanation of how golf clubs are made.
1721 β Earliest reference to golf on
Glasgow Green, the first named course in the west of Scotland.
1724 β "A solemn match of golf" between
Alexander Elphinstone and
Captain John Porteous becomes the first match reported in a newspaper. Elphinstone fights and wins a
duel on the same ground in 1729.
The Royal Burgh of Edinburgh pays for a
Silver Cup to be awarded to the annual champion in an open competition played at Leith. John Rattray is the first champion.
1754 β Golfers at St. Andrews purchase a Silver Cup for an
open championship played on the
Old Course.
Bailie William Landale is the first champion.
1764 β The competition for the Silver Club at
Leith is restricted to members of the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers.
The first four holes at St. Andrews are combined into two, reducing the round from twenty-two holes (11 out and in) to 18 (nine out and in). St. Andrews is the first 18-hole golf course and sets the standard for future courses.
1766 β The
Blackheath Club in
London becomes the first golf club formed outside Scotland.
1767 β The score of 94 returned by James Durham at St. Andrews in the Silver Cup competition sets a record unbroken for 86 years.
1768 β The Golf House at Leith is erected. It is the first
golf clubhouse.
1773 β Competition at St. Andrews is restricted to members of the Leith and St. Andrews societies.
The town of St. Andrews sells the land containing the Old Course (known then as Pilmor Links), to
Thomas Erskine for Β£805. Erskine was required to preserve the course for golf.
1806 β The St. Andrews Club chooses to elect its captains rather than award captaincy to the winner of the Silver Cup. Thus begins the tradition of the Captain "playing himself into office" by hitting a single shot before the start of the annual competition.
1810 β Earliest recorded reference to a women's competition at Musselburgh.
1824 β The Perth Golfing Society is formed, later
Royal Perth (the first club so honoured).
1828 β The first references indicating that
hickory was used for golf shafts appears in identical articles in The Sporting Chronicle and The Sporting Magazine.
1829 β The Dum Dum Golfing Club, later
Calcutta Golf Club (and later still Royal Calcutta) is formed.[4]
1832 β The
North Berwick Club is founded, the first to include women in its activities, although they are not permitted to play in competitions.
1833 β King
William IV confers the distinction of "Royal" on the Perth Golfing Society; as Royal Perth, it is the first Club to hold the distinction.
The St. Andrews Golfers ban the stymie but rescind the ban one year later.
1836 β The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers abandons the deteriorating Leith Links, moving to Musselburgh.
The longest drive ever recorded with a feathery ball, 361 yards, was achieved with a following wind by Samuel Messieux on the Old Course at St Andrews.[5]
1842 β The Bombay Golfing Society (later
Royal Bombay) is founded.
1844 β Blackheath follows Leith in expanding its course from five to seven holes. North Berwick also had seven holes at the time, although the trend toward a standard eighteen had begun.
1848 β Invention of the "
guttie," the
gutta-percha ball. It flies farther than the feathery and is much less expensive to make. It contributes greatly to the expansion of the game.
References
^Joseph Bain, Calendar State Papers Scotland: 1563-1603, vol. 2 (Edinburgh, 1900), p. 558.
1457 β Golf, along with
football, is banned by the
Scots Parliament of
James II to preserve the skills of archery. Golf is prohibited on Sundays because it has interfered with military training for the wars against the English.
1470 β The ban on golf is reaffirmed by the Parliament of
James III.
1491 β The golf ban is affirmed again by Parliament, this time under
James IV.
1502 β With the signing of the
Treaty of Perpetual Peace between England and Scotland, the ban on golf is lifted.
James IV makes the first recorded purchase of golf equipment, a set of
golf clubs from a
bow-maker in
Perth.
1682 β In the first recorded international golf match, the
Duke of York and John Patersone of Scotland defeat two
English noblemen in a match played on the links of Leith.
Andrew Dickson, carrying clubs for the Duke of York, is the first recorded
caddie.
1687 β The student diary of
Thomas Kincaid includes his Thoughts on Golve, and contains the first instructions on playing golf and an explanation of how golf clubs are made.
1721 β Earliest reference to golf on
Glasgow Green, the first named course in the west of Scotland.
1724 β "A solemn match of golf" between
Alexander Elphinstone and
Captain John Porteous becomes the first match reported in a newspaper. Elphinstone fights and wins a
duel on the same ground in 1729.
The Royal Burgh of Edinburgh pays for a
Silver Cup to be awarded to the annual champion in an open competition played at Leith. John Rattray is the first champion.
1754 β Golfers at St. Andrews purchase a Silver Cup for an
open championship played on the
Old Course.
Bailie William Landale is the first champion.
1764 β The competition for the Silver Club at
Leith is restricted to members of the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers.
The first four holes at St. Andrews are combined into two, reducing the round from twenty-two holes (11 out and in) to 18 (nine out and in). St. Andrews is the first 18-hole golf course and sets the standard for future courses.
1766 β The
Blackheath Club in
London becomes the first golf club formed outside Scotland.
1767 β The score of 94 returned by James Durham at St. Andrews in the Silver Cup competition sets a record unbroken for 86 years.
1768 β The Golf House at Leith is erected. It is the first
golf clubhouse.
1773 β Competition at St. Andrews is restricted to members of the Leith and St. Andrews societies.
The town of St. Andrews sells the land containing the Old Course (known then as Pilmor Links), to
Thomas Erskine for Β£805. Erskine was required to preserve the course for golf.
1806 β The St. Andrews Club chooses to elect its captains rather than award captaincy to the winner of the Silver Cup. Thus begins the tradition of the Captain "playing himself into office" by hitting a single shot before the start of the annual competition.
1810 β Earliest recorded reference to a women's competition at Musselburgh.
1824 β The Perth Golfing Society is formed, later
Royal Perth (the first club so honoured).
1828 β The first references indicating that
hickory was used for golf shafts appears in identical articles in The Sporting Chronicle and The Sporting Magazine.
1829 β The Dum Dum Golfing Club, later
Calcutta Golf Club (and later still Royal Calcutta) is formed.[4]
1832 β The
North Berwick Club is founded, the first to include women in its activities, although they are not permitted to play in competitions.
1833 β King
William IV confers the distinction of "Royal" on the Perth Golfing Society; as Royal Perth, it is the first Club to hold the distinction.
The St. Andrews Golfers ban the stymie but rescind the ban one year later.
1836 β The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers abandons the deteriorating Leith Links, moving to Musselburgh.
The longest drive ever recorded with a feathery ball, 361 yards, was achieved with a following wind by Samuel Messieux on the Old Course at St Andrews.[5]
1842 β The Bombay Golfing Society (later
Royal Bombay) is founded.
1844 β Blackheath follows Leith in expanding its course from five to seven holes. North Berwick also had seven holes at the time, although the trend toward a standard eighteen had begun.
1848 β Invention of the "
guttie," the
gutta-percha ball. It flies farther than the feathery and is much less expensive to make. It contributes greatly to the expansion of the game.
References
^Joseph Bain, Calendar State Papers Scotland: 1563-1603, vol. 2 (Edinburgh, 1900), p. 558.