Golf is one of the most popular of the organized sports in the entire world right now. Golf is played, watched and followed in nearly every country, in nearly every corner of the world these days. But, when did golf actually get its start and how popular was it back then? What has changed over the centuries, and what has stayed the same? And what exactly is on the horizon for the game?

Read on for a brief history of the game of golf, as well as a look ahead for what might be looming in the future of the game. We will look at how the equipment has changed from wooden clubs to titanium shafts and what that has meant for the games and the players themselves. And finally, we will take a quick look at one of the most popular players that the game has ever seen. (No peeking ahead, now.)

The Much Debated Beginnings

The Scots have long claimed the right to be called the inventors of golf. Other cultures have looked into their past histories, and that right has been greatly debated, especially recently. To find the first contestant for the real father of golf, you have to travel all the way back to ancient Egypt. Yep, when the Egyptians when are not killing off their rulers and each other, it would appear that that they were developing sports that may well have been the precursors to modern sports.

According to ancient writings and hieroglyphics, a game that appears remarkably similar to modern golf was played, probably as a religious rite. And because the Egyptians were so fond of symbolism and such, it is believed that this religious rite/sporting event was related in some way to fertility. Of course, the actual game that they were playing may not have been as golf-like as originally thought, and may possibly be more closely related to baseball or cricket instead. It doesn’t really matter though, because the ancient Egyptians, with their wars and art and other contributions to culture are not the only contenders for the claim on golf.

Next up in the debate: the Chinese. China shocked the world by laying claim to the invention of not only soccer but also judo, which has long thought to have once been a Japanese martial art. Now the Chinese have announced that their historians have found evidence of a game that appears remarkably similar in style and form to modern day golf. If the Chinese are correct in their assumption, then their golf precursor dates to around AD 945. The Chinese book, called the Dongxuan Records tells of a game called “chuiwan” (chui= to hit, wan= ball) with the accompanying description of the ten clubs that were used to play the game. These clubs were alleged to have been jewel encrusted, indicating that the game, whether it was golf or not, was meant for the wealthy.

The Dongxuan Records include a reference to a Chinese magistrate having his daughter go out to “dig holes in the ground so that he could drive balls into them.” The claim further asserts that it was Mongol traders who brought the game to Europe in the late Middle Ages, further proof that the Chinese are the ones that invented the game.

Of course, the Chinese are not the only challengers to the Scottish claim of golf’s inventor. The French insist that the game was originally “pallemail”and played sometime in the fifteenth century. And in the fourteenth century, some version of the game was thought to have onc been played by athletes in Belgium and Holland as well. So, who gets the title? The only definitive facts about golf are these:

1) On March 6, 1457, James II banned both golf and football by an official act of Parliament. (The sports were taking up too much time that he felt would be better used for archery practice.)

2) James VI brought the game to England in 1603- the game itself was basically the rough version of the game we call golf today.

3) Edinburgh golfers formed the first official club or society for the sport in 1744. The very first, thirteen rules for golf were written and a competition was held annually between golfers from any part of Britain and Ireland.

4) King William IV became the patron of the Society of St. Andrews Golfers in 1834 and the name was changed to the Royal and Ancient Golf club of St. Andrews.

5) The Royal Blackheath Golf Club of England was formed in 1766, thought to be one of the first clubs formed outside of Scotland. This was followed in 1818 by the Old Manchester Golf Club.

6) Golf makes it to North America in 1873 with the forming of the Royal Montreal Club. Canada took to golf quite well, and the Quebec Golf Club formed in 1875, with one in Toronto forming the following year.

7) The United States did not take to the sport as readily, and although it was thought to have actually been played sporadically, historically, golf did not really officially take off in the US until 1888 when a three-hole course was built near Yonkers. That same year, the St. Andrews Club of Yonkers was formed. Golf dug in, found its niche and by the turn of that century there were more than 1000 golf clubs all over North America.

So, who is to say which country should get the bragging rights? Most golfers and golfing enthusiasts have the same opinion: let the historians fight over who wrote what ancient paper or described some ancient game. Leave the scholars to their dusty books and dimly lit libraries. The true golfer will take the fresh air, the warm sunshine and the sweet tang of the freshly sheared greens.

Are you up for a good read? Check out “The Simple Golf Swing”