Author: Phoenix Delray
A theory persists, particularly in Scotland that the game of golf originated there. It is true that golf has endured in this country due to the decree of James the 2nd of Scotland, who decreed on March 6, 1457, that golf and football be banned due to the fact that the sports interfered with archery practice, which was necessary for defending the realm. This eventually lead to the more clandestine practice of the sport.
The Scottish Baron, James VI, is the one responsible for bringing the game to England, and in 1744, the first golfing organization, the Honorable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, was formed and grew in popularity until 1834, when King William IV himself became the patron of the society, and the title was changed to The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews.
The earliest golf club created dates back to 1603, and were produced by the same craftsmen who produced bows and arrows and weapons. The first golf balls were commissioned by King James I in 1618, and were made of boiled feathers, and these remained the standard until 1848, when the Revered Adam Paterson began experimenting with a rubber like substance from India called gutta percha.
Balls made from gutta percha were soon the standard, and were succeeded by the Haskell ball in 1903. The Haskell ball consisted of a liquid filled rubber core covered in strips of elastic, and was endorsed by 1902 British Open Championship winner Alex Herd.
Nowadays, golf is a very popular, well recognized spectator sport, with many different levels of professional and amateur competitions the world over. There are many different types of shots, the most common being the putt, chip, punch, and the lay up. The purpose of the putt is to roll the ball along on the ground, and this type of shot is usually made on a putting green.
The chip shot is a short, lofted shot that is made with an abbreviated swinging motion, and are typically used as short approach shots, to reposition the ball on the fairway, or to clear a ball from a hazard. The punch or knock down shot is a low-loft shot of a varying distance, and is used to avoid hitting a ball into trees. The lay up is a shot made from the fairway and is intended to travel a shorter than normal distance.
Golf is a game that is loved by many people of all ages, and has been a favorite sport for centuries.
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