370

For generations, the favorite type of recreation in my family has been golf. I remember being a small child and trailing my great-grandfather, my grandfather and my own father around the golf course near my mother’s place of work. Come to think of it, my only memory of my great grandfather is that of him with a golf club in his hands. Actually, the same goes for my grandfather as well. I remember that as a young boy, the first time I ever received applause in the classroom wa…

Golf, Sports, Games, Recreation

For generations, the favorite type of recreation in my family has been golf. I remember being a small child and trailing my great-grandfather, my grandfather and my own father around the golf course near my mother’s place of work. Come to think of it, my only memory of my great grandfather is that of him with a golf club in his hands. Actually, the same goes for my grandfather as well. I remember that as a young boy, the first time I ever received applause in the classroom was when I talked about the history of golf. I guess everyone was surprised to see an eight year old knowing so much about an adult’s game. Actually, I can still remember it vividly now.

The Chinese, French, Dutch and Scottish all have solid claims to the origin of golf. As early as the year 1297, on February 26 of that year to be exact, golf was already mentioned in Holland in a city known as Loenen aan de Vecht. In that place, the Dutch played the game with a stick and a leather ball. The person who hit the ball at a target several hundred meters away the most number of times won the game.

Generally, golf is considered to be an invention of the Scots and the game was also mentioned sometime in the 15th century, particularly as part of a listing of laws that prohibited the playing of the game, then known as “gowf.” There is some belief among historical scholars that gowf may actually refer to shinty or hurling or even to modern field hockey. These scholars believe a game that consisted of putting a small ball in a hole in the ground using golf clubs had its origins in the Netherlands in the 17th century. The term golf is believed to have originated from the Germanic word for club.

Meanwhile, historians point out that the oldest playing golf course in the history of the world is located at Musselburgh. It was called the Old Links and evidence points to the fact that golf was played on this course way back in 1672 although some reporst say that Mary, Queen of Scots, actually played in that gold course as early as 1567.