Golf originates from a game played on the coast of Scotland during the 15th century.
At that time players would hit a pebble instead of a ball around the sand dunes using a stick or club.
You may also be interested in the history of the golf ball and golf clubs
Here are some key moments in the history of the game of golf.
1618
The feather golf ball or 'Featherie' was introduced
1848
The gutta-percha golf ball was invented
1880s
Golf bags first came into use
1898
Coburn Haskell introduced the one-piece rubber cored ball
1905
The first time a dimple pattern was applied to a golf ball
1908
club head made with grooves for more backspin
about 1925
Steel golf club shafts were introduced in the US
1939
the maximum of 14 clubs in a bag rule was introduced
1951
the center shafted putter, was legalized
about 1962
The first powered golf car appeared, invented by Merlin L. Halvorson.
1963
The casting method of manufacturing clubs heads was introduced
1972
Spalding introduced the first two piece ball, the Executive.
1973
the graphite shaft was introduced
1991
Big Bertha over-sized wood which was introduced
A Brief History of the Golf Ball
The precursor to the game to golf involved hitting pebbles with a stick around the sand dunes of Scotland. As the game developed, the first balls specifically made for golf were made out of wood.
The feather golf ball, or 'Featherie', was introduced in 1618. These were thin, leather bags stuffed with feathers. In 1848, the Gutta Percha ball or 'Guttie' ball was invented, and could be hit no further than a Featherie, a maximum distance of 225 yards.
The Guttie was made from the rubber-like sap of the Gutta tree, which when heated the rubber could easily be moulded into a sphere. They were also cheaper to make, and with the advent of the Industrial Age they were being made in moulds which further increased their affordability, consistency and quality.
In 1889, the one-piece rubber cored ball was introduced. These balls looked very similar to the Gutties but gave the average golfer an extra 20 yards. When hit by a professional, these balls could reach distances approaching 430 yards. These balls were constructed from a solid rubber core wrapped in rubber thread encased in a gutta percha sphere.
It had not taken players long to realize that older balls traveled further, and they began roughing up the surface of new balls to get the same effect. Many different surface patterns were experimented with. In 1905, a dimple pattern was first applied to a ball, the beginning of the design for the modern ball.
In 1921, the R&A and USGA standardized the size and weight of the ball. Though between 1931 and 1990 they differed on the dimensions of the golf ball, resulting in differences in the game on either side of the Atlantic.
Ball design did not change throughout the 1900s. It was not until 1972, when Spalding introduced the first two piece ball, the Executive. Today there is a large variety of golf balls available. Some offer control, some offer distance while others are suitable for practice only.
History of Golf Clubs
In the pastime played by the Scottish that later became the game of golf, small pebbles were hit around the sand dunes using wooden sticks.
Early Clubs
For hundreds of years, golf clubs were made out of wood, and it was not until late last century that the wooden shaft was replaced by other materials. Players initially carved their own clubs and balls from wood, though they soon turned to skilled craftsmen to produce competitive equipment.
Club Names
Using numbers to signify the different clubs is a relatively new thing. For a long time different clubs were known by a variety of names, such as:
Woods
The shafts of the early clubs were made out of local European woods like ash or hazel. Club heads were made from tough wood such as beech, holly, pear and apple. The heads of the wooden clubs were long and thin, resulting in them being known as "long-nose woods". Wooden headed clubs were usually hand made by the local golf professionals until the early 1900s, when the growth in popularity of the game made factory produced clubs profitable.
Irons
Even as metal clubs became available, they were used sparingly as they could easily damage the early 'feathery' golf balls (see golf ball history). As early as 1750 some club-makers used forged metal heads for niblicks (wedges). A metal headed club may have just been saved for getting the ball out of the rough or from cart tracks.
The early iron clubs, made by blacksmiths until about the 1870s, were quite crudely made, making them heavy to wield and difficult to control. The advent of drop forging technique in the late 1800s resulted in lighter and better made clubs that could be mass produced in factories.
The early 1900 was a period of experimental golf club designs, with many not proving the test of time. One of the most important changes was the move in around 1908 from smooth faces on the irons to the grooves that are used today. The grooves enabled more backspin on a ball, resulting in more distance.
Shafts
The shafts of the early clubs were made out of local European woods like Ash. The introduction of golf into America in the early 1800s lead to hickory wood being used in the shafts, which was found to be far more durable than other woods.
Hickory became the standard material for golf club shafts until steel shafts were introduced in about 1925 in the US, and became standard everywhere from the mid 1930s. They had the advantage as they did not break like the hickory shafts and could be produced reliably with uniform feel in matched sets. The graphite shaft, which is lighter and stronger than steel, was introduced in 1973.
Today
Today's sets of woods and irons are developed using computer technology to provide durability, weight distribution, hitting distance and accuracy. They are also made using advanced materials such as titanium, graphite and zirconia.
At that time players would hit a pebble instead of a ball around the sand dunes using a stick or club.
You may also be interested in the history of the golf ball and golf clubs
Here are some key moments in the history of the game of golf.
1618
The feather golf ball or 'Featherie' was introduced
1848
The gutta-percha golf ball was invented
1880s
Golf bags first came into use
1898
Coburn Haskell introduced the one-piece rubber cored ball
1905
The first time a dimple pattern was applied to a golf ball
1908
club head made with grooves for more backspin
about 1925
Steel golf club shafts were introduced in the US
1939
the maximum of 14 clubs in a bag rule was introduced
1951
the center shafted putter, was legalized
about 1962
The first powered golf car appeared, invented by Merlin L. Halvorson.
1963
The casting method of manufacturing clubs heads was introduced
1972
Spalding introduced the first two piece ball, the Executive.
1973
the graphite shaft was introduced
1991
Big Bertha over-sized wood which was introduced
A Brief History of the Golf Ball
The precursor to the game to golf involved hitting pebbles with a stick around the sand dunes of Scotland. As the game developed, the first balls specifically made for golf were made out of wood.
The feather golf ball, or 'Featherie', was introduced in 1618. These were thin, leather bags stuffed with feathers. In 1848, the Gutta Percha ball or 'Guttie' ball was invented, and could be hit no further than a Featherie, a maximum distance of 225 yards.
The Guttie was made from the rubber-like sap of the Gutta tree, which when heated the rubber could easily be moulded into a sphere. They were also cheaper to make, and with the advent of the Industrial Age they were being made in moulds which further increased their affordability, consistency and quality.
In 1889, the one-piece rubber cored ball was introduced. These balls looked very similar to the Gutties but gave the average golfer an extra 20 yards. When hit by a professional, these balls could reach distances approaching 430 yards. These balls were constructed from a solid rubber core wrapped in rubber thread encased in a gutta percha sphere.
It had not taken players long to realize that older balls traveled further, and they began roughing up the surface of new balls to get the same effect. Many different surface patterns were experimented with. In 1905, a dimple pattern was first applied to a ball, the beginning of the design for the modern ball.
In 1921, the R&A and USGA standardized the size and weight of the ball. Though between 1931 and 1990 they differed on the dimensions of the golf ball, resulting in differences in the game on either side of the Atlantic.
Ball design did not change throughout the 1900s. It was not until 1972, when Spalding introduced the first two piece ball, the Executive. Today there is a large variety of golf balls available. Some offer control, some offer distance while others are suitable for practice only.
History of Golf Clubs
In the pastime played by the Scottish that later became the game of golf, small pebbles were hit around the sand dunes using wooden sticks.
Early Clubs
For hundreds of years, golf clubs were made out of wood, and it was not until late last century that the wooden shaft was replaced by other materials. Players initially carved their own clubs and balls from wood, though they soon turned to skilled craftsmen to produce competitive equipment.
Club Names
Using numbers to signify the different clubs is a relatively new thing. For a long time different clubs were known by a variety of names, such as:
- Longnoses - for driving
- Bulgers - like today's woods as they have a bulbous head.
- Fairway clubs (or grassed drivers) - for medium range shots
- Spoons - for short range shots
- Niblicks - like a wedge
- Cleek - for putting
Woods
The shafts of the early clubs were made out of local European woods like ash or hazel. Club heads were made from tough wood such as beech, holly, pear and apple. The heads of the wooden clubs were long and thin, resulting in them being known as "long-nose woods". Wooden headed clubs were usually hand made by the local golf professionals until the early 1900s, when the growth in popularity of the game made factory produced clubs profitable.
Irons
Even as metal clubs became available, they were used sparingly as they could easily damage the early 'feathery' golf balls (see golf ball history). As early as 1750 some club-makers used forged metal heads for niblicks (wedges). A metal headed club may have just been saved for getting the ball out of the rough or from cart tracks.
The early iron clubs, made by blacksmiths until about the 1870s, were quite crudely made, making them heavy to wield and difficult to control. The advent of drop forging technique in the late 1800s resulted in lighter and better made clubs that could be mass produced in factories.
The early 1900 was a period of experimental golf club designs, with many not proving the test of time. One of the most important changes was the move in around 1908 from smooth faces on the irons to the grooves that are used today. The grooves enabled more backspin on a ball, resulting in more distance.
Shafts
The shafts of the early clubs were made out of local European woods like Ash. The introduction of golf into America in the early 1800s lead to hickory wood being used in the shafts, which was found to be far more durable than other woods.
Hickory became the standard material for golf club shafts until steel shafts were introduced in about 1925 in the US, and became standard everywhere from the mid 1930s. They had the advantage as they did not break like the hickory shafts and could be produced reliably with uniform feel in matched sets. The graphite shaft, which is lighter and stronger than steel, was introduced in 1973.
Today
Today's sets of woods and irons are developed using computer technology to provide durability, weight distribution, hitting distance and accuracy. They are also made using advanced materials such as titanium, graphite and zirconia.