Golf

Golf

Golf is one of the most common and challenging sports today. The game is played in a beautiful environment with a green grassy surface surrounded by trees and different species of plants. The majority of people consider golf as a perfect way to make more friends and relax after a long day of work. However, the game demands experience and great skills necessitating long practice hours on a daily basis. In comparison to any other sport, golf has a rich history, different tournaments, and numerous rules that players must abide by as they play.

 

History and Development of Golf 

Historians have attempted to establish the origin of golf. The majority believe that golf originated during the 15^th century. Much controversy surrounds its origin, with different historians tracing it to different countries including Belgium, the Netherlands, and Scotland. There is also evidence that the ancient Romans played a similar game using leather balls and sticks (Newell, 2004).

Regardless of these controversies on its true beginnings, it is well documented that the Scottish developed the game of golf to what it is today. Early recorded history indicates that the game was extensively played in Scotland because in 1457, the Scottish parliament voted to ban the game all over the country because many soldiers were dedicating much of their time to playing golf rather than practicing (Newell, 2004). In addition, numerous bans that followed including one by the church prohibited playing of the game on the Sabbath. In the sixteenth century, King James VI of Scotland overturned the previous bans and became an avid player of golf. Over time, the majority of royals embraced the game, making it the game of royal families across Britain (Pinner, 1988).

The first golf course was situated in St. Andrews, Scotland. Evidence shows that golf was played in this region as early as 1552. In 1754, golf was formalized in St. Andrews through creation of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club (Pinner, 1988). The first open tournament was organized by the club and played at Prestwick. In the U.S., the first golf was played in 1786 at Charleston, South Carolina. Over time, golf has developed to involve numerous clubs across the world. Different bodies, including the R&A and the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA), have been formed to deal with the creation of basic rules of playing the game, as well as organization and management of major tournaments (Newell, 2004).

 

Golf Equipment
 

Golf Balls

The earliest artificial golf balls were made of thin leather bags that were stuffed with feathers. The major disadvantage of these balls was that they could not fly very far. In 1848, the Reverend Adam Paterson invented the gutta-percha balls, which could fly a maximum distance of 225 yards. In search of balls that could fly longer distances, Coburn Haskell introduced the first rubber-cored ball that could fly approximately 430 yards in 1898. During the early golfing periods, all golf balls were smooth. However, most players noticed that these balls travelled further as they became old and scarred. Consequently, the majority of players took new balls and pitted them intentionally. In 1905, William Taylor, a golf ball manufacturer, began adding dimples to the Coburn Haskell ball, which explains the modern form of the golf ball (Newell, 2004).

Golf Clubs

Golf clubs are used to hit and direct the balls to destination points. They have evolved from wooden shafts to modern sets of iron and wood with weight distribution, graduation utility, and durability. Golf club evolution occurred as golf balls evolved to ensure that they withstand harder whacks.

Caddies and Carrying

Golf bags first came into use during the 1880s. A caddie was an individual tasked with carrying golfing equipment for players. In 1962, Merlin L. Halvorson invented the first engine powered golf car to make the work of caddies easier (Newell, 2004).

Golf Tees

Golf tees are made from rubber and have vertical rubber prongs used to hold the ball in place. Two Scottish golfers, Arthur Douglas and William Bloxsom, documented the first golf tee (Newell, 2004). Golf tees have also gradually evolved, with modern tees made of a metal spike that can peg the ground and a cup-shaped top to hold the ball in a better position.

Golf Rules

The first standardized rules of golf were written in 1774 and used in the first golf championship played in Edinburgh, Scotland. There were approximately thirteen rules that described how the game was to be played (United States Golf Association, 2013). Since the period, golf rules have continuously developed to modern comprehensive guidelines that define the way in which it should be played. Unlike the old rules, modern rules emphasize on showing consideration to all players at all times while at the course. The rules are made to control game spirit, safety, consideration of other players, scoring, care of the course, and penalties for breach of the rules (United States Golf Association, 2013).

Golf is played without supervision from an umpire or referee. It relies on the spirit and integrity of the players to follow set rules. On safety, players are expected to ensure that other players are not standing in close range or in a dangerous position before making a stroke. In addition, a player should not cast a shadow or stand on the line of position of another player. This is meant to avoid distracting players during their turn of play. The rules also stipulate that all players must be prepared to play immediately when it is their time to play. It is also the responsibility of all the players to take care of the course by avoiding hitting the ground out of anger or any other reasons. Players that fail to observe these rules can be prohibited from playing for sometimes or even disqualified from play depending on the level of breach (United States Golf Association, 2013).

 

 

Major Tournaments

The four major prestigious golf tournaments recognized globally are the British Open Championship, US Masters, US PGA Championship, and the US Open. These tournaments are held at standardized intervals to allow professional players from across the world to plan their participation (Brenner, 2009). In addition, each of these majors has its own qualification requirements that players must observe, and for many professional golfers, qualifying to participate in any of these four tournaments is an important achievement.

The Open Championship of Britain is the oldest of the major tournaments, and is well recognized for its great tradition. Established in 1860, this tournament is run by the R&A, which is one of the major golf governing bodies in the world. R&A is a name derived from the Royal and Ancient Golf Club located in St. Andrews, Scotland. The tournament is held in July every year, and takes place in one of the nine golf courses in England or Scotland. The British Open tournament fields 156 golfers including those that have earned special qualification from different qualifying tournaments and those that receive special exemptions based on predefined criteria (Brenner, 2009).

The US Masters was founded in 1934, and takes place in Augusta, Georgia. This tournament is played on a yearly basis at the beginning of April, and is known for the green jacket given to the winner and its picturesque setting. In comparison to all the other tournaments, the US Masters involves the fewest golfers from across the world based on some specific qualifications, such as top 50 global golfers and most recent winners of specific tournaments. In addition, all previous winners of the tournament receive lifetime participation invitations (Brenner, 2009).

The third tournament, the PGA Championship, is played in August at a randomly selected course in the United States. The Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) of America conducts this tournament. Similar to the Open Championship, PGA championship fields 156 golfers, with 136 selected from various tournaments across the world and 20 professional golf instructors or ‘club pros’ (Feinstein, 2007).

The USGA (United States Golf Association) conducts the U.S. Open, which can be held in any of the various golf courses in the United States. Held in June, the tournament was founded in 1895 and fields 156 golfers from across the world. Participants consist of golfers with exemptions to participate based in certain qualification criteria similar to that of the Masters tournament. Participants can also earn a spot by participating in sectional and local qualifying tournaments (Brenner, 2009).

 

Other major tournaments include the Women’s Majors and the Senior Men’s Majors. The women’s majors include U.S. Women’s Open, Kraft Nabisco Championship, Women’s British Open, and Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Championship. The senior men’s majors include The Tradition, the Senior PGA Championship, the Senior Players Championship, Senior British Open, and the U.S. Senior Open (Feinstein, 2007).

Conclusion

 

In comparison to any other sport, golf has a rich history, different tournaments, and numerous rules that players must abide by as they play. Historians have traced the history of the game to numerous countries including Netherlands, Belgium, and Scotland. However, Scotland played a greater role in the development of different aspects of golf including tournaments and rules of play. Initially, there were only thirteen rules to control the attitude of players in the field of play. Today, there are numerous golf rules, the majority of which emphasize on showing consideration to all players at the course at all times. In addition, there are numerous global golf tournaments, with the four major ones being the U.S. Masters, British Open, PGA championship, and the U.S. Open.

References

Brenner, M. G. (2009). The majors of golf: Complete results of the Open, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and the Masters, 1860-2008. Jefferson, NC: McFarland.

Feinstein, J. (2007). Tales from Q school: Inside golf's fifth major. New York, NY: Hachette Audio.

Newell, S. (2004). A history of golf. Stroud: Sutton.

Pinner, J. (1988). The history of golf. New York, NY: Gallery Books.

United States Golf Association. (2013). Rules and decisions. Retrieved from http://www.usga.org/Rule-Books/Rules-of-Golf/Etiquette/.

GOLF - Google Search. (n.d.). GOLF - Google Search. Retrieved January 8, 2014, from https://www.google.com/search?q=GOLF&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=djDNUs-zGcvDswb504DQBQ&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1280&bih=652#q=GOLF+IN+UAE&tbm=isch&facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=hy6fh8M7WkGA0M%253A%3BS4H2F9eCGkVxUM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fstatic5.businessinsider.com%2