Early Golf

This book describes how numerous myths and misconceptions have become entrenched in the popular history of golf. It describes golf’s early history, including how the game blossomed in Scotland in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries and the role of Scottish golfers in its spread to other countries between the seventeenth, and nineteenth centuries. Using contemporary documentary evidence, this book re-examines golf’s origins and evolution. Part 1 provides a chronological history of the early development of golf, focussing primarily on the fifteenth to the eighteenth century, whereas Part 2 addresses broader thematic topics relevant to golf’s early history. Topics and questions examined in the book include whether there is evidence of golf balls being purchased in 1452, whether King James II purchased golf clubs in 1502 and whether he is the first identified golfer. Did Queen Catherine of Aragon write about golf in 1513? Are the numerous claims concerning Mary Queen of Scots’s enthusiasm for golf justified? Did King James VI/I play golf at Blackheath in 1608? Were King Charles I or Charles II golfers? Did King James VII/II play in the ‘first international golf match’ in 1682. What is the evidence supporting the various competing claims concerning the origin of golf?