Golf is as integral a part of Scotland today as it was as far back as the 15th century when, the game of ‘gowf’, as it was known in those days, was banned by Parliament under King James II as a distraction from military training. Fortunately the ban was lifted when the Treaty of Glasgow came into effect in 1502 and the game has gone from strength to strength ever since.
Development of the modern game
Between 1750 and 1850, golf developed into the game as we know it today with the establishment of some of the world’s most prominent golf clubs. On 7 March 1744, the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, the world’s oldest golf club, which now resides at Muirfield, officially came into being at Leith Links. In the same year they drafted the first 13 rules of golf to compete for a silver golf club, presented by the City of Edinburgh, over Leith Links.