What is golf and where did it come from? We don’t usually think about that because we simply know that sport exists and that’s it. Golf is defined as a sport in which individuals or teams compete by driving a small ball into small holes with special and assorted golf clubs, attempting to cover the allotted distance in the fewest number of strokes.
No one in the world can now say when the game of golf first appeared. There is no specific information about the starting date of this game. Some speculate that its founders were medieval shepherds who, while grazing sheep, began to hit the stones with their staffs to pass the time.
Another theory holds that golf evolved from an ancient Flemish game called choice, which was already known in England by the middle of the XIV century. As shepherds have navigated their way back home today people navigate to www.NationalCasino.com to unwind and bet on golf competitions.
The most likely forerunner of golf was the Dutch game kolf, which was first mentioned at the end of the 13th century and is depicted in many Dutch landscapes from that period. "Golfers" used a stick and a ball to play on rough terrain, but they didn't aim at the hole, but at a specific mark. The majority of the time, this was on the doors of buildings.
However, it was in Scotland that the game took off. Platforms with ascents and descents became so popular that in 1457, James II banned golf and football in an act of parliament because they prevented archers from practicing.
Golf Course Development
Golf courses did not always have 18 holes. The St. Andrews Links field was located on a sliver of land along the seashore. The terrain determined the location of the holes on the field; eleven holes were ultimately planned. The player completed 22 holes by playing all of the holes at one end of the field, then turning around and playing them in the opposite direction.
In 1764, some of the holes were combined, reducing the total number from 11 to 9, for a total of 18 holes. Because this was the "birthplace of golf," the 18-hole course became the norm.
Equipment Development
The evolution of golf can be explained by the evolution of the equipment used in-game. The golf ball was the most affected by the most significant changes. It existed in various forms until 1930 when the United States Golf Association established weight and size standards. Their main point was that the ball's initial speed should not exceed 250 feet per second.
Another critical component is the growth of golf clubs. The first clubs were made of wood, which was abundant in the area. Because of its strength and hardness, hickory has become the standard material for the handle, and Virginia persimmon has become the standard material for the club hook.
Metal clubs first appeared in 1850, with the introduction of long-lasting gutta-percha balls. Steel clubs first appeared in the late 1890s, but they were not approved by the appropriate authorities for quite some time. Because of its strength and low weight, graphite was used for handles in the early 1970s. The first metal "wood" stick was developed in the early 1980s, and metal eventually replaced wood due to its strength and versatility.
Because of advancements in technology, the handle can now be made of graphite, and the hook can be made of light titanium, allowing the hook to be much larger than before. Because of the elasticity of the material, the high strength of these materials allows you to make the hook thinner, allowing you to increase the flight distance of the ball. To maintain interest in the game, the US Golf Association recently limited this effect by limiting the recovery rate.