Lore of the links: the history and humor of the world of golf - Brief Article

Golf is a sport whose origin cannot be pinpointed with certainty. It has been suggested that golf was first played by a shepherd who spent his idle time hitting a stone with his upturned crook. Another contender is a Dutch game called "kolf," which was played around 1300. This pastime is described as "a game played with an iron-headed stick [hitting a] hall towards a target, [such as] a door or tree."

During the same time frame, the English amused themselves with a game called "cambuta," which was played by hitting a ball with a crooked stick. "Chole," a similar game, is rumored to have been played in France at least 100 years before golf appeared in Scotland.

However, most authorities claim golf was first played in Scotland. In 1457, "golfe" was ruled illegal by the Scottish Parliament. The game was considered dangerous since it "use[d] up leisure time." War was on the horizon and men, between the ages of 12 and 50, had to practice archery in the interest of national security. Golf, as we know it today, was born on May 14, 1754, when the Society of St. Andrews (now the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews) was founded by a group of 22 golfers. St. Andrews, Kingdom of Fife, Scotland, is known as the "Cradle of Golf."

Golf was most likely brought to the United States by British soldiers before the American Revolution. The oldest golf club in the United States is the St. Andrews Club, developed by Fife immigrant, John Reid, who designed a three-hole course in his cow pasture. In 1779, the first golf game was played in New York.

Here are some of odd facts and happenings from golf's divot-riddled history.

* The word "fore" is believed to derive from the military command "Beware before!"--which was used in the 16th century to warn soldiers to fall to the ground and enable friendly gunfire to pass over them.

* Though the term "links" is used to designate an area in which golf is played, a links is also a seaside golf course. The British Open is held only on links.

* Early golf balls included a "feathery" (made of leather casing and stuffed with feathers) and the "gutty" (made of a brownish-red gummy substance called gutta-percha). When players discovered the gutty had a better trajectory after it became damaged, manufacturers began applying "damage marks" to new balls.

* The world's longest hole is the par 7, 6th hole at Koolan Island Golf Club in Western Australia. This hole is 860 yards long and part of the airstrip of an airport--aircrafts and vehicles have the right-of-way at all times. The shortest hole in championship golf in the United States is the 7th hole at Pebble Beach, California--it's 100 yards long.

* The highest course in the world is 14,335 feet above sea level at the Tuctu Golf Club, in Morococha, Peru. The lowest is 220 feet below sea level at Furnace Creek, in Death Valley, California. The longest course used for a championship is Carnoustie, which was extended to 7,252 yards for the 1968 British Open. However, the longest "unofficial" course played is the entire United States. Floyd Satterlee Rood played coast-to-coast, west to east, September 14th, 1963 through October 3rd, 1964.

* The National Golf Foundation estimates more than 22 million people compete annually in the United States. An estimated 300 million golf balls are sold worldwide each year, with Americans buying an average of 486,575 a day.

* During the early days of radio in the United States, Dixmoor (a leading golf club) installed speakers around the course so members could listen to church services while playing their Sunday morning round.

* One of the driving forces behind Daylight Savings was businessman William Willett, who would thus have more daylight hours to pursue his golfing passion.

* Danger accompanies this seemingly safe sport. Lightning kills approximately 100 people in this country annually. Unfortunately, 20 percent of these victims are golfers, nearly half of whom are on the course during a violent thunderstorm and either too stubborn or uneducated to seek proper shelter. In the worst golf tragedy on record, three players were killed by lightning in Scranton, Pennsylvania, in 1957. During the 1975 Western Open, three golfers survived after being struck by lightning. Lee Trevino, one of the survivors, later quipped, "Now when I hear thunder, I let God play through." The four states listed as most dangerous are, in order: Florida, North Carolina, Texas and New York.

* Animals sometimes become involved in the game. In Winnipeg, Canada, about 250 golf balls were found in a gopher's nest. A herd of young bullocks (cousins to the red deer) grazed in a pasture adjoining the Headingly golf club. When one of the bullocks became ill and had to be put away, 56 golf balls were found in its stomach.

Golf has undergone revolutionary changes since John Reid putted his first ball in 1779. A game that was once reserved for the wealthy and famous has become the common man's passion. Following the formation of the LPGA, women began invading the courses. The most recent surge has brought teenagers and minorities into play. Golf is for everyone--we can all partake of this game and the inherent frustration of trying to putt the small ball into the seemingly smaller hole.