Origin and Development of Golf - Essay Example

? Number] Origin and Development of Golf Table of Contents Introduction 2. The beginning of golf 3. Development and emergence of some great players 4. Golf at the time of the great wars 5. Global widespread of golf 6. Golf from 1961 till date 7. Conclusion Introduction: The origin of golf is debatable but most of the recorded history shows evidence that modern golf was originated in Scotland. However, every civilisation has had a history of playing with a ball and club. Golf was played in various different game forms since the middle ages in Europe. As far as the game is concerned, it was played over centuries but the different ways and forms of the games changed as different rules were applied widely. This means that the game which included knocking a ball to and from a designated place was common since the fifteenth century. The exact answer to the question that when did golf originate is unanswerable, but history clarifies that it had several forms by the 15th century and was known as ‘kolf’ in the Netherlands, and ‘goff’ in England. In Scotland, the game was known as ‘gowf’ and it is evident that in Scotland, this game has been nurtured since the last five hundred years. The game was born in eastern Scotland and it is from this place that it has raised to one of the greatest games played by millions and loved by many all over the world (McGrath 76) The beginning of golf: During the 1750 and 1850, golf gained popularity and many of the leading players of all time belong to this period. Many of the golf clubs were founded in this period and the great ball and club makers emerged producing skilled craftsmen providing golf equipment worldwide. Golf had also become common among the players who met regularly and played matches. Allan Robertson, who is known to be the first golf professional, played in this period and played the great match in 1843 with Willie Dunn. Robertson’s family itself proved to reflect this game and its emergence as his grandfather was a golf player, and other members of the family were ball makers. Golf had started being recognized and identified by the 17th century, but its development and adolescence took place between the 1850 and 1890. There were three significant events of this period that occurred in St Andrews. These events turned this game into a global game. The first event was the discovery of ‘gutta percha’ based ball, also known as ‘gutty’ in 1848 by James Patterson (Beard 42). The new ball’s durability led to the development of clubs that were iron-faced, hence the evolution process continued. The second event was when the railway came to the town of St Andrews; it served much to the golf game as well. People could travel to play throughout the year and not just in spring or autumn. Development and emergence of some great players: In 1851, Tom Morris was born who was one of the greatest golf players ever. Every golf player to hit a golf ball till date remembers Tom Morris, and every administrator remembers when Tom Morris went to Prestwick to launch the first ever purpose built golf course in Monkton parish. The first Open Championship of golf was held in Prestwick. There were eight leading professionals who took part and Willie Park was the winner and received a red Morocco belt of leather with silver clasps as a prize. This championship continued for 11 years at Prestwick. The period from 1890 to 1914 has been an important period for this game as players such as Harry Vardon, John Henry Taylor, and James Braid were in this era. These players are known as the great triumvirate as they collected 16 championships and left a bright impression on the golf game. Vardon and Taylor had contributed to the widespread of the game in the beginning of the 19th century. They were established players and joined James Braid in the Open Championships. They excluded the Scot players from the games during that period. John Henry Taylor won in England at St George’s and Harry Vardon won against Taylor in 1896 and made a record. James Braid joined as a dominant force of the game in 1901 by winning the Open Championship (Mallon 98). At this time, golf was emerging in the USA rapidly and Vardon won the Championship in US during the American tour. In America, he played about 80 matches and won 70 from them. The Open Championships in America were started as a trickle of the Scot players to US. The early Champions in US were the Scot players who mentored and taught players who could carry forward the game. Willie Anderson from Scotland won the US championship four times, and made a sustained record of winning three times in a row in 1903, 1904, and 1905. Golf at the time of the great wars: After this was the period when the great wars took place during 1920 and 1939. During the First World War, the Scottish golf was decimated. There were many players who were killed during the attacks on villages in France. Memorials are made for rising stars that played their last matches in Flanders. Many players managed to survive but the terror destroyed their game. There were very few players who were unharmed by the attacks but the consequences allowed them to take decisions of playing in America. An exception was George Duncan who was born in Aberdeen and served as a carpenter. He rejected the offer for professional football and became a professional at Stonehaven. He won the Open Championship post war in 1920 at Deal. Scottish players were challenged by the Americans who returned after the war to assault the Open Championships. These players came with a transformation in the game and brought a lifestyle and flair which induced disquiet in home based players. Donald Ross and Alistair Mackenzie were two players who played in America and left a great mark as course architects. From Scotland, Ben Sayers, Tommy, Armour, the Smiths, the Simpsons, and many others belonging to St Andrews made impressions in America (Kirsch 60). Jock Hutchison was the last player born in St Andrews to win the championship, and Paul Lawrie was the last Scot who won at Carnoustie. After Jock, the Americans dominated the Open Championships. Walter Hagen was the first who won the Open title at St George in 1922. Other American players to win the championships were Jim Barnes, Gene Sarazen, Bobby Jones, and others. Sarazen was 20 years old who won the US Open Championship and got into a play off with Hagen. Walter won four PGA Championships consecutively from 1924 to 1927. On the other hand, Jones won four US Open Championships. In 1927, the Ryder Cup was introduced the first time in United States; it was captained by Hagen who defeated counterparts from Ireland and Great Britain. Global widespread of golf: The war years were very bad for the golf game as the First World War destroyed Scottish golf, and the Second World War gutted it. The First World War took away many great players while the second took away the golf courses. However, the period from 1946 to 1960 was the emergence of this global game. In Scotland during the war period, golf was not suspended but it was extinguished. This was the time when golf emerged in America and remained eminent post-war as well. In Europe, during and after the wars, the economic and social upheaval caused the golf to be interrupted and threatened. This was the time when America prepared for the golfing hostilities and resumed better play. Statistically, the number of players in America playing golf increased dramatically than in Europe. Hence, following the war years, American golf gained prominence. The domination of US on the Open Championship was however not retained in the post war era as it was in the pre war era of Jones and Hagan. Critiques have argued that Americans did not play well because that would result in loss of earning at home. However, history records an entirely different story. Sam Snead was the first winner of the post-war championships in 1946 at St Andrews. Ben Hogan won in 1953 when he visited Carnoustie, and every other figure in golf gained less success. Winning players from Europe in the post-war era were Cotton, Faulker, Burton, and Daly (Wible 114). Colonials had caused the most damage to the Open Championships. Peter Thomson was an Australian and Bobby Locke was a South African Irishman who were taking the golfing world to a new level. They played the best golf in this period as Locke was victorious in 1947 and 1952. Thomson won in 1954 to 1956, 1958, and 1965. Thomson was so good that he never finished a game lower then second from 1952 to 1958. In US, their achievements gained less notice but they were however significant. Both the players imagined their spiritual home as Scotland and played their best golf there. Locke was a regular visitor for all his life while Thomson lives in St Andrews now. Golf from 1961 till date: After this period, comes the period from 1961 till date when golf has emerged as a truly global game. The Scottish Gold was a major beginner for the golf game but eventually it fell short when golf became increasingly popular worldwide. There are some true players from Japan and Taiwan that have threatened the major winners. Swedes are also emerging as professional and tough players throughout Europe and Spain has some great talent too. American Golf is now mature with reprisal of Arnold Palmer who played golf as it should have been played; with a swashbuckling style and verve. Palmer was greatly appreciated in America and has been the lord of the links that he surveyed. Tip Anderson was the caddie of Palmer and in Palmer’s absence, Anderson carried Tony Lema’s bad in 1964. Americans were not experts in their styles and shots. Scottish players were interrupted once again during this time but the reason for this was statistical. The game had already received global recognition and identification and the number of players playing in developed countries simply outnumbered the players playing in Scotland. It is also true that the game had changed as it developed and became more popular. There were new styles and rules as per the part of the world (Hellman 165). New golf courses were built worldwide. Robert Trent Jones led the American architects and built courses which were long and difficult. The game had reached a maturity, developed, and professional level. The greens were holding and soft compared to the link’s hard running greens. Grassy courses resulted in another problem that the ball contacted with the grass and this required a different type of club contact. During this time, for these courses the Americans also adopted the big ball which required greater control and a different type of strike. There were great exponents of golf in US and the tour became a multimillion dollar business with mediocre players earning millions of dollars through tournaments as well as commercial endorsements. Tip Anderson gained a celebrity status as he appeared in a commercial with Palmer in the US. Through commercials and television exposure, many players started getting the celebrity status and their talent started to become famous and known. The players started to earn greatly from their games as they had become celebrities and games and championships were highly sponsored. The European Tour was also founded and the Ryder Cup was now open for European players. This is how sponsorship grew in Europe and the golf market eventually blossomed in a money market in contrast to the US market. Every star had to have a charisma of Nicklaus or Palmer, and with that stars were born every day. In 1979, Seve was the first Spaniard won the Open Championship when Nicklaus came second for the record seventh time. Seve had been internationally recognized and praised. Seve Ballesteros became the youngest champion at 23 years old and the first European to be victorious of the Masters in 1980s. Nicklaus was also continuing with his career side by side and was popularly known. In his career, he won the fifth double major year, fourth US Open Championship, and fifth PGA Championships. In 1983, Seve already won the second Masters title and also won the Open Championship in the same year. He beat Tom Watson and Bernhard Langer in the Open who were trying to break the record of Vardon of winning six consecutive championships (Seltzer 84). Lee Trevino won the PGA Championship for the second time in US in 1984. This was surprising as only eight years ago he had been seriously injured by being struck by a bolt. Bernhard Langer from Germany beat him in Masters and turned the tables. This was Langer’s revenge for the defeat in the Opens a year earlier. The first European victory in Ryder Cup took place in 1985, and after two years the US faced defeat on their home soil. In 1986, the Masters was the most thrilling. He won the sixth Masters title only at the age of 46. This was his 21st big victory in his entirely successful and unparallel career. Till this time, the Scottish golf had lost its glory but it returned briefly in 1985 with Sandy Lyle. Lyle won the Open Championship at St George and in 1988, he won the Masters title. Ballesteros won the third Open of his career but the world domination in golf continued to be Nick Faldo as he had started winning in 1987, the title at Muirfield where he shot par on every hole during his final round. After two years, Faldo amazingly shot a closing 65 and forced a playoff at Masters with Scott Hoch. He won the title on his second extra hole. In 1990, Faldo was at the peak of his successful career. In 1990, Faldo had become the second player ever, after Nicklaus, to be able to defend his own Masters title. After a few months, Faldo marked the history with his most devastating golf performance ever by winning the second Open Championship at St Andrews. Two years later, he again won the third Open Championship at Muirfield. Greg Normal was another perfect player in this time who won his second Open Championship in 1993 in St George. He won with a two stroke victory against Faldo, and this match was known as the greatest of all championships till date. In these years, other major players and champions were Olazabal, Stewart, O’ Meara, and Lawrie. These are names of some great players whose names are marked in the golf game forever (Seltzer 87). Conclusion: However, until 1994, there was no player who could match up with the past legends who had marked their positions in the world of golf. But in 1994, a man came up and marked a new legacy, Tiger Woods who won the Amateur Championship in US and continued to win it in the next year too. He grew to become one of the best players of golf till date and match with legends. He was the youngest champion ever in recorded history to win the Masters title and climaxed his six out of six wins in 2000. Tiger and his greatness has been questioned by some critiques who say that he has a long way to go to reach the levels of Nicklaus and Palmer, yet there are many who disagree with this and declare him the greatest of all time. Golf was initially a Scottish game but it has come a long way and ended on the name of Tiger Woods. Work Cited Beard Henry. Golf: An Unofficial and Unauthorized History of the World’s Most Preposterous Sport. USA: Simon and Schuster, 2009 Hellman Charles. Golf. USA: LuckySports, 2005 Kirsch George. Golf in America. USA: University of Illinois Press, 2009 Mallon B. Historical Dictionary of Golf. USA: Scarecrow Press, 2011 McGrath Charles. The Ultimate Golf Book: A History and a Celebration of the World’s Greatest Game. USA: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2006 Seltzer Leon. Golf: The Science and the Art. USA: Tate Publishing, 2007 Wible Andy. Golf and Philosophy: Lessons from the Links. USA: University Press of Kentucky, 2010 Read More