The game of golf is one of the oldest of today’s modern sports. Its exact beginnings are not known; however, some historians trace golf back to the Stone Age while others claim it originated from the “idle antics of shepherd boys knocking small stones into holes in the ground with a crook while their flocks grazed nearby” (Peper 1). Researched back to the time of the Roman Empire, it is also believed the sports-oriented Romans played a forerunner of the game of golf called paganica. This sport involved the use of a bent stick and a ball stuffed with wool played in the open countryside.
Golf comes to the United Sates
The legendary beginnings of golf in the United States can be traced back to the mid-1600s. One of the first published references to golf in America was in 1659 referring to the ban on golf in the streets of Albany, New York. The next substantial reference to the game comes from Charleston, North Carolina in 1786. At that time, a local Charleston newspaper ran a story about the formation of the Harleston Green Golf Club. The Harleston Green remained in operation for approximately twenty-five years, closing about the time of the War of 1812. Around the same time period, approximately1795, another golf club opened in Savannah, Georgia. References to this golf club continued until 1811 again apparently closing just before the beginning of the war. The War of 1812 served to destroy the desire to play golf. It wasn’t until the late 1870s, well after the Civil War ended, that there was a resurgence of golf in the United States.
Golf fever springs up throughout the United States
Charles Macdonald was an early founder of American golf. He recalled playing golf in the Chicago area as early as 1875. Another promoter of golf, a young man named Andrew Bell from Burlington, Iowa, was initially exposed to golf when he went to Scotland to attend the University of Edinburgh. Upon his return to the United States in 1883, he laid out four informal golf holes on the family farm and played a few rounds with his friends. In 1884 Colonel Hamilton Gillispie, a former Scotsman who went into the lumber business in Florida, was known to hit golf balls in a field that is now the main street of Sarasota (History of Golf 7). Also in 1884, the Oakhurst Golf Club was formed in North Carolina now famous for it’s first hole from the Club’s Homestead course, celebrated to...
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...ip. Today, the USGA membership exceeds 5,500 clubs throughout the United States. Golf, being one of the oldest of today’s modern sports, thrives in popularity continuing to entice young and old, male and female, rich and poor players.
Works Cited
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Golf Magazine’s Encyclopedia of Golf. The Editors of Golf Magazine. New York, NY: Harper-Collins 1993.
Doyle, Kathleen. “In John Reid’s Cow Pasture.” Sports in America.
Sept. 1988: 34-38.
Peper, George. “The Father of American Golf.” Golf Magazine.
Dec. 1995. 118.
Peper, George. “Birth of the USGA.” Golf Magazine.
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Hannigan, Frank. “The History of the game of Golf.” Golf Digest Magazine.
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Fields, Bill. “Changing the course of history.” Golf Digest Magazine.
Sept. 1999. 17.
McCord, Robert, R. Golf: an album of its history. Short Hills, NJ:
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To start off, Now, we come to the tee-box where we put our stretching and breathing into effect creating the positive mentality, followed by a few quick practice swings. You then tee-up the ball, making sure the ball is lined up with the center of the face of the club. Then, you line up your shot and swing away, sending the ball flying down the middle of the fairway, creating a sense of euphoria. Next, we approach our second shot, making sure to choose the correct club according to the distance from the green. Once again, you line up your shot and swing, letting the ball coast and land on the green, as close to the hole as you possibly could. Now, comes the trickiest part which is reading the green. You grab your putter, then step back and squat, all the time trying to visualize the ball path. You, determine then were you should line up your putt depending on the break which is in the ball path. You step up to the ball, line up your putt, and swing your arms like a clock pendulum. The ball sinks into the hole sending you into a jumping fit of excitement. Thus, neatly showing how you can successfully play a hole of
Kostis, P., & Midland, G. (2006). The Secret of The New X-Factor. Golf.com. Retrieved January 25, 2014, from http://www.golf.com/instruction/secret-new-x-factor
The Dayton Country Club was established in 1897 as the Dayton Golf Club. It is the reported as the oldest continuously operating club west of the Alleghenies. The clubhouse is said to be the “poshest” buildings among all the clubs in Dayton after 1929 when it was rebuilt. In that year, the Dayton Country Clubhouse was greatly damaged by a fire after the boiler in the building overheated. The golf course was the first one designed by Donald Ross in Dayton, Ohio. In 1948, the course was remodeled by William Diddel of Indianapoli...
“Given the year we just experienced in golf, it would be phenomenal if we see anything in 2001 that will even remotely compare. We witnessed an incredible season by the game’s most dominant player-in this era or any other. We saw how fans and players alike could respect the game in an international competition. And, we have seen the game’s visibility skyrocket” (Strange 20).
In 1982, Ely Reeves Callaway had bought his small wedge and putter golf business and called it Hickory Stick USA and created clubs that were enjoyable for the average golfer. He called these clubs the Demonstrably Superior and Pleasingly Different (DSPD) clubs. This was a code he had always lived by. The family of Ely Callaway are not involved with the company today because he was told to choose his successor, and had chose Ron Draqpeau. He is a man who only shared the same vision and thought of golf, but also had the skills as a leader to continue his wonderful golf company. The goal was to make a good product and tell the truth about the game. In those days Ely would provide them to his customers personally in the back of his Cadillac. He made sales calls and talked to pros, amateurs, and those who came to be known as an average golfer. Finally, Hickory Stick USA came to be knows as Callaway Hickory Stick U.S.A, and not too long after that, Callaway Golf.
Golf is the ultimate battle between man and nature. It is a beautiful sport in which dreams come true and hearts are broken. Man is challenged on every stroke by nature’s elements. Wind and rain are only a few of the conditions that affect this great game. Undulating hills, sand bunkers, thick rough, and even creeks and ponds come into play on most golf courses. These features are fierce at Augusta National Golf Course. Located along the fall line, the natural beauty of the region is the perfect complement to this championship golf course. Every spring when the flowers are in full bloom, Augusta plays host to The Masters Championship and is transformed into the Mecca of Golf.
Baseball developed before the Civil War but did not achieve professional status until the 1870s (The Baseball Glove, 2004). In 1871 the National Association of Professional Baseball Players was formed. Unfortunately the organization ran into financial hardships and was abandoned in 1875. The following year marked the formation of the National League of Professional Baseball Players, which was soon shortened to the National League (Ibid). In 1884 the rival American League was founded and th...
Contrary to what most think, an “Arnold Palmer” is not just a blend of tea and lemonade. One day, all might be able to swing a golf club like Arnold Palmer. Golf has been around since the thirteenth century and was introduced by the Scottish and Dutch. The main goal of golf is to reach the hole in the fewest amount of shots possible. One main difference between golf and many other sports is the lower the score the better. Regardless of the fact that the game was once banned, golf is now enjoyed by many (“The History of Golf”). Despite the images in common golf commercials, the golf swing is endlessly complicated.
In America, it all began in the industrial age, which brought long work weeks and boring jobs. The employees across the nation were in need of a break. Ever since the mid-nineteenth century, white American settlers began to participate in organized sports such as baseball, football, basketball, curling, and bowling. In as early as 1820, a game involving a bat, bases, and a ball was evolving in the
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Baseball was first introduced into the American culture, by English immigrants in the early 18th century, and its popularity slow grew. It wasn’t until the Civil War the popularity of the game spread, and both Union and Confederate soldiers played baseball during lulls in the fighting. After Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered to Gen. Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Courthouse, soldiers from both the Army of Northern Virginia (Confederate) and the Army of the Potomac (Union) played baseball. (Schackelford Jul 4, 2009) This was the beginning of the American people love of Baseball began. It was also the first mention of baseball being the national game. During the bloodiest war in our countries history Baseball was there to help the two sides heal. It was another fourteen years till 1879 when Football would be invented.
The Naperville Country Club has been designed as a modern golf club with a rich history. The course is designed
The sport of golf was created a long time ago but is not actually precisely dated for when the game was made. According to Jack Connelly, a retired teacher and golfer, reports that the game has been dated back to places like China and Scotland. There also is a wide year range for the time golf was created going all the way back to the 960’s to more exact years like 1457. The game of golf as we know it today was “born on May 14, 1754, when the Society of St. Andrews was founded by a group
“Golf is the fastest growing competitive sport in the United States today” (Fossum 87). This game is rapidly growing In the United States, but is also a very expensive game to play. Today, it is a $25 billion business in the United States. (Dobrian). Golf is a game of dedication and patience that has a very interesting history. There are three main parts when it comes to the history of golf and how it can about. The creator of golf along with its origin, the advancement in equipment over the years, and the first golfers and courses are all major things in the history of the game.
Gary Player, at the age of seventy-four, is the oldest professional golfer in history (“Gary Player”). Golf is a sport that many people play into the late years of their life. George Blanda was the oldest person to play professional football at 48 years of age (“10 Of...NFL History”). The difference between the oldest golfer and the oldest football player is due in part to the injuries and physicality of football. The physical demands, concepts, and playing fields of football and golf are uniquely different.