Early Golf In Scotland – Golf, as we all know it today is thought to have an originated in Scotland. A 1457 Act of the Scottish Parliament, is the first official document to mention golf in Scotland. This was an edict issued by the king that prohibited playing golf because it was a distraction from archery practice for the military. Similar bans were issued in 1471 and 1491, and yet, when King James IV of Scotland visited Perth in 1502, he is said to have been given golf balls and clubs. Mary, Queen of Scots, was even accused of playing golf instead of mourning after her husband was murdered in 1567. And in 1592, an Edinburgh edict listed golf as a pursuit that should not be engaged in on the Sabbath.
An account book from 1672 documents a game of golf at Musselburgh Links, which may be the oldest golf course in the world.
King James VII, then the Duke of Albany, is recorded to have played the first international golf contest, which took place in 1681 against two English courtiers.
The History of Golf: Early golf involved hitting a pebble across sand dunes.
The Roots and History of Golf: The golf played centuries ago was not the same as modern golf, but it was similar.