Golf as we know it originated in Scotland during the 1400s. The game was probably based on a Dutch game of stick and ball which somewhat resembles hockey. The biggest difference between the Dutch game and the Scottish game of golf was that golf is played on land rather than on ice. There is ample evidence that the balls the Scots used in their rounds of golf came from trade with the Dutch.
One of the most interesting facts about golf is that the game was banned in the mid to late 1400s by the Scottish king and parliament. Servicemen and officers spent more time playing golf than practicing archery. To encourage his men to spend more time training, golf and football were both considered illegal sports. There are certainly many companies and executives who wish they could ban golf to keep employees in the office and off the golf course.
As with other sports, only men played golf early on. However, golf seemed to become a gentleman's sport when it moved from Scotland to England. There, nobles and kings often played golf from around 1600. During the games, politics, laws and other important matters would be discussed.
This is still true today. Companies are being merged, not in the boardrooms, but on the golf course. Politicians are made and broken, campaign funds are generated, and deals are struck. For most politicians and executives, the golf course has become the ideal meeting place to determine the future of disappearing businesses, people and ideas. Many significant events happened or were discussed on golf courses, including news of the Irish Rebellion at the end of the 16th century.
Although more women are playing golf today, the fact remains that the game is first and foremost a gentleman's game. The popularity of golf as a sport in high schools and colleges has grown over the past few years. This is due to the fact that many realize the need to learn the sport for their future career. Doctors, politicians, lawyers, executives and financial managers must know how to play golf to meet and win certain clients.
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