Wednesday, September 3, 2008

ABC Wednesday: "G" is for Golf

Our ABC Wednesday this week is brought to us by the letter "G" - is for Golf.


The first game of golf for which records survive was played at Bruntsfield Links, in Edinburgh, Scotland, in A.D. 1456, recorded in the archives of the Edinburgh Burgess Golfing Society, now The Royal Burgess Golfing Society.

To put that into a bit of perspective, 1456 is a year before King Henry VII - the first Tudor king of England - was born. The English "War of the Roses" was in its infancy. Joan of Arc was burned at the stake 25 years prior. Ferdinand and Isabella wouldn't unite Spain for another 13 years.


But that year was just the first documented case of a round of golf. Other evidence suggests golf actually began in the 1100's - during the high Middle Ages and the century of the Crusades. Moral of the story? Golf is old. :)


While golf is most likely based on a Scottish word meaning "to hit or cuff" or a Dutch word meaning "bat or club", in reality, golf was used because all other four letter words were taken (and can be heard in abundance on most golf courses even today - "@#$& Clubs", "$@#* Ball", "#$%& Grass", etc.) ;-)

As the great golfer Ben Hogan once said, "All a golfer needs is more daylight." Amen.

So while it is dark (unless you have glow-in-the-dark golf balls or a lighted course - both of which exist!) head over to http://abcwednesdayround3.blogspot.com/ to visit all the other ABC Wednesday blogs until the sun comes up for more golf tomorrow. :)

11 comments:

Leslie: said...

GREAT post and the first I've seen so far about GOLF. My Dad was an avid golfer and I actually was on the greens at St. Andrews years ago. I don't play, although I do know the names of all the big guys on the tours. :D

photowannabe said...

Great history and information. Nice pictures to go with it.

mrsnesbitt said...

I have never played proper golf, it needs patience and more importantly skill! LOL! As ever your comment made me smile.

Thanks so much!
Dxx

gaz said...

first, woohoo!!
i enjoy a bit of golf... i'm pants at it, but i like it.

Rune Eide said...

I once read that Golf was originally called Gorf in Scots, but i don' quite trust the author (P.G.Wodehouse)

Kim from Hiraeth said...

That was a fun read! I looked at your categories and see that you have 12 golf posts; you must be an avid golfer! Have fun on the fairways and Greens!

Anonymous said...

my favorite kind of "G"

Reader Wil said...

Very informative post! BTW The Dutch word "golf"means wave. We know, however, the golfstick, but that word is derived from English, I suppose.

Neva said...

The first golf I have seen and I am surprised by that...although I am not sure why --even I didn't think of it and I was at a golf course on Sunday sheesh! Nice shot.
Mine is here.

Bear Naked said...

My husband loves your choice for ABC Wednesday-letter G.

signed-a Golf widow
Bear((( )))

Rinkly Rimes said...

I heard that the word GOLF stood for Gentlemen Allowed; Ladies Forbidden!!! Which wouldn't surprise me!

I also heard that the game started in prehistory when Scottish shepherds whiled away the time hitting rocks with sticks into rabbit holes!

Incidentally, I don't play.