Est. 15th century — first written rules 1744 · Scotland
Five centuries of chasing a small ball across Scottish links
Where it began
Golf grew up on the sandy linksland of Scotland's east coast, popular enough by 1457 that King James II banned it for distracting men from archery practice. The first written rules — thirteen of them — were drawn up by the Gentlemen Golfers of Leith in 1744 for a competition at Leith Links. The Society of St Andrews Golfers, later the Royal and Ancient, followed a decade later and became the game's lawmaker.
From the margins
Golf is one of only two sports ever played on the Moon — Alan Shepard hit two balls with a smuggled six-iron head during Apollo 14 in 1971.
The rules, rewritten
1744
Thirteen articles
The Gentlemen Golfers of Leith wrote the first known rules of golf, including the enduring principle of playing the ball as it lies.
1764
Eighteen holes
St Andrews reduced its course from 22 holes to 18, and its layout gradually became the standard round of golf everywhere.
1897
The R&A takes charge
The Royal and Ancient Golf Club formed a Rules of Golf Committee, becoming the recognized rules authority for golf outside the United States and Mexico.
1952
One worldwide code
The R&A and the USGA issued a unified code of rules for the first time, ending decades of transatlantic differences such as the stymie, which was abolished.
1990
One ball for the world
The R&A adopted the larger 1.68-inch American ball specification, finally ending the era of the smaller 'British ball'.
2019
The modern simplification
The biggest rules overhaul in generations: drops from knee height, putting with the flagstick in, fixed drop areas for penalties, and a 3-minute (down from 5) ball search — all aimed at pace of play.
Current edition
Golf counts tens of millions of players worldwide, with major professional tours across the United States, Europe, and Asia and four men's majors dating back to 1860. It returned to the Olympics in 2016 after a 112-year absence.
The objective
Complete the course using the fewest total strokes.
Rules as played today
One game, many houses
The original form of golf, decided hole by hole rather than by total strokes.
also known as Medal play
The counting-every-shot format used by nearly all professional tournaments.
The team format that dominates charity and social golf.
A points-based system that rewards aggression and forgives blow-up holes.
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