The Evolution of Golf .. The Concise Version!

Golf was first thought to be played around the Edinburgh region in Scotland in the 15th century. The not so simple act of hitting the ball with the club towards a hole hasn’t changed much at all over the past 500 years! The clubs used to be hand made with simple materials such as wood, leather and feathers and now computer designed and utilising far more advanced technology and materials such as titanium and zirconia.

The largest evolution of the game has been to the rules and playing field, and the technology of the club and balls. New club styles have tended to follow innovations in ball design. The biggest change to the golf club was around 1910 when the smooth face on the iron was replaced with the grooves design that is in place still today. The designers of this change found that the grooves increased the backspin of the ball, and therefore increasing the distance the ball would go when hit. The golf ball became modernised around 1905 which replaced the evolution of balls that were hairy, feathery, wooden, gutty and Haskell. The golf ball most certainly came before the golf club.

Regulations of golf advancements in equipment have been put into place to maintain the competitiveness of the older golf courses. If a Par 5 on a course can be reached in 2 shots by the average golfer, then a rule is imposed to the golf designer to reduce this likelihood. For example, the width and depth of the iron face grooves.

Regardless if you play once a year, or every week, golf is a fantastic sport that requires a wide range of skills and biomechanics. It’s a sport that is inclusive, and can be engaged for a variety of reasons – whether it’s a family day out, corporate team building, or a school excursion, it’s a fit for everybody and anybody and any fitness level.