St
Andrews - The Old Course
There
is little doubt that Golf originated on the east coast of Scotland,
sometime in the Middle Ages, and spread from there to the rest of
the world. In 1754, 22 nobles from Fife founded the Society of St
Andrews Golfers. In 1834 the club gained the patronage of King William
IV and the title of "Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews".
The Open was first held in St Andrews in 1873, and 2000 saw the
Championship return for a record twenty sixth time. King James II
of Scotland banned golf in 1457 as it was interfering with archery
practice, this is the first written record of golf.
St
Andrews "Home of Golf" Is home to the British Golf Museum, dedicated
to the game's 600 year history. St Andrews welcomes visiting golfers
from all over the world. Green fees are very reasonable. A trip
to St Andrews is a golfing experience must for all golfers. The
town has nearly been completely taken over by golf and offers the
golfers every possible amenity. Whisky.com offers
St Andrews tour packages.
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Rules
of Golf 1744
Here
are the original rules of Golf, as written by the Honorable Company
of Edinburgh Golfers in 1744.
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You
must tee your ball within a club's length of the hole.
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Your
tee must be on the ground.
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You
are not to change the ball which you strike off the tee.
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You
are not to remove stones, bones or any break club for the sake
of playing your ball, except upon the fair green, and that only
within a club's length of the ball.
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If
your ball comes among watter, or any wattery filth, you are at
liberty to take out your ball and bringing it behind the hazard
and teeing it, you may play it with any club and allow your adversary
a stroke for so getting out your ball.
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If
your balls be found anywhere touching one another you are to lift
the first ball till you play the last.
At
holling you are to play your ball honestly at the hole, and not
to play upon your adversary's ball, not lying in your way to the
hole.
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If
you should lose your ball, by its being taken up, or any other
way, you are to go back to the spot where you struck last and
drop another ball and allow your adversary a stroke for the misfortune.
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No
man at holling his ball is to be allowed to mark his way to the
hole with his club or anything else.
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If
a ball be stopp'd by any person, horse, dog, or any thing else,
the ball so stopp'd must be played where it lyes.
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If
you draw your club in order to strike and proceed so far in the
stroke as to be bringing down your club, if then your club should
break in any way, it is to be accounted a stroke.
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He
whose ball lyes farthest from the hole is obliged to play first.
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Neither
trench, ditch, or dyke made for the preservation of the links,
nor the Scholar's Holes or the soldier's lines shall be accounted
a hazard but the ball is to be taken out, teed and play'd with
any iron club.
NOTE
: The "Scholar's Holes and "Soldier's Lines" were seemingly
hazards relating to the links course at Leith, but were included with
St Andrews rules.
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