The Original Rules of Golf - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1851243429 ISBN 13: 9781851243426

Publisher: Bodleian Library, University of Oxford, 2009

Synopsis

More than 25 million people in the United States alone play golf each year. A game born on the stark, wind-swept landscape of Scotland in the fifteenth century, golf has grown over the centuries into a global phenomenon. It is a sport not only enjoyed by professionals and the spectators of international tournaments, but one enthusiastically enjoyed by amateurs everywhere who socialize with friends and colleagues on their local courses. Yet despite golf’s widespread popularity, few of us truly know its rules, which have grown more complicated and confounding as the game has grown in popularity. Extremely simple by comparison, the very first rules of the game are presented here in a charming, collectible format.

The first known rules of golf were drawn up in 1744 in Edinburgh for the world’s first open golf competition, hosted by the Gentleman Golfers of Edinburgh, who later became the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers. Local golf clubs then adapted the Edinburgh rules for their own use—until 1897 when the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews assumed oversight of the rules, and published the first national set of golf rules. The original Edinburgh and St. Andrews rules are both reprinted here alongside delightful images of the game throughout the centuries. In addition, well-known golf writer Dale Concannon provides a thorough introduction that examines the history of the rules of golf from their first codification in Edinburgh to the present day.

A must-have for anyone who delights in the spirit of the game, The Original Rules of Golf will find fans among golfers and armchair spectators everywhere.

About this title

About the Author:

Dale Concannon is a golf historian and author of numerous books on the game including his Sunday Times bestselling book, Driven: The Definitive Biography of Nick Faldo.

Review:

"An ideal mid-summer afternoon escape. . . . If you want an interesting read with proof that good things come in small packages then The Original Rules of Golf is a must get. Appreciating where we're at is many times just a matter of knowing where we came from." (Average Golfer blog)

About this edition

• Publisher: Bodleian Library, University of Oxford
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 1851243429
• ISBN 13: 9781851243426
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 64
• Editor: Bodleian Library