When did Golf Become Popular

Origins in Scotland

The modern game of golf is widely believed to have originated in Scotland in the 15th century. The oldest known record that refers to golf is the purchase of a club and ball for King James IV in 1502. However, there are reports of games similar to golf being played even earlier, potentially as far back as 100 years before this in Scotland.

In these early days, golf was played on linksland along Scotland’s east coast. The natural sand dunes and undulating terrain provided challenges for getting the ball into a designated hole. The Old Course at St Andrews, which dates back to the 16th century, is considered the oldest golf course still in use today.

At first, golf was mainly played by wealthy noblemen. King James IV, Mary Queen of Scots, and Charles I were all known to be keen golfers. But during the 16th century, golf started to become popular among the middle classes as well.

Golf Spreads Beyond Scotland

During the 17th century, golf began to spread across the United Kingdom and beyond. Scottish soldiers took the game to British colonies, introducing golf to locales as far away as India and America.

The first golf club based outside Scotland was the Royal Blackheath Golf Club in England, established in 1766. Golf also gained a foothold elsewhere in the British Isles, including Ireland, Wales, and England. The Royal Liverpool Golf Club, founded in 1869, is the oldest golf club in England outside of Scotland.

By the late 19th century, golf had caught on in North America. The first golf club in the United States was St. Andrew’s Golf Club, set up in Yonkers, New York in 1888. And Canada’s first golf club, Royal Montreal, was established in 1873.

Growing Interest in Competitive Golf

As golf grew in popularity, interest developed in formal competitions and tournaments. One of golf’s four major championships, The Open Championship, was first played in 1860 at the Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland.

Golf was included in the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, France, with medals awarded for individual and team events. However, the growth of golf later on was limited by its exclusion from the Olympics between 1904 and 2016.

On a national scale, the U.S. Amateur Championship and U.S. Open were both inaugurated in 1895. And the PGA Championship and Masters Tournament were established in the early 20th century, rounding out golf’s major championships.

Country-level golf associations and clubs were also formed during this period. The Ladies Golf Union, established in 1893, was the first organization set up specifically for female golfers. And Scotland founded its national association, the Scottish Golf Union, in 1920.

Golf Joins the Ranks of Major Sports

In the early 20th century, golf cemented its status as a major sport alongside pursuits like football and baseball.

Top golfers during this era like Bobby Jones, Walter Hagen, and Gene Sarazen captivated the public and expanded golf’s fanbase. Increased media coverage of golf further boosted its visibility and popularity.

Augusta National Golf Club, home of the Masters Tournament, opened in 1933 and regularly drew large crowds of spectators. And innovators like Hagen helped transform professional golf into a more lucrative career.

More public golf courses were built, enabling middle-class enthusiasm for golf to grow. Private country clubs also proliferated and became important hubs for golf and social activity among wealthier communities.

By the 1940s, household names like Ben Hogan and Sam Snead were cementing golf’s position as one of the preeminent American sports. A famous match between Snead and Hogan in 1946 drew over 20,000 fans.

Television Propels Golf’s Popularity

The advent of television coverage radically accelerated golf’s growth in the 1950s and ’60s. Seminal events like Ben Hogan’s U.S. Open win in 1950 were broadcast live on TV across the nation for the first time.

Top players became bonafide celebrities who transcended the sport, like Arnold Palmer, whose charisma and success drew legions of fans. Golf greats such as Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player also came to prominence during this era.

Seeing golf on TV made the sport more appealing and accessible to wider audiences. At the same time, higher wages on the professional circuit attracted more top talent. The PGA Tour, established in 1968, further organized the professional game.

Golf course construction boomed to meet the demand from recreational golfers looking to emulate the pros. The number of U.S. golfers jumped from 4 million in the early 1950s to over 10 million by the late 1960s.

Tiger Woods Sparks Another Golf Boom

By the 1990s, golf’s growth had stagnated. But the emergence of superstar Tiger Woods in the late 1990s set off another golf boom.

Woods brought increased diversity to the historically white, male-dominated sport, along with unmatched skill and dominance. His chipping-in win at the 1999 PGA Championship, for instance, was watched by over 20 million American viewers.

Thanks largely to Woods’ singular popularity, television ratings, youth participation, and equipment sales spiked to all-time highs in the early 2000s. Nike’s golf equipment business grew nearly 500% after signing Woods in 1996.

With golf back in the mainstream spotlight, course development again took off. Between 1990 and 2004, over 4,000 new golf facilities opened in the U.S. alone. Woods still draws huge galleries and viewership whenever he tees it up on the PGA Tour.

Recent Trends and Golf Today

After the 2008 recession, the rapid growth of golf began to taper off. Financial pressures forced some courses to close, especially in America, while participation rates flattened out.

However, golf remains very popular worldwide today. There are over 33,000 golf facilities globally, according to a 2019 report, with around 2,300 in the United Kingdom and over 15,000 in the United States.

Other talented young stars like Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth and Brooks Koepka have emerged in the post-Woods era to continue drawing new fans. Participation among minorities and women has also risen compared to the 20th century.

And major events like the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup continue to attract huge audiences on TV and in person. Golf rejoining the Olympics in 2016 also gave the sport a boost in visibility.

So from its humble beginnings roaming the linksland of Scotland centuries ago, golf has gradually attained mainstream status and popularity across the globe today. Key milestones like broadcast golf, celebrity players, and major events have all contributed to its rise from niche pastime to global sport. And golf’s evolution is likely to continue shaping its growth for generations to come.

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