Here are some souces that give an overview of Britain's golf history.
This image of antique golf equipment can be found at: http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/pic/SUN/2011~Antique-Golf-Clubs-Posters.jpg
Golf has a rich history; the game began in Europe and still remains a respectful game. This webliographgy aims to focus soley on the beginnings of golf in Great Britain.
Brief History / Historical Courses and Clubs / The First Great Golfers / The British Open /Contact Me
Brief History
Here are some souces that give an overview of Britain's golf history.
This image of antique golf equipment can be found at: http://imagecache2.allposters.com/images/pic/SUN/2011~Antique-Golf-Clubs-Posters.jpg
www.golfeurope.com/almanac/history/history1.htm
This site offers a detailed history of golf since 1497. It covers the sport from Scotland to the rest of the world. It also has many pictures of the first players and their equipment. In addition, it has dozens of links to golf courses around the world and tips to improve your score.
http://www.scottishgolfhistory.net/
This site focuses on the very earliest golf records and courses in Scotland. It strives to find the true origin of the game and to describe its evolution into the game played today. It has histories of the oldest golf societies and courses.
http://www.golfing-scotland.com/history.asp
This site is designed to give an avid golfer and traveler insight to all the golfing sites around Scotland, but it also gives a detailed history of the game. It offers a timeline of the most important events and people of golf’s beginnings.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golf
This article is from an online encyclopedia in the form of a wiki. It covers many aspects of the game including how to play the game, equipment, as well as its history. The history also extends to the rest of the world, including China. The article also has links to official sites of major golf associations.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_golf_history_1353-1850
This article from wikipedia is an extremely detailed timeline of all the important dates in golf history. It also gives links to timelines covering 1850 to the present. Also included, are links to other articles containing information on famous courses and players.
Historical Courses and Clubs
Perhaps the most famous golf course in the world is St. Andrews, located in Scotland. Below are several of the very first clubs and courses contructed in Great Britain.
this picture of St. Andrews can be found at: http://www.scottishcastleart.com/pictures/woasgo1l.jpg
St. Andrews
http://www.standrews.org.uk/
Here is the official website of the St. Andrews Links, which includes six golf courses. The St. Andrews Links is located in St. Andrews, Scotland. The Old Course is best known for being one of the official hosts of the British Open Championship. This site offers a history of the town, as well as of The Old Course. The site also offers information for tourists.
Musselburgh
http://www.musselburgholdlinks.co.uk/
The Musselburgh Links is one of the oldest courses in Scotland and has been a host of the British Open Championship. This is the official site of the Links. This site offers a history and pictures of the course. It also has tourist information.
Prestwick
http://www.prestwickgc.co.uk/
The Prestwick Golf Club was the first site of the British Open Championship, and is located in Prestwick, Scotland. This site offers a history, an overview of the course, and pictures of the clubhouse. It also gives information for golfers looking to play the course.
The Royal Burgess Golfing Society of Edinburgh
http://www.royalburgess.co.uk/page.asp?id=1
The Royal Burgess Golfing Society of Edinburgh was the first golf club and was established in1735 in Edinburgh, Scotland. This is the official site of the Society and offers a history as well as up-to-date conditions of the course at Barnton. It also has links to the brand name equipment the proshop sells.
Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers
http://www.muirfield.org.uk/
Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers was the second golf club and is based in Muirfield, Scotland. This is its official site, as well as the site for the Muirfield course. The site offers a brief overview of the club, and a link to the original thirteen rules of golf made by the club.
The Royal and Ancient Golf Club
http://www.randa.org/
The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews (now known as the R&A) was the third golf club created after the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers. Created in St. Andrews, it is now the official ruling authority for all of golf except in the U.S. and Mexico. This is its official site, and offers its history and a link to the official rules of golf.
Where Golf is Great: The Finest Courses of Scotland and Ireland
http://www.amazon.com/Where-Golf-Great-Courses-Scotland/dp/1579652719/ref=pd_sim_b_5/102-6188866-6382521
This link is to the book Where Golf is Great: The Finest Courses of Scotland and Ireland, by James Finegan, which can be bought from http://amazon.com. This book details golf courses all around Scotland and Ireland including St. Andrews. It has many photographs and information for tourists.
The First Great Golfers of Britain
Top British players of today include: Colin Montgomerie, Justin Rose, and Padraig Harrington, among others. Below are the great Bristish golfers of the late 19th and early 20th century, starting with pehaps the most influential, Henry Vardon.
this image of Henry Vardon can be found at: http://www.nndb.com/people/758/000116410/harry-vardon-1-sized.jpg
Henry Vardon
http://www.golflegends.org/harry-vardon.php
The site gives a brief biography of Harry Vardon’s personal and professional life. Vardon was from the Channel Islands, and six- time winner of the British Open. He was also a member of the Great Triumvirate, which consisted of the three best golfers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Other members were J.H. Taylor and James Braid. The following two links are the biographies of Taylor and Braid, similar to Vardon’s.
JH Taylor
http://www.golflegends.org/jh-taylor.php
James Braid
http://www.golflegends.org/jh-taylor.php
Willie Park Sr.
http://www.wgv.com/hof/member.php?member=1091
Willie Park Sr. was the first winner of the British Open. This biography comes from the official website of The World Golf Hall of Fame in Florida. It focuses on his professional career and accomplishment. The following links are biographies of other important players from The World Golf Hall of Fame.
Old Tom Morris
http://www.wgv.com/hof/member.php?member=1084
Young Tom Morris
http://www.wgv.com/hof/member.php?member=1083
Allan Robertson
http://www.wgv.com/hof/member.php?member=1098
The Book of Golfers: A Biographical History of the Royal and Ancient Game
http://www.amazon.com/Book-Golfers-Biographical-History-Ancient/dp/1587261901/ref=pd_sim_b_4/102-6188866-6382521
This link is to the book The Book of Golfers: A Biographical History of the Royal and Ancient Game, by Daniel Wexler, which can be bought from http://amazon.com. This book is virtually an encyclopedia of the most important golfers since the 1400’s.
The British Open
Today there four major championships which Americans and Europeans both compete in: The Masters, The U.S.Open, The PGA Championship, and the Bristish Open (often referred to as The Open Championship). British Open began as the Professionals Championship in the year 1860. It is the most recognizable and prestigious championship in world golf.
This image of the Claret Jug (the official trophy of the Bristish Open) can be found at: http://www.fpgolfe.com.br/imagens_materias/claret_jug_399.jpg
www.opengolf.com
This is the official site of the British Open. It offers images, audio, and video of past Championships, current host course history, and information for spectators among many other features.
http://www.golfweb.com/tournaments/britishopen/history/years
This site offers a detailed timeline of the Open’s history. It also has links to pictures, a complete list of past champions, and other facts of the Championship.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Open_Championship
This article has a complete history of the Championship and includes a list of past champions, venues, and winning scores. Other facts include a list of multiple winners and of winning nations. It also has a link to the official website.
The British Open: A Twentieth-Century History of Golf's Greatest Championship
http://www.amazon.com/British-Open-Twentieth-Century-Greatest-Championship/dp/0809298155/ref=pd_ecc_rvi_3/102-6188866-6382521
This is a link to the book The British Open: A Twentieth-Century History of Golf's Greatest Championship, by Francis Murray, which can be bought at http://amazon.com. It gives a detailed history of the Championship. It also has illustrations of each host course.
This site was created by: Mallory Davis
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