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Golf Day
"I found that the only way of playing at the Golve is to stand as you do at fenceing with the small sword bending your legs a little and holding the muscles of your legs and back and armes exceeding bent or fixt or stiffe and not at all slackning them in the time you are bringing down the stroak (which you readily doe)"
~ diary of Thomas Kincaid, a medical student who played on the course at Bruntsfield Links, near Edinburgh University, and at Leith Links, 20 January 1687
Get that stance right, golfers! Heading to the links soon? Did you know that the word "golf" likely traces its roots back to the Dutch term "kolf," meaning "bat" or "club"? Despite its ancient origins in stick and ball games, modern golf as we know it emerged in Scotland during the Middle Ages. Interestingly, the earliest record of golf appears in the 1457 Act of the Scottish Parliament, where King James II banned the game alongside other pastimes, citing their distraction from archery practice essential for military readiness. Despite subsequent bans in the following years, golf persisted, with even figures like Mary, Queen of Scots, being accused of playing the game in inappropriate circumstances. However, by the 19th century, enthusiasts successfully overturned these restrictions, propelling the game's popularity beyond Scotland and throughout the United Kingdom, the British Empire, and North America. This tartan design pays homage not only to the sport's rich history but also to the colorful legacy of players like Payne Stewart, whose daring fashion choices added a vibrant flair to the golfing world. The term "fore", shouted as a warning, originated from the Scottish word "forecaddie," which was a person employed to scout ahead and warn others of incoming shots. Fore! ⛳ 🏌️♂️ 🏌️♀️
To many golfers, playing at the Old Course at St Andrews, an ancient links course dating to before 1574, is considered by many golfers to be a site of pilgrimage, though there are many other famous golf courses in Scotland, including Carnoustie, Gleneagles, Muirfield, Kingsbarns, Turnberry and Royal Troon.
Scotland has 587 courses. The highest concentrations are around Glasgow (94 courses) and Edinburgh (67 courses), since these two cities and their environs account for the bulk of the population. But the other districts still average about 40 courses each. Even the distant northern islands have 14 options!
Register notes:
Designed by David McGill of International Tartans for anyone involved in the sport of golf. Also known as the Golfing Stewart tartan in the USA in honour of the late American professional golfer, Payne Stewart, who wore tartan plus-fours to promote his Scottish heritage.
For more about some of the more obscure and antiquated rules of the game, click the portrait of The MacDonald boys playing golf, attributed to William Mosman. 18th century