Read The 13 Original Rules Of Golf, Dating Back To 1744(!)
- Details
- Category: Inside Golf
- Published: 2020-03-13
By ZEPHYR MELTON, Golf.com
Golf is a game of honor that is largely officiated by the players themselves. Because of this fact, it’s important to have an understanding of the all-important Rules of Golf. From how to take a correct drop to not improving your lie, understanding how to interpret and follow the rules is essential to the game, and if you use them correctly, they can even save you some strokes.
But what are the origins of these regulations? The first known written set of rules dates all the way back to 1744 and were drafted by The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers. The rules were originally known as the 13 Articles and were implemented to govern the first Challenge for the Silver Club tournament played at Leith Links in Edinburgh, Scotland. John Rattray won that initial tournament, and his signature appears at the bottom of the 13 Articles, the John Hancock of golf.