Golf's Troubled Past

Who knew that golf was once a banned sport? Apparently, back in the day the Scottish brass thought it conflicted with archery lessons and didn't allow anyone to play on Sundays due to military training.

Well, I guess driving balls at the invading English is not quite as effective as arrows. Although some of the courses I've been on definitely required a helmet and flak jacket...see: Mortar Range.

A quick look back at golf's history shows that in 1457, James II of Scotland banned golf for the reason mentioned above. His son James III continued the ban in 1470, as does his son James IV in 1491. It wasn't until 1502 when England and Scotland ended their beef (did they ever really?) that the ban was lifted.

Now, what's really interesting is that a few years before the ban was lifted something else was going on in Scotland - whisky. That's right...whisky. Actually, in 1494 there is the first written record of it. Through my deductive reasoning I found that; golfers that are banned from golf are not happy. Whisky makes them happy. Therefore golfers banned from golf invent and drink whisky to be happy.

Who knows though, chances are those zany Scots could have been bogarting grandpa's ol' cough medicine recipe for years and it wasn't until some pissed off golfer (probably drunk) decided to let the world in on their little secret. And I thought this noble game had a proper up-bringing.

Hit'em long...yell FORE!!!

Posted in: golf,golf history,golf stinks,golfstinks,james II,james III,James IV,New England,Scotland,whisky