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The first-ever 18-hole course was first put together at St Andrews in 1764! Alongside royal recognition from King William IV in 1834, St Andrews has long been established as the world’s premier golf club. Interestingly, the expansion of golf closely followed the rise of the British Empire. The first golf course established outside of Britain was the Bangalore, India in 1820. 

At their inception, golf courses were not designed as we know them to be today. The number of holes were not consistent, and early courses were really just public spaces. Old Tom Morris is largely considered the pioneer of golf course design. It was Tom who introduced a strategic planning and placing of hazards and greens to ensure that players planned their shots and approaches. 

Today, a golf course is set with 18-holes. That is often made up of four par three holes, four par five holes and 10 par four holes. That adds up to a par of 72 (number of shots set to be required for the entire course) and is widely accepted as the norm. 

The earliest golf clubs were made entirely of wood. They were likely made by the golfer themselves and had no real set design. The first major step was seen when club makers began to experiment with different materials, this included leather, metal and even bone. 

Today, clubs are metal and made for durability and longevity. The last major shift was the introduction of hybrids – a hybrid between wood and iron – these replaced long irons which became unbearable to carry around. 

Starting in 1934, The Masters came about as a result of an amateur golfer named Bobby Jones and investment by Clifford Roberts. At its inception, the tournament was called the Augusta National Invitation Tournament, but Roberts suggested it be renamed to The Masters – a reference to the “masters of golf who would compete in it”. 

Another one of the world’s major tournaments, the US Open is available to both amateur and professional golfers. It’s been held annually since 1895 and conducted under the auspices of the United States Golf Association. The scoring of the tournament is stroke play, and the winner is simply the player with the lowest total number of strokes. 

The Open, otherwise known as the British Open or The Open Championships, is the oldest major in professional golf. Founded in 1860, The Open is played outside of the United States and is administered by the governing body of golf outside the United States and Mexico.