The major honours in golf are the four majors, the US open, the British Open, the Masters and the PGA Championship. Golf is now a multi-million pound professional sport and players can earn tens of millions in their careers. The name golf was first mentioned on a Scottish statue in 1457 as 'gouf' meaning to strike, it does not derive from the phrase 'gentlemen only, ladies forbidden' despite popular belief. Since the 1970's new knowledge of materials and aerodynamics have influenced the design of the club making it lighter, thinner and stronger than ever before. In the mid-1800's the ball integrity was sufficient for iron heads to be introduced and by the 1890's aluminium shafts emerged, although the idea took a long time to take off. Golf clubs were initially all made of wood and they often differed locally depending on the wood type available. This standardisation set design limits on the ball, including things like a maximum velocity of 250 ft/s, which have had a direct impact on the format of the modern game. Golf balls have developed dramatically but unbelievably, the size and weight of the ball was only standardised in the US in the 1930's. These nine holes played twice over in a round gives the standard 18 holes we know of today, with St Andrews status at the time all other clubs followed suit. St Andrews initially had 11 holes, making a round of 22, but in 1764 many were classed as too short and merged, leading to 9 holes. Golf initially did not have a set number of holes, with the number dictated by the layout at each course. The first National Amateur Championships were played in 1894, and by 1932 there were 1100 US Golf Association affiliated clubs, nearly 6000 by 1980 and well over 10,000 today. Golf had already arrived in the US by this time with William Wallace shipping over equipment as early as 1739 (not Mel Gibson's William Wallace). In 1880 golf had started to establish itself in the British colonies and there were 12 golf courses in England, 50 in 1887 and over 100 by the outbreak of the first world war in 1914. The 19th century saw a royal enthusiasm for Scotland soar, the railways were built as was Balmoral Castle and tourism exploded and golf really began to spread across the UK. Like most sports of British origin, in the first instance the sport was largely restricted as a pursuit of royalty and the aristocracy. The basis of Leith Rules are still in place today, such as not being able to change the ball that you tee off with. These golfers played at Leith Links and became known as the Leith Rules, Leith now claims to be the oldest golf club in the world. Golf was banned several times over the next three centuries but managed to survive with the oldest rule book dating back to 1744, written for the Company of Gentleman Golfers. The modern game of golf is accepted to have developed in the middle ages in Scotland and was in fact banned by king James II in 1457 as it distracted his subjects from archery practice. The winner was the one to reach the target with the least number of strokes. The precursor to golf is believed to have originated as a Dutch game in the 13th century, the game was played with a stick and leather ball. In our golf guide you will find the best golf bookmakers, how to bet on golf, where to find the best odds, common terminologies, bet types and offers, plus major tournaments. Whether you simply want to stick a few quid on the Open or golf is your main betting sport our golf guide has something for you. The modern popularity of golf with increased sponsorship, TV coverage and celebrity involvement means that for bettors there are more golf betting sites and golf betting offers than ever before. The 2018 Masters winner pocketed nearly $2 million and Tiger Woods alone estimated to have had golf earnings of around $110 million. Top golf players are some of the richest sportsmen in the world. Whatever your thoughts on Golf as a sport you can't ignore the huge sums of money moving around within it. Other's despise the slow nature of the game, the lifestyle association and the exclusive club nature. Very much a marmite sport, some love the long tactical game full of up and downs, sand bunkers, lakes and beautiful scenery. Golf, another game of the old empire spread through the British colonies, all the way to the USA, and now represents one of the most watched and bet on sports in the world.
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