Fairways and Featheries

Cara/Andrea here,
As some of you know, I occasionally lace on the trainers, sneakers, spikes or cleats as the resident Wench Jock. And as June and July roll around, I can’t help but get the urge to talk sports . . . teamed up with history of course!

In Great Britain, this is the high season for a host of traditional sporting events with a rich heritage and pageantry—Royal Ascot, the Henley Regatta, Wimbledon, and—teeing this week—the British Open golf championship. This year’s rota (the tournament currently rotates among nine courses) brings the Open to the venerable Old Course at St. Andrews, which is hallowed ground for golfers. 

So, seeing as I’ve waxed poetic on tennis, it seems like the  perfect time to take a whack at giving you a brief overview of the game.

 Okay—ready to roll?

Let me begin with a bit of heresy—at least to the Scots. Some people claim that the game originated in Holland, where the Dutch played a game called “kolven.” Old tile paintings do show figures with curved sticks that look very much like golf clubs, and apparently they played in winter, using the frozen canals as fairways. (There were even traveling beer carts that served as the nineteenth hole—an essential part of golf!)

But for the most part, the Scots get credit for inventing the game as we know it. It probably started with some shepherd using his crook to whack a stone at a distant  rabbit hole . . . whatever the inspiration, we do know that by 1457, the game was popular enough that James II had to pass a decree banning golf because it was interfering with the populace’s practice of archery. (Needless to say, that edict probably ruffled a few feathers!)

 The first golf club—The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers—was formed in 1744 and established the first “official” rules of the game. There were 13 in all . . . for those of you who are wondering, today’s list fills a rather thick book. Some of the more amusing modern rules deal with things like whether it is a stroke penalty if you hit a fish out of the water while playing your ball from a hazard and then put it back. (It all depends on whether the fish is dead or alive—I kid you not.) 

 The Society of St. Andrews Golfers was formed several years later. In 1834, in honor of King George IV becoming its patron, it changed its name to the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews. Those of you who watch the tournament on television will notice an elegant honey-colored stone building overlooking the ocean and strand by the first tee. That is the R&A clubhouse, which is probably one of the most recognizable buildings in all of sport.

The first golf clubs were made of beech, holly, dogwood, pear or apple, with shafts crafted of hickory, ash or hazel to add extra whip.  They had wonderfully evocative names—cleeks, mashies, spoons, niblicks, to list just a few. All were designed to hit a certain type of shot, and as the game evolved, people came up with some pretty unusual-looking implements. (Today, titanium, steel, polymers and graphite are the main components.)

The first clubmaker on record was William Mayne, who in 1603 was appointed to craft clubs for King James I of England. A few other notable Scottish craftsmen from the 17th century are Andrew Dickson of Leith and Henry Mill of St. Andrews. In Regency times, Hugh Philpp, also of St. Andrews, was considered the Stradivarius of his field. (I actually wrote a Regency golf romance under my Andrea Pickens pen name,entitled  A Diamond In The Rough, in which he makes a cameo appearance.)

Golf balls were originally made of tightly stitched leather stuffed with feathers. These “featheries” were used until 1848 when another St. Andrews resident experimented with gutta percha, a substance from India (the dried sap of the Sapodilla tree) which could be heated and formed into a hard round ball. At first, the “guttys” weren’t popular because their flight was erratic. Players noticed that they played better as they became nicked, and it was soon discovered that adding a pattern with a saddler’s hammer vastly improved the performance. (and thus we have the forerunner of modern dimples.) In 1903, the Haskell ball, which features a rubber core and a gutta percha cover, flattened the competition. Nowadays . . . oh, don’t ask.

Club design and ball design are regulated by the game’s international governing bodies (head size, grooves, number of dimples, trampoline effect, etc.) And players may only carry 14 clubs in their bag . . .yes, it’s another penalty if you have more. Golf, as you see, plays strictly by the rules.

There are many different styles of course design—mountain, desert, parkland, heathland—but for most purists, links golf is the heart and spirit of the game. The name “links” traditionally meant the land, usually scrubby, windswept sandy soil, that “linked” farmland to the sea. It’s now loosely used, but true links courses run along the ocean, where wind is a big factor in how shots are played. If you watch even a little of the tournament at St. Andrews you will see what I mean. Sandy dunes and the tall fescue grasses also come into play, as do bunkers, or sand traps, which originated because sheep tend to hollow out a protective shelter in a hill or a dune to shelter from the winds.

  Old Tom Morris, a legendary champion player who helped create the first British Championship in 1860, was also a noted course designer. Considered the father of modern greenskeeping, he made alterations to the Old Course at St. Andrews, as well as created his own designs throughout Great Britain. If you want to impress a golfer friend, here are some other notable golf architects. Classic designers from the early 20th century include Charles Blair Macdonald, Alister MacKenzie, Donald Ross and A. W. Tillinghast. Today’s stars include Robert Trent Jones (Sr. and Jr.), Tom Fazio, Pete Dye, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Doak.

So why, you might ask, do people spend a few hours trudging around in rain and sleet hitting a little ball into a hole? (Mark Twain is famous for calling it “a good walk spoiled.) Well, as someone who came to the game only recently, I wondered that myself. Growing up, I always played “action” sports like or tennis. (John McEnroe once remarked that golf wasn’t really a sport because one didn’t sweat  . . . he has since become an avid golfer and admits that he made a bad call.) However, I’ve really come to love the game.

As you walk a course, you have to really look at the land, and see the subtle contours as you plan where you want to hit a shot. You have to be aware of the wind and the humidity in the air. In other words, you really pay attention to nature and feel connected to the surroundings. In this day and age that’s something special. Also, it’s competitive in that for the most part you are playing the course, not an opponent. So as you walk with friends, you chat, you laugh . . . and you occasionally pause to hit your ball. I find that there is a very relaxing camaraderie among golfers, and when traveling, it makes a wonderful bond when you get to play with interesting people who share your love of the game. (This is a picture of me playing with the Duke of Roxburghe at the course he built on his lands in Scotland, which as you can imagine was quite a thrill)

Who will hoist the Claret Jug this year? (Another way to impress your golfing friends is to ask that question—the British Open trophy is one of the most distinctive trophies in sport. For the first years of competition, the prize was a belt made of silver and red morocco leather, but in 1873, after Young Tom Morris had won four times in a row and got to keep the belt, a new trophy was made, modeled on the wine carafe of the 19th century.) It’s anyone’s guess, but if you watch any of the tournament, keep an eye on the landscape and the weather as well as the players to truly appreciate the nuances of the game.

Now we’ve come to the end of the round, and I hope you have enjoyed a brief—and highly selective—stroll through the game’s history. Now it’s your turn. Do you have a favorite sport, especially in summer? And what makes it special for you? Or are you one of those people who find games just aren’t your cup of tea.

Comments

[Cynthia Owens]

Hi Cara, great post. I'm afraid I'm one of those people for whom games are not my cup of tea, but your post brought back two very special memories for me.
My late father was an avid golfer, and even though I wasn't particularly interested in the sport, I'd often watch golf with him just for the scenery - I live in Eastern Canada, and it's wonderful to watch a golf tournament from California or somewhere warm when temperatures drop and the snowbanks are several feet high outside. We'd talk about wherever the torunament was being broadcast from, and I leanred a lot from these discussions.

The second memory is from last year's British Open. I will always remember it because I watched a good part of it from an Irish pub in Clare, and a B&B in Dublin. I believe Rory McIlroy did quite well then, and as it was my first trip to Ireland (a life-long dream trip for me), I think I'll always remember it.

[theo]

Both my father-in-law and husband are superb golfers though the DH doesn't get to play often anymore as he works looooong hours. They've tried to get me interested in the game, but it's just not something that really excites me. I'll walk along with them and chat, but hitting the ball is something else. Of course, it could have something to do with the fact that I'm not very good and manage only a few feet at a time ;o)

Then again, all we have here are 'modern' courses. I might feel a bit different were I given the opportunity to play a course designed 200 years or more ago.

[Kristina Watson]

Good post! Unfortunately, I'm one of those spastic (lol) people who'd much rather drink tea than play a team sport (thanks to the fact that my lousy hand-eye coordination)! Until I ruined my knee skating, I was an avid horse rider and figure skater (notice, they are both individual sports and neither requires a ball).

I particularly loved figure skating in the summer because I loved the feeling of walking into the chilly rink while the temperature soared outside. And when I left, I would always feel as though there was a thunderstorm brewing around my shoulders as the warm air collided with my cold body!

[Cara Elliott/Andrea Penrose]

Cynthia, thanks for sharing your memories. The connection between parents and children as the game is passed from one generation to the next is a big part of golf. My dad was an avid golfer too, and I regret that I didn't learn to love the game while he was alive—he would have gotten such a kick out of playing together. But we did watch some of the big tournaments together, and he explained a lot about the basics. So I have those memories.

[Cara Elliott/Andrea Penrose]

Theo, I definitely feel there is a huge difference in playing a modern course as opposed to a historic one. I couldn't care less about driving in a cart around a typical resort course that is tricked up with faux waterfalls and fancy flowers. But to walk the windswept links in Scotland or Ireland, where the dunes have been carved by centuries of weather, is really a treat. The Duke of Roxburghe's course in Scotland has an ancient Roman viaduct running across one of the holes, and it sends shivers down my spine to walk alongside that ancient stone.

Or to cross the Swilkin Bridge over the creek on the Old Course, where for over a centuries, champions have make the walk to the 18th green! Moments like that are really fun.

[Cara Elliott/Andrea Penrose]

Kristina, your favorite sports have a lot in common with golf in that they are both individual endeavors where the challenge is to be the best you can be on that particular day. For me, that's the most meaningful competition. (rather than trying to beat an opponent at tennis or soccer.) I like the cerebral and physical testing of myself—I find that such challenges are good at keeping me energized and on my toes.

[Louis]

Excellent post!

I have not played golf. I do watch golf on the TV once in a while. Way back in my working days I was part of the crew that put golf on TV. Remember running camera on one of the towers, in the rain, under an umbrella with water dripping down my neck.

[Cara Elliott/Andrea Penrose]

LOL on the rain dripping down your neck, Louis! I know what you mean! I once played in Scotland where it started out sunny, then the temperature dropped about 20 degrees and it started raining. Then hailing. Then the sun came out again. It sounds awful doesn't it? But it was actually fun, in an odd sort of way.

[maryjoputney]

What fun! I have zero interest in golf per se, but the history is great, especially learning about links and how sheep created the sand traps!

Do the Scots really play wih red balls in the snow????

Mary Jo, thinking of another possible color

[Cara Elliott/Andrea Penrose]

MJ, there are lots of colored balls out there, but serious golfers consider them very "girly" and for beginners,so they aren't something that I can see appealing to the Scots. (who tend to be very traditional when it comes to golf.) Some winter players in my area use them when there is snow on the course, for obvious reasons. But somehow I would imagine that most Scots would consider it "cheating" as the elements are part of the game.

I remember seeing sheep digging and wriggling in the lee of small, sandy hills and having our Scottish guide explain that we were watching the reason that golf course have bunkers. It was so fun to see the connection between the natural rhythm of life and how it shaped the game.

[Anne Gracie]

Nice post Cara/Andrea. I was mad keen on team sports as a gel, but though they're long in the past, I haven't taken up solo sports like golf. My father went from cricket to tennis to squash to golf, but golf came later in his life. When we lived in Scotland we lived in Abernethy, which was very close to St. Andrews, but I don't know think Dad was a golfer at that stage and i don't remember going there.

These days instead of chasing a ball through the scrub I let my dog do it, while I stroll along enjoying the weather and the surroundings. I suppose you could say I play the sport of "flinging."

[Cara Elliott/Andrea Penrose]

Anne, your dad and I would have been good "sports" friends. I'm an avid squash player too.

I love the idea of "flinging" Shall we design special jerseys with a scarlet "F" on the front? Maybe with different background colors for the various continents.(As for rules, I think it should remain a free-form art. LOL!)

[Nicola Cornick]

Thank you for a fascinating post, Cara/Andrea! I enjoy watching a variety of sports, especially cricket, but haven't participated for years. I was in the school rounders, lacrosse and netball teams as a girl though and still get surprised comments from patronising males about how well I can throw a ball!

[Cara Elliott/Andrea Penrose]

Thanks. Nicola. I also get a kick out of male reaction to a woman who can do "guy" things like throw or hit a ball.

A few times when I've been paired with strangers to play golf at a resort, I see the surreptitious eyerolls when I come to the first tee. Then men are thinking, "oh no I have to play with a woman, who's going to slow us down." Inevitably, they hit their shots into the woods. I tend to hit the ball very straight, and from the women's tees can usually crank it farther down the fairway than they can. So my first shot usually shuts up any grumbling. Heh, heh, heh.

[Kim in Hawaii]

Thanks, Cara, for an informative article!

Like Theo, both hubby and FIL are avid players and appreciate the game (they have been given the homework assignment to read this post and leave a comment ).

Hubby is currently trying to play every public course on Oahu. As soon I return to Hawaii after RWA, I will make an effort to try the game as Cara has suggested to me!

[Cara Elliott/Andrea Penrose]

Kim, I look forward to hearing how you like it. And remember—be patient! Golf has a long learning curve, but it's worth being patient and sticking it out. I promise that the game will reward you!

[theo]

Yup, a really long learning curve for me! Like curving into the trees, the pond, the sand traps...

;o)

[Cara Elliott/Andrea Penrose]

Oh, LOL, Theo. You forgot the swamp, the ocean, the desert arroyo . . .