The History of Leith

In the year 1724 the Honourable Alexander Elphinstone who was the elder brother of Lord Balmerino (who had been executed on Tower Hill for taking part in “45” rebellion) played on Leith Links what prints of the time said “was a solemn match at Golf” with a another famous person Captain John Porteous who was later hanged during the Porteous Riots from a dyers pole by the Edinburgh mob. The wager at the time was twenty guineas. (more…)

The chief of the China Golf Association has finally confirmed reports of the sport being played in his country centuries before it was played in Scotland. for more click here

Golf as we know it was invented in Scotland, but its roots stretches back into Flanders. for more click here

A young person dressed for Golf on Leith links in the 16th century
acknowledgement “KIng James”

Although not about Leith James IV had many connections with Leith, Newhaven and the playing of Golf on Leith links.

IT IS the kind of sporting heritage other towns can only dream of – and Stirling is not about to let the opportunity pass it by. This month it is celebrating no less than 500 years of golfing history. for more click here

THE first recorded rules of golf were given a rare public outing yesterday. The historic document, taken down in minutes for Edinburgh City Council in the 18th century, was the first to set out how to play a tournament. for more click here

Since the dawn of recorded history, man has been fascinated with games involving a club and a ball. Over the centuries, golf progressed, with the first recognizable form being played in Scotland in the early 1400’s. The game began to present itself in various other forms throughout Europe during the middle ages. At this time, the game generally consisted of knocking a ball from the ‘tee’, trying to hit a predetermined object in the least number of strokes. Over the latter half of the fourteenth century the predetermined object was decided to be replaced by a hole in the ground. for more click here

Golf history makes for wonderful and fascinating reading. It gives all golfers a sense of the enormous depth and tradition of our sport. Take a quick glance at the highlights of historical tidbits we have put together for your enjoyment. for more click here

The following is a partial timeline of the history of golf: for more click here

The word Caddie derives from the French word ‘le cadet’, meaning ‘the boy’ or the youngest of the family. The word ‘cadet’ appears in English from 1610 and the word ‘caddie’ or ‘cadie’ appears shortly after that in 1634. Adopting French terms was not unusual for the Scots. For example they adopted the term “Gardez-vous!” as ‘gardyloo’. for more click here