Author(s): Ed Harris

Humour

This is a charming and erudite history of one of the world's favourite sports: the origins, development, the rules, the clothes, the courses and the competitions, famous players, records, trivia and jokes. Golf in England began with the accession of James 1st. He played golf on Blackheath Common. This is the earliest record of golf outside Scotland. Royal Montreal is the oldest club in North America (1873). In USA, although there are records of golf being played earlier in West Virginia, it is generally accepted that the oldest club is St Andrews in Ardley-on Hudson, NY. No player has achieved the "Grand Slam" of winning all four Major events in the same year. Tiger Woods came closest to this in 2000, when he won the Open, the US Open, and the PGA. Jack Nicklaus holds the record for the most Major wins with a total of 18. "Golf is an infuriating game that brings out the worst in people. Why was it called golf? Because all the other four letter words were taken".