Why Royal Dornoch's expansion plans shouldn't fall foul of 1457 law banning golf
Golf is very much a Scottish game, and Scotland needs courses
In 1457, something truly terrible happened. The Scottish Parliament, no less, decided to ban golf!
As you recover from this devastating news, please understand we only bring it up because it represents the first-ever mention of the game. The reason? Well, golf was simply too popular and was distracting Scots from their archery practice.
The world’s first club, the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, was founded in 1744, and they set about drafting the first official rules. So, despite suggestions that the word ‘golf’ originated from a medieval Dutch word, ‘kolve’, meaning club, this is very much a Scottish game.
In recent times, Royal Dornoch has earned a reputation as one of the best courses in the country. After experiencing “chronic oversubscription”, plans have now been drawn up for a third 18-hole course. It’s on land adjacent to the Dornoch Firth Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), but the Scottish Environment Protection Agency has said it is “generally content” with the proposals.
Golf courses can sometimes be controversial, but Scotland needs them. And, happily, archery training is not quite as important as it once was.
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