Some say the game of golf began in Scotland around the year 1450 when players would use a stick to hit pebbles over obstacles and along a pre-determined path. Others claim the Dutch invented the game around 1290, calling it “colf.” It was actually banned in Brussels in 1360, with a fine of 20 shillings and forfeiture of the player’s coat for those caught “colfing.” The following are among the best places in the world to play, without fear of losing a coat.
The game of golf now enjoyed by millions around the world began on the lush lawns of St Andrews, quite possibly the ultimate bucket list course. (Alizada Studios/Shutterstock)
Where It All Began
The oldest and perhaps most iconic of all golf courses, the Old Course at St Andrews in St Andrews, Scotland, has been drawing players since the 1400s. Named for the patron saint of Scotland, the course went quiet for a period in the 15th and 16th centuries when the game was banned in the hopes that young men would instead focus on archery. Activity resumed in 1552 when Archbishop John Hamilton nullified the ban….