May 14th 1754 Saw The Rules Of Golf Formalised At St Andrews With The Foundation Of The Society Of St

May 14th 1754 saw the rules of golf formalised at St Andrews with the foundation of the Society of St Andrews Golfers.

Twenty-two ‘Noblemen and Gentlemen’ contributed to a silver club to be played for annually over the Links of St Andrews. The first winner was Baillie William Landale, a St Andrews’ merchant, who became Captain for the year.

The competition was initially open to all golfers, as had been that of the Leith golfers ten years previously. The Leith golfers were specifically invited and brought their rules with them, which the St Andrews’ golfers used, with a small change to Rule 5. Thus began the foremost club in both Scottish golf history and world golf in general.

The first picture shows the hand-written rules of golf, which appear on the first page of the very first minute book of the Society of St Andrews Golfers. You can see that rule five was maybe amended after the initial rules were written down. The second pic is of James and Alexander Macdonald the sons of Sir Alexander Macdonald of Macdonald, a great Highland chieftain with estates on the Isle of Skye, although the pic is from 1749, before date “celebrated” today, I think it interesting as it shows one of the boys wit a golf club, showing that golf was already a well-established pastime in Scotland by this time.

The society later became known as the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St.Andrews.

I’d like to add about the lat pic of the Macdonald brothers, if you see the one on the right, Alexander, is wearing a kilt, many people would have you believe it it was a Victorian invention, the date of this painting clearly shows that is not the case.