The Original 13 Rules of Golf

[GolfSpy Barbajo]

From Steve Zahn of usgolftv.com....

 

The Original 13 Rules of Golf from 1744– Oh, the differences…

11/18/2014

Similar to the start of the United States of America and its colonies (states), golf also used the number 13 at its start.

How many times have you discussed golf with someone who doesn't play and they say “Golf rules are too confusing!” Then, you don't have a response!  Do you shrug and agree? Or do you simply think “Where did these rules come from?”

I think I can shed some light on that question.

Reprinted below are the original 13 Rules of Golf as drawn up in 1744 in Edinburgh for the Leith Golf Club.  These are the ancestors of our current rules as ten years later they were adopted, almost verbatim, by The Royal and Ancient Golf Club who today, along with the USGA, govern the game.

1. You must Tee your Ball within a Club's length of the Hole.
2. Your Tee must be upon the Ground.
3. You are not to change the Ball which you Strike off the Tee.
4. You are not to remove Stones, Bones or any Break Club, for the sake of playing your Ball, Except upon the fair Green and that only / within a Club's length of your Ball.
5. If your Ball comes among watter, or any wattery filth, you are at liberty to take out your Ball & bringing it behind the hazard and Teeing it, you may play it with any Club and allow your Adversary a Stroke for so getting out your Ball.
6. If your Balls be found any where touching one another, You are to lift the first Ball, till you play the last.
7. At Holling, you are to play your Ball honestly for the Hole, and not to play upon your Adversary's Ball, not lying in your way to the Hole.
8. If you should lose your Ball, by it's being taken up, or any other way, you are to go back to the Spot, where you struck last, & drop another Ball, And allow your adversary a Stroke for the misfortune.
9. No man at Holling his Ball, is to be allowed, to mark his way to the Hole with his Club, or anything else.
10. If a Ball be stopp'd by any Person, Horse, Dog or anything else, The Ball so stop'd must be play'd where it lyes.
11. If you draw your Club in Order to Strike, & proceed so far in the Stroke as to be e Accounted a Stroke.
12. He whose Ball lyes farthest from the Hole is obliged to play first.
13. Neither Trench, Ditch or Dyke, made for the preservation of the Links, nor the Scholar's Holes, or the Soldier's Lines, Shall be accounted a Hazard; But the Ball is to be taken out teed /and play'd with any Iron Club.

I find them fun to read! Here are some interesting observations.

1. Interpreting Rule #1, tee boxes did not yet appear to exist as the tee must be placed within one club length from the previous hole. Good thing that changed or pace of play would really be a problem!
2. I love how penalty strokes are described in Rules 5 and 8! You don't incur a penalty.  You “…allow your Adversary a stroke [advantage] for the misfortune”! Awesome!
3. After reading Rule #7, I wonder if golf wasn't once a “contact sport”?!

You can find these rules and more golf history at Scottish Golf History. A little historical perspective might just help you understand and appreciate the game even more!

What if you had to follow the Original 13 Rules of Golf?

 

[westy]

Rule 7 was to try and stop golf becoming like croquet, you did not mark your ball on the green so your opponent had to play round your ball if it was in the way - for anyone who hasn't played croquet (damn I sound English - downton abbey anyone?) it's a flipping cruel and evil game!

 

Anyway golfers learnt to pop their ball over their opponents whilst putting, trick shot time!

[DaveP043]

I think westy is right, the rules allowed the "stymie" until well into the 20th century.  That rule prohibits the player from intentionally stymying his opponent.

 

Rule 1 was from the days before the invention of the hole liner.  At that time, a player would take a bit of sand from the hole itself to set his ball on.  The hole wasn't a standard size, and would grow larger as more sand was taken out.  

 

At that time, most (or maybe all) golf was played in matches, with little regard to total strokes.  Thus the wording of the penalties to "allow your adversary a stroke" 

 

The Leigh Golf Club eventually became the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers.  When Leith became overcrowded, they moved to Musselburgh, and you can still play their 9-hole course there, and even rent hickory-shafted clubs.  Eventually Musselburgh became too crowded, and they moved again to their current home at Muirfield.  You can read more about it at:

http://www.scottishgolfhistory.org/oldest-golf-clubs-societies/1744-honourable-company-of-edinburgh-golfers/

[DaveP043]

Oh, just by the way, I think that photo is the Marine Hotel, adjacent to the West Course in North Berwick, Scotland.  If you're ever in that part of Scotland, I can highly recommend playing the course.