Lesson 4: Mary Queen of Scots: Golf’s First Famous Player
One of the most famous early golfers was not a king — she was a queen. Mary Queen of Scots lived about 500 years ago and she loved golf.
Mary played golf at St. Andrews and is one of the earliest named women golfers in history. She is also the reason we have the word caddie — the person who carries a golfer’s bag.
Mary brought young helpers called cadets with her to carry her clubs. The word ‘cadet’ became ‘caddie’ over time — and that is the word golfers use today, all over the world, every time someone carries a bag.
Mary’s story reminds us that golf has always been for everyone — royalty and ordinary people, men and women — from the very beginning.
Mary Queen of Scots was one of the first famous women golfers. The word caddie comes from the young helpers she brought to carry her clubs.
Mary Queen of Scots was one of the most powerful people in Scotland, and she loved golf. Do you think she was good at it? What do you imagine her playing golf was like?
Next time you are at the golf course, find someone carrying a bag or watch a caddie at work. Think about: this word — caddie — has been used for 500 years, starting with Mary Queen of Scots. Ask a caddie (or any staff member) if they know where the word came from. Write what they say in your history journal.
Connecting historical facts to real people your child can meet at the facility is uniquely powerful. The caddie conversation is a living piece of history. If no one knows the etymology, that is also educational — it opens a research question.