In 1754, ten years after the Edinburgh rules, golfers in St. Andrews formed their own society — now known as the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews (R&A). They adopted rules very similar to Edinburgh’s and the two sets of rules gradually merged over time.

The R&A became the governing authority for golf outside of the United States. For over 250 years, the rules they issued were the rules used by every golfer in Britain, Europe, Australia, and most of the world.

The Old Course at St. Andrews became the standard for what a golf course should look like. Its 18 holes — originally a different number that was standardized in 1764 — became the template for courses worldwide. Today every golf course in the world plays 18 holes because of a decision made at St. Andrews over 250 years ago.

The R&A and the USGA now work together to produce a unified rules of golf that applies everywhere in the world — ensuring that the same game is played the same way on every continent.