Lesson 2: The First Written Rules in 1744
On April 2, 1744, the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers published golf’s first written rules — 13 rules governing competition at Leith Links. The document exists today and can be read in its original form.
Reading the original rules is a remarkable experience. They are surprisingly simple and direct: play the ball where it lies; do not move stones near your ball; if your ball is on water you may bring it ashore and drop it behind the hazard. Many of these ideas sound completely familiar to a modern golfer.
But some rules reflect a world very different from today. Rule 5 says that if your ball is lost you must return to the spot you played from and lose a stroke. Rule 10 says that if a ball is on the putting area, a player cannot remove sand or loose earth from around it. The details reveal a game still figuring itself out.
These 13 rules were not perfect. They were a beginning. And from that beginning, every golf rule ever written has grown.
The 13 rules of 1744 are the direct ancestors of every golf rule used today. The original document still exists and can be read.
The 1744 rules do not mention a putting green, caddies, or scorecards. What does this tell us about how different golf was in 1744 from today?
Find the original 13 Rules of Golf from 1744 online (search ‘Leith 1744 golf rules original’). Read all 13 rules with your parent. Choose the 3 rules that seem most similar to rules golf still uses today. Choose 1 rule that seems most different from today’s game. Write your analysis in your history journal with quotes from the actual rules.
Reading the actual original rules is a primary source encounter that should not be rushed. Even if the language is difficult, work through each rule together. The experience of reading a 280-year-old document about golf is genuinely exciting and memorable.