Originally published June 2023.
Whenever you ask a golfer what caused the great boom in golf in the 19th century, the most common response by far is “the railways.” But the actual answer is not so straightforward.
The boom in golf in Scotland in the mid-19th century was triggered by two factors – the invention of the gutta percha golf ball, which replaced the traditional and more expensive feathery ball, and the expansion of the railway network, which enabled a broader cross-section of the urban population to travel to the coastal towns for daytrips and holidays. Golf in those days was mostly played on the linksland on the east coast. St Andrews became a major tourist attraction for its antiquity, beaches, and its golf course where the game had been played since the 16th century. By 1860, all the golf clubs in Scotland were in close proximity of a railway station. The English middle classes also began to visit Scotland in large numbers – many for the first time – and became increasingly aware of this quaint Scottish game called “goff”.
