Although the ancient origins of the game of golf are still a matter of some dispute, most golf historians acknowledge that the modern game has evolved from the version that survived and was played in Scotland in the 19th century. Despite the existence of the odd golf clubs at Blackheath, Manchester, Pau and in India, the spread of the game beyond the borders of Scotland occurred in the second half of the 19th century with the foundation of new golf clubs at North Devon, Wimbledon and Hoylake. These clubs were the first to involve non-Scots in the game – rather than being clubs run by and for Scots.
Social Links – The Golf Boom in Victorian England aims to examine the way in which the golfers in England sought to spread the gospel of the game. It is not a history of golf and golf matches, but a social history of the way in which one golfer sought to introduce his relatives, work colleagues or friends to the pleasures of the game.
For more information on Cambridge author Donald Cameron’s award winning book, Social Links – The Golf Boom in Victorian England, go to www.social-links.co.uk