Cross the Tees and Dot the Ayes Quiz

Answer: The Netherlands

Although the Scottish were credited with developing the sport of golf that we play today, the earliest concepts of the sport are said to have originated in the Netherlands as early as 1297 A.D. In fact, the name of the sport was derived from the Dutch language, from a game known as kolf or kolven.

In kolf, players would hit a small ball towards a predetermined spot. The person who got to the spot with the least amount of strokes was the winner. The game of kolf was also played on ice during the winter and may have influenced the game of hockey as well.

Answer: James IV

King James II (1430-1460) ruled Scotland from 1437 until his death in 1460. In 1457, King James II banned both the games of golf and football (soccer) in Scotland. He felt that the two sports were a distraction to his troops and wanted them to concentrate on more useful skills, such as archery.

His grandson, King James IV (1473-1513) would lift the ban on golf in 1502 and even got involved with the sport himself.

Answer: St. Andrews

The town of St. Andrews in Scotland is considered to the "Home of Golf". While the golf course at St. Andrews may have existed as early as the 15th century, it was finally opened to the public in 1552. The Old Course originally had 22 holes to play, but it was brought down to 18 when the rules of gold were standardized. Today St. Andrews houses six other courses in addition to the Old Course.

Answer: The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers

The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers was founded in 1744 as the Gentlemen Golfers of Edinburgh. It was one of the first official golf organizations in the world. After the group was founded, they released the first official rules of golf. There were only thirteen rules in the initial set. Over the years, the rules have been amended by the game's modern governing agencies. Today the organization operates out of of Muirfield, a golf course built in 1891 near the city of Edinburgh.

Answer: R&A

The R&A organization was founded in 1754 as the The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews. The R&A has since become the governing body for the game of golf for the majority of the world. The United States Golf Association (USGA), which was founded in 1894, governs the game golf for the United States and Mexico.

In 2004, the R&A became a separate entity from The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews. Today, the R&A and the USGA work together to streamline the rules of golf for the entire world.

Answer: 1860

The Open Championship tournament was played on October 17, 1860 at the Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland. Scottish player Willie Park, Sr. (1833-1903) was the first player to win the tournament and was declared "The Champion Golfer of the Year". The Open has mainly been contested on various courses in Scotland, but has ventured out to other areas within the United Kingdom.

The Open Championship has become one of the major tournaments for the PGA (Professional Golfers' Association) along with the Masters and the U.S. Open.

Answer: True

Old Tom Morris (1821-1908) first won The Open Championship in 1861. He would later pick up three more victories. He was 46 years old when he won the tournament in 1867, becoming the oldest man to win the competition. His son Young Tom Morris (1851-1875) would follow in his father's footsteps and won the Open Championship four times in his career. Young Tom's first win came in 1868 when he was only 17 years old, becoming the youngest man ever to win the tournament.

In addition, the man Young Tom defeated in 1868 was none other than his father, Old Tom.

Answer: No

The game of golf was known to be a 'men's only' sport during its early history. Very few women played the game, although Mary, Queen of Scots (1542-1587) was known to have played golf and has been credited for the inspiration of the term 'caddie'. In 1867, Scotland would open the first golf course designed for women at St. Andrews.

There was a catch, however, as the course consisted only of putting greens. It still exists today as the The Ladies Putting Club of St Andrews.

Answer: Newport, Rhode Island

The first U.S. Open tournament was played on October 4, 1895 at the Newport Country Club in Rhode Island. Its first winner was English golfer Horace Rawlins. The Newport Country Club was established in 1893. In 1888, Scottish immigrants would established one of America's first golf courses on a cow pasture near Yonkers, New York.

They named it St. Andrew's Golf Club after its famous ancestor in Scotland. It was initially comprised of only three holes. The Newport Country Club and St. Andrew's Golf Club would become two of the founding members of the USGA, which was founded in 1894.

Answer: St. Augustine, Florida

The World Golf Hall of Fame was founded in the city of Pinehurst, North Carolina in 1974. In 1998, it was moved to the city of St. Augustine, Florida. The World Golf Hall of Fame honors both men and women who have excelled in the sport. Inductees to the World Golf Hall of Fame include American legends Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Bobby Jones, all of whom were inducted in its inaugural year of 1974. Scottish golf pioneers Old Tom Morris (1975), Young Tom Morris (1976) and Willie Park, Sr. (2005) have also been inducted.