World's Oldest Golf Club

A Scottish golf course, which is reputedly the oldest in the world, could be closed this week, as part of council cuts.

St Andrews may be known as the home of golf throughout the world, with the first of golf being played there being back in 1574.

However, Beasley’s World Atlas of Golf names North Inch as the "first recognizable golf course in the world.”

King James V1 played there in the 1500’s, some 70 years earlier than the first record of golf at St Andrews, according to the Perth Merchants Golf Club.

He came to the throne in 1488, but it was not until 1502 that he decided that the threat of war with England had gone, and therefore lifted the ban on playing golf, which had been imposed to make people take up archery.

He then took up the game himself, and bought his first set for the princely (shouldn’t that be Kingly? Ed) sum of 13 shillings, which is about 65p in today’s money.

Old Tom Morris created the existing lay out, so we really are talking about some serious golfing history.

Now, according to a report in the Scotsman, the local Perth and Kinross council are planning to close it in order to save a paltry £100,000 a year.

Times may be tough but this is the thin edge of the wedge, and a bit of cultural vandalism in our opinion. A little clever marketing, and we'd all be going there. We'd never heard of the course until now, and we are meant to know the odd thing or two about golf. 

If they made a song and dance about the course's history, then we would all be adding it to our lists for sure.

For more news on another course that is under threat click here or on the image below.