The following is a partial timeline of the history of golf:
A golf club is a club used to hit a golf ball in a game of golf. Each club is composed of a shaft with a grip and a club head. Woods are mainly used for long-distance fairway or tee shots; irons, the most versatile class, are used for a variety of shots; hybrids that combine design elements of woods and irons are becoming increasingly popular; putters are used mainly on the green to roll the ball into the hole. A set of clubs is limited by the rules of golf to a maximum of 14 golf clubs, and while there are traditional combinations sold at retail as matched sets, players are free to use any combination of legal clubs.
A golf ball is a special ball designed to be used in the game of golf.
The Wilson Sporting Goods Company is an American sports equipment manufacturer based in Chicago, Illinois. Wilson makes equipment for many sports, among them baseball, badminton, American football, basketball, fastpitch softball, golf, racquetball, soccer, squash, tennis, pickleball and volleyball.
Samuel Robert Torrance is a Scottish professional golfer and sports commentator. He was one of the leading players on the European Tour from the mid-1970s to the late 1990s, with 21 Tour wins. Torrance was a member of European Ryder Cup teams on eight occasions consecutively; on Cup-winning teams four times. He was also part of the winning Scotland team at the 1995 Dunhill Cup. He was the winning non-playing captain of the European Ryder Cup team in 2002. Torrance was honoured with the MBE (1996) and OBE (2003), for his outstanding contributions to golf.
William "Willie" Auchterlonie was a Scottish professional golfer. He was a native of St Andrews. He won the 1893 Open Championship at the age of 21 years and 25 days and he remains the second youngest Open Champion after Tom Morris, Jnr, but it was to prove to be his only Open. His brother, Laurie Auchterlonie, won the 1902 U.S. Open.
Callaway, legally Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp., is an American global sports equipment manufacturing company that designs, manufactures, markets and sells golf equipment, more specifically clubs and balls, also including accessories such as bags, gloves, and caps. The company also produces clothing through its subsidiary "Callaway Apparel,” and golf shoes, through its "Cuater" subsidiary. In 2021, the company purchased Topgolf, and thus also operates a chain of golf-related amusement and events centers.
Slazenger is a British sports equipment brand owned by the Frasers Group. The company was established as a sporting goods shop in 1881 by Ralph and Albert Slazenger on Cannon Street, London. Slazenger was acquired by Dunlop Rubber in 1959. Dunlop was acquired by BTR in 1985. Sports Direct acquired the business in 2004.
Karsten Solheim was an American golf club designer and businessman. He founded Karsten Manufacturing, a golf club maker better known by the name of PING, and the Solheim Cup, the premier international team competition in women's golf.
Spalding is an American sports equipment manufacturing company. It was founded by Albert Spalding in Chicago in 1876 as a baseball manufacturer, and is today headquartered in Bowling Green, Kentucky. It sells softballs through its subsidiary Dudley Sports. In the past, Spalding has manufactured balls for other sports, including American football, soccer, volleyball, tennis, and golf.
Scotty Cameron is an American sports equipment brand established by Don T. "Scotty" Cameron, a golf club manufacturer primarily known for making putters. Scotty Cameron is part of the Acushnet Company brand portfolio since 2011, when the corporation acquired it from Fortune Brands.
Ping, Inc. is an American sports equipment manufacturing company based in Phoenix, Arizona. It focuses on golf equipment, producing golf clubs and golf bags. The company was founded by Karsten Solheim, following a career as an engineer at the General Electric company. In 1959, he started making putters in his garage in Redwood City, California. In 1967, he resigned from his job at General Electric to develop the PING company.
MacGregor Golf is a sports equipment manufacturing company based in Albany, Georgia, which specializes in golf. MacGregor currently produces a wide range of golf clubs, bags, and accessories.
Hugh Philp (1786–1856) was a Scottish golf club maker, who is considered to be the greatest club maker of all time.
St Andrews Golf Club, originally known as St Andrews Mechanics Golf Club, is a private members’ golf club located in St Andrews, Scotland. The club is one of the oldest golf clubs in the world, having been established in 1843.
Robert Simpson was a Scottish professional golfer, golf course architect, and club maker who played in the early 20th century. The Simpsons Golf Shop, at Carnoustie Golf Links in Scotland, was founded in 1883 and remains the second oldest golf shop in the world. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest club makers of all time.
Bettinardi Golf is an American sports equipment company that produces a wide range of golf equipment and clothing. Bettinardi was founded in 1998 by Robert J. Bettinardi,
Parsons Xtreme Golf is a global sports equipment manufacturing company that designs, markets, and sells a line of custom fitted golf equipment products and accessories, mainly clubs. The company is based in Scottsdale, Arizona and was established in 2014 by Bob Parsons, founder of web hosting service GoDaddy.
Robert Grieve MacAndrew was a Scottish-born golf professional and a master blacksmith who in his youth became proficient in making golf clubs. He was born and raised in St Andrews, Scotland, and from 1895 to 1898 worked as a club maker there. In 1898, at the age of 29, he was recruited to the U.S. to supervise the manufacture of golf clubs for the A.G. Spalding Company in Massachusetts. To supplement his income, MacAndrew gave golf lessons and helped in constructing golf courses with the goal of saving money to pay for the passage of his wife and children to come from Scotland to the U.S.
