Where Did That Phrase Come From?

[Cybergolfer]

In Scotland, a new game was invented. It was entitled Gentlemen Only Ladies Forbidden....and thus the word GOLF entered into the English language.

[Ben Hogans]

In Scotland, a new game was invented. It was entitled Gentlemen Only Ladies Forbidden....and thus the word GOLF entered into the English language.


From Golf Digest May/June 2004
Q: Where does the term golf really come from? A man at my club keeps insisting that it originally stood for "Gentlemen Only, Ladies Forbidden," but I refuse to believe he's right.
-- Hannah Marks, Washington, DC

A: Ever heard the one about the Loch Ness monster? That's not true either. The "Gentlemen Only..." story is a myth that has taken on a life of its own in recent years. It got a real boost in the wake of the Martha Burk-Hootie Johnson brouhaha two years ago, and I've spent many an afternoon on the golf course explaining to playing partners that it's pure hogwash.

Some historians believe that golf is more than 5,000 years old -- there's documentation of a game similar to golf having been played by Roman soldiers. Shepherds in medieval Germany were also rumored to pass the time by slapping around rocks with their sheep-herding sticks in a way that could be compared to golf. But the first real evidence of the sport comes from 13th-century Holland.

According to most history books, this is also where the name originated. The ancient Dutch word for club was "kolf" or "kolve," and when the Dutch passed the game along to their trading partners, the Scots, the name is believed to have been given the more Scottish-sounding pronunciation "golf." Since then, Scotland has become known as the game's home. The world's first official course -- the Royal & Ancient Golf Club at St. Andrews -- was built there in the 1400s, and its founders shaped the way the game is played to this day.

One thing's for sure: "Gentlemen Only" had absolutely nothing to do with the origin of the sport.

[Bellyhungry]

Knowing the frsustrating nature of the game, I think I know where the 'F' comes from. No clue about the rest of the letters.;)

[landlord]

All the other 4-letters words were taken, is what I heard. :D