Golf in Montenegro
Golf has a long history in Montenegro.
Although golf in Montenegro is still perceived as a new sport, it is true that in our country it has a history that goes back more than a century. The first golf club in Montenegro was founded on June 20, 1906, under the patronage of the Montenegrin princess Milica, the German princess Juta, the wife of the Crown Prince Danilo.
Thanks to her close ties with Russian and European aristocratic clubs, the spirit of European culture was nurtured at the court of King Nikola, and new sports were introduced, including the then elite sport - golf.
Montenegro became the first country in the Western Balkans to establish a golf club. Golf clubs in the surrounding area were established much later, in Zagreb in 1927, in Belgrade in 1936, and in Bled 2 years later.
On July 6, 1906, Princess Milica, as the club president, opened a golf course on the meadows near the royal palace, organized the first tournament, and played the first shot there. The tournament participants were members of diplomatic missions, high-ranking guests, and members of the Montenegrin elite. The tournament, which introduced the new game to Montenegro, attracted a lot of attention, about which there are documents kept in the State Archives of Montenegro in Cetinje, most of them in the diary of the Russian military agent Potapov, who regularly recorded all the events.
In honor of our dear Princess Milica, who brought golf to Montenegro, 110 years later, in May 2016, the same year when golf was included in the Olympic sports, the first golf club in recent Montenegrin history was founded in Tivat, which proudly bears her name. After her, GK Brskovo was founded in the north, in Mojkovac. Later, with the registration of three more golf clubs throughout Montenegro, the conditions were met for the establishment of a Golf Association.
Golf in the World
One of the oldest sports
The beginnings of golf are linked to Scotland and the 14th century, but there are also many older games, similar to golf, that were its predecessors. In the historical writings of the Roman Empire, during the time of Caesar, a game called Paganica is mentioned, in the Netherlands a game called Kolf or Cloven was played, and in France in the 12th century, the game chole, so these two countries are considered the cradles of golf. In England, in the 14th century, the game of cambuca is mentioned, which is very similar in rules to paganism.
However, it is assumed that in Scotland, in the 14th century, the game most similar to today's golf originated, and the first players were shepherds, who played it by hitting the ball with wooden clubs and pushing it into rabbit holes.
The first written document about today's golf is actually a decree banning golf, issued by King James II of Scotland in 1457, because he believed that the game was too distracting and interfered with military exercises.
King James IV of Scotland was the first member of the royal family to seriously study golf. His granddaughter Mary was completely crazy about golf, so in 1567, she was accused because just a few days after the murder of her husband, she went to play a game of golf.
Until the 19th century, the game had only one form - match play, i.e. the winner on each course was the player who completed that course with the fewest number of strokes.
First Rules
The first golf club was founded - 19th century
In 1854, the first golf club in the world was founded, still active today - the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews. The club created the first written rules of golf, many of which are still applied today. Today, the rules of golf are regulated by the R&A, but with the contribution of the USGA (United States Golf Association). Golf is one of the few sports that distinguishes between professionalism and amateurism. Golf was included in the Olympic sports at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, in 2016. Golf is a sport that, along with football and basketball, is one of the most popular sports, and today it is played by about 69 million people in the world.