golf

Where does the word "golf" come from? It comes from Dutch kolf, passing through Scots before entering English (1500s-1600s).

Golf’s story begins in Dutch: kolf meant “a club, stick-and-ball game.” Meaning "club" or "bat", used in a stick-and-ball game. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Scots as golf. Developed into the distinct Scottish stick-and-ball game. It reached English by 1500s-1600s as golf. Spread from Scotland across the English-speaking world. Today, golf means a sport in which players hit a ball into a series of holes using clubs.

1. Stage 1 · Dutch · medieval kolf "a club, stick-and-ball game", meaning "club" or "bat", used in a stick-and-ball game.
2. Stage 2 · Scots · medieval golf "the stick-and-ball game", developed into the distinct Scottish stick-and-ball game.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1500s-1600s golf "a sport played by hitting a ball into holes", spread from Scotland across the English-speaking world.