General Golf History Books

The British Golf Collectors Society publishes a quarterly magazine, Through the Green, which contains new research on golf history and memorabilia. Old editions an be accessed on-line.

Baird, Archie 1982 Golf on Gullane Hill: a celebration of 100 years of Gullane GC Extended 8th edition 2008 Archie Baird

Browning, Robert 1955 A History of Golf Reprint 1990 A & C Black London

Butler, Anthony, David Hamilton and John Moffatt, with Chuan Gao and Wuzong Zhou 2017 Chui Wan 捶丸 - An Ancient Chinese Golf-Like Game Partick Press, St Andrews. More details.

Cameron, Donald 2009 Social Links - The Golf Boom in Victorian England More details on sociallinks.co.uk

Campbell, Malcolm 2001 The Scottish Golf Book Lomond Books. More details.

Carruthers, Tom 2004 Golf Club Maker Thomas Carruthers 1840-1924 Cualann Press

Carnoustie Golf Course Committee 1939 Carnoustie Commentary Carnoustie Golf Course Committee

Cartwright, John 1986 The Buik of King Alexander the Conqueror by Sir Gilbert Hay Vol II and III The Scottish Text Society (Actually these are volumes I and II as the spines are mismarked)

Clapcott, Charles B 1935 The rules of golf of the ten oldest golf clubs from 1754 to 1848 : together with the rules of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews for the years 1858, 1875, 1888. Published privately limited edition Edinburgh.

Clark, Robert 1875 and 1893 Golf: A Royal and Ancient Game 1893 edition 1975 Reprint EP Publishing. More details.

Cossey, Rosalynde 1984 Golfing Ladies - five centuries of golf in Great Britain and Ireland Orbis Publishing

Coull, William W 1993 Golf in Montrose Revised edition 2004 by Lyn Coull and Doreen Gordon (nee Coull). Published privately.

Crane, Malcolm 1991 The Story of Ladies Golf Stanley Paul & Co London.

Davies, Peter 1992 The Historical Dictionary of Golfing Terms from 1500 to present First Nebraska Printing 2005

Dickson, Robert 1874 Carnoustie and its Neighbourhood Revised edition 1892 George Cecil Dickson Revised edition 2002 Gordon G Huggins

D'Israeli, Isaac 1817 (Vol 3) Curiosities of Literature  (including Anecdotes of Prince Henry, Son of James I., when a Child, the MS commissioned by Lord Lumley ca 1608)

Fife Golfing Association, 2000 A History of Golf Clubs in Fife FGA Updated periodically

Ford, Donald 2006 The Carnoustie Story Published by Donald Ford Images

Geddes, Olive 1992. A Swing Through Time Golf in Scotland 1451 - 1743 Revised edition 2007 HMSO. More details.

Gibson, William H, 1988 Early Irish Golf Oak Leaf Publishers

Grant, Francis J 1906 Register of Apprentices of the City of Edinburgh 1583-1666 Scottish Record Society, Edinburgh

Hackney, Stewart 1988 Carnoustie Links: Courses and Players Ravensky Publications Dundee (Stewart Hackney is the pen name for David Ainslie).

Hamilton, David 1985 Early Aberdeen Golf: Golfing Small Talk Partick Press

Hamilton, David 1988 Early Golf at Edinburgh and Leith Partick Press

Hamilton, David 1998 Golf Scotland’s Game The Partick Press More details.

Hamilton, David 2004 Precious Gum: The Story of the Gutta Percha Golf Ball Partick Press

Harris, John 2007 Dunbar Golf – The Story of the Links at Hedderwick and Broxmouth Printed by Kelso Graphics

Hotchkiss, John 1997 500 Years of Golf Balls History and Collector's Guide Antique Trader Books. More details

Jarrett, Tom 1995 & 2009 St Andrews Golf Links - The First 600 Years Mainstream Publishing

Johnston, Alastair J 1985 The Clapcott Papers Edinburgh

Laird, Neil J B, 2017 Bruntsfield Links - Home of Club Golf  Golfiana Caledonia LLP, Edinburgh. More details.

Lewis, Peter N, 2016 Why are there Eighteen Holes? St Andrews and the Evolution of Golf Courses R & A GC of St Andrews Trust

Lewis, Peter N, Howe Angela D, McAdam, Emma Jane et al 2012 British Golf Museum Brochure 6th edition R & A GC of St Andrews Trust

Mair, Lewine 1992 100 Years of Women's Golf Mainstream Publishing  & LGU

McIlwrick, Maurice 2011 Golf in West Edinburgh - a brief look at the golf courses past and present their features and history Published privately

Macpherson, Scott 2007 St Andrews The Evolution of the Old Course Hazard Press Ltd New Zealand.

Millar, Neil S 2022 Early Golf : Royal  Myths and Ancient Histories Edinburgh University Press Scotland. More details.

Nalder, Ian 2000 Scotland's golf in days of steam : a selective history of the impact of the railways on golf  Scottish Cultural Press

Nijs, Geert & Sara 2011 Games for Kings and Commoners Colf, Crosse, Golf, Mail (Part One) Editions Choulla et Clava More details on ancientgolf.dse.nl.

Pinfold, John 2002 Hoylake Race Course and and Beginnings of the Royal Liverpool Golf Club I&M Boumphrey

Price, Robert 1989 Scotland's Golf Courses 2002 2nd Edition Mercat Press. More Details.

Pugh, Peter, Lord, Henry and Critchley, Bruce 2010 The Ryder Cup A History of Golf's Greatest Match Corinthian Press

Royal & Ancient, 2004 The 2004 Golfer's Handbook Editor Renton Laidlaw Macmillan Publishers

Stevenson, Dr David 1988 The Origins of Freemasonry Aberdeen University

Stone, Anthony 2001 Hoylake A History of the Links Radial Sports Publishing

Stuart, Marie W 1952 Old Edinburgh Taverns 

Valetta, Irwin R 1995 Singular History of the Golf Tee

Ward, Andrew 1999, 2010 & 2016 Golfs Strangest Rounds: Extraordinary but True Stories from Over a Century of Golf  More details here.

Ward, Harry 2019 Forgotten Greens - the abandoned golf courses of Scotland The Partick Press. More details here.

Watson, Charles B 1929 Roll of Edinburgh Burgesses and Guild-Brethren 1406-1700 Scottish Record Society, Edinburgh

See also