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Does it Stand for "Gentlemen Only, Ladies Forbidden"?
Did the word "golf"
originate as an acronym for "gentlemen only,
ladies forbidden"? That's a common old wives'
tale. Or, in this case, more likely an old husband's
tale.
No, "golf" is not an
acronym for "gentlemen only, ladies forbidden."
If you've ever heard that, forget it immediately.
Better yet, find the person who told you and let
them know it's not true.
Like most modern words, the word
"golf" derives from older languages
and dialects. In this case, the languages in question
are medieval Dutch and old Scots.
The medieval Dutch word "kolf"
or "kolve" meant "club." It
is believed that word passed to the Scots, whose
old Scots dialect transformed the word into "golve,"
"gowl" or "gouf."
By the
16th Century, the word "golf" had emerged.
Contributed by Dee Temple of
Rainbow
Spectrum
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