▁of ▁population ▁than ▁any ▁other ▁country . ▁ ▁Et ym ology ▁ ▁The ▁word ▁golf ▁was ▁first ▁recorded ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 5 th ▁century , ▁appearing ▁twice ▁in ▁an ▁Act ▁of ▁the ▁Sc ots ▁Parliament ▁of ▁ 6 ▁March ▁ 1 4 5 7 , ▁in ▁the ▁reign ▁of ▁James ▁II . ▁The ▁Act , ▁which ▁ordered ▁the ▁holding ▁of ▁w app ensch aws ▁() ▁four ▁times ▁a ▁year ▁for ▁the ▁purpose ▁of ▁arch ery ▁practice , ▁stated ▁that ▁" the ▁fut ▁bal ▁and e ▁the ▁golf " ▁( football ▁and ▁golf ) ▁were ▁to ▁be ▁" vt ter ly ▁cri yt ▁done " ▁( con dem ned ; ▁lit . ▁" cri ed ▁down ") ▁and ▁" no cht ▁vs yt " ▁( not ▁engaged ▁in ; ▁lit . ▁" not ▁used "). ▁Off enders ▁were ▁to ▁be ▁pun ished ▁by ▁the ▁bar ony ▁courts , ▁otherwise ▁they ▁were ▁" to ▁be ▁t ane ▁be ▁the ▁king is ▁offici aris " ▁( arr ested ▁by ▁the ▁king ' s ▁officers ). ▁ ▁Football ▁( see ▁Football ▁in ▁Scotland ) ▁and ▁golf ▁are ▁again ▁both ▁explicitly ▁named ▁and ▁forb idden ▁in ▁two ▁further ▁ 1 5 th ▁century ▁Scottish ▁stat utes ▁encourag ing ▁arch ery ▁practice , ▁in ▁ 1 4 7 0 ▁and ▁ 1 4 9 1 . ▁The ▁ 1 4 7 0 ▁Act , ▁in ▁the ▁reign ▁of ▁James ▁III , ▁again ▁uses ▁the ▁sp elling ▁golf , ▁but ▁the ▁ 1 4 9 1 ▁Act , ▁in