▁the ▁reign ▁of ▁James ▁IV , ▁sp ells ▁it ▁g ou ff ; ▁and ▁variants ▁such ▁as ▁g ow f , ▁g ow ff , ▁g ou f ▁became ▁the ▁usual ▁spell ings ▁during ▁the ▁Early ▁Modern ▁Period . ▁The ▁Scottish ▁National ▁Dictionary ▁states ▁that ▁" g olf ▁represents ▁a ▁rev ival ▁of ▁the ▁Middle ▁Sc ots ▁form ; ▁L oud oun ▁G ow f ▁Club , ▁New mil ns , ▁retain s ▁the ▁old ▁form ▁in ▁its ▁title "; ▁i . e . ▁the ▁sp elling ▁changed ▁from ▁Med ieval ▁golf ▁to ▁Early ▁Modern ▁g ow f , ▁and ▁then ▁back ▁again . ▁ ▁The ▁Dictionary ▁of ▁the ▁Old er ▁Scottish ▁T ong ue ▁gives ▁the ▁et ym ology ▁of ▁the ▁word ▁golf ▁or ▁g ou f ▁( with ▁many ▁alternative ▁spell ings ) ▁as ▁probably ▁from ▁the ▁Dutch ▁k olf ▁( see ▁Kol ven , ▁a ▁Dutch ▁ind oor ▁ball game ); ▁although ▁the ▁dictionary ▁also ▁records ▁the ▁n oun ▁golf ▁( with ▁alternative ▁spell ings ▁gol fe ▁or ▁gol ph ) ▁as ▁der iving ▁from ▁Middle ▁English ▁golf ▁or ▁g oul f ▁or ▁Old ▁French ▁gol fe , ▁meaning ▁" a ▁deep ▁pool ▁or ▁h ollow ; ▁an ▁aby ss "; ▁a ▁cogn ate ▁of ▁modern ▁English ▁g ulf . ▁ ▁Other ▁golf ing ▁words ▁of ▁Sc ots ▁origin ▁ ▁Link s : ▁first ▁recorded ▁in ▁ 1 4 5 3 ▁- ▁" E t ▁de ▁x xx ▁s . ▁de ▁le ▁l yn k is ▁de ▁Le ith "