. ▁The ▁most ▁widely ▁accepted ▁theory ▁is ▁that ▁the ▁modern ▁game ▁of ▁golf ▁origin ated ▁in ▁Scotland ▁in ▁the ▁High ▁Middle ▁A ges . ▁The ▁first ▁golf ▁courses ▁and ▁clubs ▁were ▁established ▁in ▁the ▁country . ▁The ▁first ▁written ▁rules ▁origin ated ▁in ▁Scotland , ▁as ▁did ▁the ▁establishment ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 8 ▁hole ▁course . ▁The ▁first ▁tournament ▁structures ▁developed ▁and ▁compet itions ▁were ▁held ▁between ▁various ▁burg hs . ▁The ▁modern ▁game ▁was ▁spread ▁by ▁Sc ots ▁to ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁the ▁world . ▁ ▁The ▁earliest ▁reference ▁to ▁golf ▁is ▁the ▁purchase ▁of ▁a ▁set ▁of ▁golf ▁clubs ▁by ▁James ▁IV ▁from ▁a ▁bow maker ▁of ▁St ▁John ston ▁( Per th ) ▁in ▁ 1 5 0 2 . ▁Where ▁he ▁played ▁is ▁not ▁known , ▁but ▁it ▁is ▁likely ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁on ▁the ▁open ▁ground ▁called ▁the ▁North ▁In ch ▁at ▁Per th . ▁It ▁is ▁recorded ▁that ▁Robert ▁Mau le ▁of ▁Pan m ure ▁played ▁golf ▁at ▁Car n oust ie ▁in ▁the ▁mid ▁ 1 6 th ▁century , ▁as ▁a ▁w ager ▁for ▁drink . ▁Ar ound ▁the ▁same ▁time , ▁in ▁ 1 5 5 2 , ▁John ▁Hamilton ▁the ▁Arch bishop ▁of ▁St ▁Andrew s ▁granted ▁the ▁right ▁of ▁the ▁people ▁of ▁St ▁Andrew s ▁to ▁play ▁golf ▁and ▁gather ▁tur f ▁on ▁the ▁links , ▁retain ing ▁his ▁rights ▁to ▁the ▁rabb it ▁war r ens ▁there . ▁ ▁The ▁Old ▁Link s ▁at ▁M uss el burgh ▁Race course