Golf : a very peculiar history

When golfers first hit the green it certainly wasn't well-lawned and well-tended.

Players simply waltzed into the wilderness and took whatever sandtraps and water hazards nature could throw at them, thwacking those balls with good grace across the skyline.

Today golf is a grand and peaceful sport with a dash of high society about it.

But what happened in between? Golf, A Very Peculiar History takes a sideways look at one of this nation's greatest exports, tracing its history from the earliest ball-in-hole games right up to the scandals that rock its current celebrities and tournaments, with a fair few mulligans in between.

From its origins as a strictly men-only, exclusive sport, golf has matured a great deal through the ages and has distanced itself from the elitist pursuit it once was, today allowing players from all creeds and sexes.

This book takes a look at how these prejudices have (sometimes) been overcome.

Just remember, it's not always the caddie's fault...