History of Golf Bags

For as long as there has been a game of golf, there have always been golf clubs to carry -- and yet not golf bags. Some historians identify the bags' advent to the late 1800s -- long after the game first appeared in wartime Scotland in the 15th century. Even then it was only when peace treaties between the Scots and the English ended the Hundred Years War that golf was allowed on the moors of Scotland, where the modern golf game flourished.

Golf Wars

During the 1421 battle of Baugé, French wartime allies introduced a Scottish regiment to "chole," a 1300s progenitor of golf -- despite being played more like field hockey. According to Golf Information, players used wooden sticks to hit leather balls along the ground towards a goal. Scottish soldiers Hugh Kennedy, Robert Stewart and John Smale are identified as being those who brought chole back to Scotland in 1421, but the game was immediately banned because it distracted Scotland's military from training. Eventually, peace with England arrived in 1502; James IV signed the Treaty of Glasgow, and made the first official purchase of a set of clubs. Now all the king needed was a bag to put them in.

1880s-Early 1900s

In the 1880s, two equipment inventions took place. In 1880, the smooth-surfaced golf ball from 1618 became purposefully scuffed and dented to improve flight patterns, predating regular dimple-application in 1905. Also in the 1880s the first bags were used, states Top End Sports. One early 1900s "small-mouth" bag, 4.4 inches wide and 34.5 inches tall, was made from canvas and leather, with metal top and bottom, as illustrated among Worth Point's vintage items. This simple style continued into the 1920s and '30s.

1940s-1980s

After World War II, bags grew roomier and incorporated lightweight materials such as plastic and nylon. Straps, pockets, buckles and zips added dimension and storage space for balls, gloves and books. The 1950s battery-powered golf cart initially reduced bag sales, so designers created cart-friendly bags with features to prevent them from rolling out of the carts. Sporting kickstands and double straps were regular features by 1986.

1990s to Present

Today's golf bags can boast high-tech plastics, polymers, metal compounds, leathers and furs. Pockets and compartments accommodate cell phones, cameras, sport drinks and even distance-measuring devices. Golf Walls describes a recent Dutch invention: a solar-paneled bag that reduces the need to carry around electronic device chargers. Less ornate bags are readily available at most sporting goods stores, as well.

Materials, Rules And Usage

As steel golf clubs increased in number and cumulative weight, bags became more important. United States Golf Association Rule 4.4 stipulates 14 as the maximum number of clubs allowed during competition, and players face disqualification if their bags' contain more. Bag inspection is expected, as is the adherence to etiquette rulings about where to place your bag. The Professional Golfers Association handbook specifies that you never place your golf back directly on the green. Some golfers simply refrain from using bags, relying on just a club or two to get them through the game -- reflecting the game's earliest days of minimal loads.