Britannica
Sources used in this answer
When was the Scottish ban on golf lifted?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
golf
American golfer Tiger Woods competing at the British Open (Open Championship) at St. Andrews, Fife, Scotland, 2005.
The Scottish ban on golf was lifted in 1502.1
The prohibition had been enacted by the Scottish Parliament on March 6, 1457, under King James II, who feared that the game—along with football—was distracting citizens from the archery practice necessary for national defense. The 1502 lifting of the ban occurred when the Treaty of Glasgow temporarily ended hostilities between Scotland and England, allowing King James IV to become an avid player of the sport himself.12