The origins of golf are a matter of mystery and controversy. Little, if any, evidence of the game in the form of golfing equipment or recognisable images survives from earlier than the mid 18th century. And so, for the 'Dark Ages' of golf - before the formalisation of the game with the establishment of the first Golfing Societies and Clubs - it is to written sources that we must turn for reliable information. This book takes a close look at the earliest records of the game in Scotland, from the 1457 Act of Parliament banning golf to the first printed book devoted entirely to the game - Thomas Mathison's poem The Goff, published in 1743. The original documents and books, many from the collections of the National Library of Scotland, are reproduced, while transcripts, commentary and interpretation of the sources illuminate not only the early days of golf, but also the society which gave rise to the world's most internationally popular game.