Golf

[Bandito]

Is it true that the name originated from "gentleman only, ladies forbidden"?
I recently heard that.
If that was something common-known, i apologize, golf isn't actually sport No1 in Serbia.

[Rjevan]

This is definitely not common-known, at least not in Germany. I never heard about this. :blink:
Where did you hear that? I'm not very firm with sports history but I think it was first played by the Scots around the 13th century but this "gentleman only, ladies forbidden" sounds much more modern, like 18th century, I doubt that the old Scots would have used terms like "gentleman" (no offense to Scots, the Germans wouldn't have done either in the 13th century ;)).

[ÑóẊîöʼn]

Considering the origin of the game as a way for shepherds to pass the time, and the fact that it wasn't always spelt the same way (it used to be called goulf) I think "Gentlement Only, Ladies Forbidden" is a backronym (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backronym).

EDIT: Snopes says it's false (http://www.snopes.com/language/acronyms/golf.asp).

[TheCultofAbeLincoln]

There are ladies-only golf clubs, too, by the way, though they are much more rare.

[Picky Bugger]

Surely if you are using this logic to name golf it would have been called wgoeef

"white gentlemen only everyone else forbidden"

[Mujer Libre]

Moving this to the sports subforum of chit-chat.

[Bandito]

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/When_and_where_did_golf_originate

Ok. Found it.
It doesn't, but seems like plenty of people think that's the right acronym.