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Holland. A frozen lake. At one end ... a pole. At the other end ... another pole. A ball the size of a grapefruit. Weight: 2 pounds. A club. Purpose of the game ... hit the opponents pole ... hitting the ball with the club ... using the minimum number of strokes. The name of the club used: A Kolf. The players would presumably be called Kolfers. Yessiree ladies and gennulmen. This medieval Dutch pastime was the early forerunner of the game of golf.
Of course ... there are those who would say that the origin of golf was a Chinese game called Chiuwan dating back to roughly A.D.
943 during the Sung Dynasty. Personally ... I like the Dutch version.By the fourteenth century ... golf had migrated to Britain where it was first sorely disapproved of because it often interfered with archery practice needed for civil defense. However ... it wasn't long before it became Scotland's national sport. Which brings us to the military before it brings us to the jeweler.
Year: Unknown. The troops are at the firing lines. The commander of the troops yells: 'Ware Before! What this means is that the first line troops might find it prudent to kneel in order to avoid having their heads blown off by the second line troops. Eventually ... in the interest of economy ... 'Ware Before was shortened to just plain "Fore" which then ... by some mysterious route known only by the world's intelligencia ... segued to the world of golf. Fore! ... which means duck lest the fool behind you slices the ball and knocks your block off.
Then there's the folklore which also comes before the jeweler. Never clean your ball once the game is in play. Never change clubs once you've removed the one you've chosen from the bag ... for if you do you will muff your shot. And then there's the folklorish statement supposedly uttered by Ulysses S. Grant who said ... and I paraphrase: That looks like good exercise ... but what's the little ball for. A man after me own heart ... as I tend to be more of a Tenniser than a Golfer.
And so now that you've all learned all you ever wanted to know about golf and maybe even more than you ever wanted to know ... I bring you to our diamond pavé golf brooch. It's a golfer in full swing ... pavé with diamonds and set with calibré rubies. Value is around $1200.00. Go take a look. He almost looks alive.
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And there ya have it. That's it for this week folks. Catch you all next week. Benjamin Mark
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