The first formal golf club, the Company of Gentlemen Golfers, now the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, was established in Edinburgh in 1744. It codified the first set of rules, which helped eliminate local variations in play. The Royal and Ancient Golf Club, established 10 years later at St. Andrews, Scotland, became the official ruling organization of the sport. Its rules committee, along with the United States Golf Association, still governs the sport. Their four major tournaments are in the LPGA, the U.S. Women's Open, the duMaurier Classic in Canada, and the Nabisco Dinah Shore tournament.
Golf is played, to some extent, in most countries of the world.
In Japan, for instance, golf is sometimes regarded as the national pastime. The Ryder Cup, begun in 1927, is a biennial men's professional competition that used to be between a U.S. team and one representing England, Scotland, and Ireland. In 1979 the latter team was expanded to include members from all of Europe. The Walker Cup and Curtis Cup are amateur competitions for men and women respectively, between teams from the United States and England, Scotland, and Ireland. The former began in 1922 and since 1947 has taken place in odd-numbered years.