1,000-year-old golf balls discovered in China

CAIRO – 3 February 2022: It is known that modern golf originated in Scotland in the 15th century. The oldest tournament in the world is the Open (British Open), which was first played in 1860 at Prestwick Golf Club in Ayrshire, Scotland.

This is nothing new as using sticks to hit balls into holes was also a favorite game for elites in ancient China.

The ceramic ball, which is currently on display at the art gallery of Pingdingshan University, in central China's Henan Province, was discovered. It is one of more than 1,000 ceramic balls that were used in the golf-like game in ancient China, according to the ancient-origins website.

A symposium was held in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, which inspected hundreds of restored ancient Chinese artworks related to Chuiwan, or the so-called "origin of modern golf", welcoming to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

The Palace Museum and the China Golf Association have set up a special research group on Chuiwan in ancient China, with the aim of conducting in-depth research on the culture of ancient Chuiwan.