Does anyone know the origin of the word “GOLF”?
One of my male friends tried to tell me some nonsense about it being an acronym for “Gentlemen Only, Ladies Forbidden.”
Anyone out there got any clues?
That’s what some have believed since ladies were long prohibited from playing golf. Here is a pretty good explanation at this link for the most probable origins though 
Most sources claim the word is derived from the earlier Dutch game of “kolf”, which may have been one of the game’s antecedents.
We had a previous thread on the history of golf.
Thank you for all the info! It proved very handy in debunking my dear friend.