The earliest record of golf being played refers to a match that took place in Edinburgh in 1456, but full-sized golf courses weren't developed in Wales until the 1880s.  They were to be found mainly on the coast, where the grass was most suitable.  A course was opened in Tenby in 1880, in Borth near Aberystwyth in 1885, and at Conwy in 1890.

Although golf has always been considered an elitist sport, and that many of the clubs in Wales open only to members, the sport gained considerable popularity in the 20th century,

In 1957, Dai Rees of Ffontigari, near Barry, captained Europe to its first Ryder Cup victory in 22 years.  Before the end of the year, he became the first Welsh person to be named BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

Ian Woosnam and David Llewellyn reaffirmed Wales's place on the golfing map when they won the World Cup in 1987.  The World Cup was again captured by Welshmen Stephen Dodd and Bradley Dredge in 2005, and Ian Woosnam captained the European team to victory in the Ryder Cup in 2006.