The arrival of golf in the Australian colonies is interwoven with the early development of the game in Scotland. Today, the Ratho golf links remain one of the world's best preserved, ancient golfing grounds.

The game we now call golf was born on Scotland's east coast. Bothwell, here in Tasmania's highlands, was settled by a boatload of pioneering Scottish settlers in 1822. As well as the rest of their proud Scottish culture which they transplanted into the Upper Clyde valley, they brought the game of golf with them.

Today the Ratho Links is recognised as Australia's  oldest golf course, and is the oldest known golf course, still existing outside of Scotland.