By the time the first golf courses were built in America, the game had been played for more than four centuries in Scotland.

Yet it took only a few decades for the United States to become the center of attention on the world golf stage.

The founding of Oakhurst Golf Club in 1884 launched golf as we know it in the U.S. When Bobby Jones won what was then called the “Grand Slam” in 1930, it cemented America’s status as the game’s center of gravity.

Since then, the U.S. has led the way in course building, equipment innovations and manufacturing, and just about every metric used to gauge international influence. It’s also produced most of golf’s biggest stars, including Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.

Let’s take a brief tour to trace the significant steps in American golf history.