The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam acquired a 17th-century Dutch painting "Colf Players on Ice" for £9.7 million, prompting the museum to stake a claim that golf originated in the Netherlands rather than Scotland. The museum's head of fine arts argues that early 16th-century Dutch and Flemish prints show "colf," a precursor to modern golf, though he acknowledges there is no written proof of Dutch priority.

Scotland's claim to golf's invention remains strong, supported by substantial evidence: King James IV purchased golf clubs in 1502, over a century before the painting was completed in 1625, and Scotland is home to the world's first golf courses and the first codified rules, written in Edinburgh in the 18th century. A golf historian from University College London contested the Dutch theory, noting that whilst similarities exist between colf and golf, many arguments for Dutch origins lack reliable evidence, and the modern game took root and flourished specifically in Scotland.