The IHSAA has sponsored a boy's golf state championship since 1928. Prior to this time, there were some invitational meets held in Iowa City, but records for these meets have not been maintained. Early state golf meets were usually held in the spring, but some years there was a tournament held in the fall as well. 

The 1942 state meet was notable for being the only time in state history (in any sport) a championship was stripped from a winning school. Atlantic shot 545, besting Cedar Rapids Franklin by 12 strokes, and was awarded the team championship trophy at the state meet. However, a rule existed at the time stating that a coach must accompany his team to the state tournament and that he must also follow his players or some other players around the 27-hole route and keep score. Atlantic's coach brought the team to Ames for the state meet, but left the golfers in order to direct his track team in that meet, which was taking place the same weekend. Franklin's coach filed a protest, which was not ruled on at the meet, but which he later won. Adding to the strangeness of this event, Atlantic's top golfer in the tournament, was Phyllis Otto, who at a time when competition in IHSAA golf was apparently not limited to only boys, became what would appear to be the only girl to ever place in the top five in an IHSAA state golf meet. 

Beginning in 1959, separate state meets were held for Class A and Class B. Competition was then expanded to three classes in 1977 and four in 1982. Beginning with the 1986-87 school year, many of the state's largest schools began playing golf in the fall, instead of the spring, and in essence two class 4A tournaments were held every year (one in the fall and one in the spring) through the 1992-93 school year. At this time, schools were not allowed to compete in the spring meets if they competed in the fall. Starting with the 1993-94 school year the state stopped holding a 4A tournament in the spring, and 4A schools were required to compete in the fall tournament instead. Other classes continued to play spring golf, while a few smaller schools who competed in conferences with primarily 4A schools (originally Assumption and Regis catholic high schools, and later others), competed out of class in the fall. Such an arrangement for state golf tournaments has continued up to the present day.