His father was a prominent public official in the Kingdom of Württemberg.

Since 1882, Golther studied Germanic philology and Romance languages and literature at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich.

Golther served as a lecturer in Germanic philology at Munich from 1885 to 1895.

From 1885 to 1934, Golther was Professor of German and Modern Literature at the University of Rostock.

Golther retired from Rostock in 1934, but continued to be affiliated with the University as Honorary Professor of German Philology.