Golf is a sport enjoyed by millions of people all over the globe.
It’s always fun to know interesting trivia related to something you enjoy.
Below is a selection of interesting facts about golf we bet you never knew.
An Historical View
Golf has played and enjoyed for centuries. Below are some top trivia every lover of the game should know:
- The game as we know it today was invented in 1457 in Scotland. While it was probably played and enjoyed even before this time, this is the year recognised by historians as the beginnings of the modern-day style and rules of the game.
- The game was banned an incredible three times by the Scottish government during those early years. The reason for this was that it had become so popular a pastime, that government believed it interfered with military training.
- Women’s golf has its origins in Musselburgh, Scotland. The first round of women’s golf recorded in history was played in 1811.
- The most popular golf tournament is the Augusta National. But what not many people know is that the beloved competition was plagued many several issues during its early days. A big reason for this is that the Augusta was founded just ahead of the Great Depression, and as such, it only really gained traction some years following the end of the Second World War.
- Interesting also about the Augusta National, is that it was originally intended to have a 19th The idea behind this thinking was to afford losing golfers the opportunity to win their money back on a final round of double-or-nothing. The concept was however abandoned because a 19th hole would interfere with the flow of the golf course.
- The very first golf balls were manufactured of feathers wrapped up in leather coverings. These balls were in use until the mid-1800s, after which golf balls were mainly made out of wood. Those early feathery balls flew much further than the balls we know today.
Early Origins And Customs
The game’s rules and customs developed constantly over time, much like the games you’ll find at mobile casinos on Canada.
Below is a handful of interesting facts about how golf’s customs came to be:
- Tees weren’t always a thing. Players in golf’s early days used to tee off from mounds of sand. The concept of the tee as we know it today was only popularised as late as the 1920s.
- A “condor” is a hole-in-one performed on a par 5. This is a supremely rare event.
- The term “albatross” refers to a score of three under par.
- “Birdie” is a term initially coined by Ab Smith. The name was given quite by accident when Smith hit said he “hit a bird of a shot” in 1889.
- There’s only a 12,500 to 1 chance of hitting a hole-in-one.
Famous Golfers Trivia
- Tiger Woods has won a crazy 82 PGA Tournaments. He played his first hole-in-one at the age of only eight.
- Phil Mickelson was born right-handed. As a child, however, he started to copy his father’s swing, which resulted in him swinging as though he was naturally left-handed.
- Jack Nicklaus became the first golfer to successfully defend a Master’s title.