1. First Mention
It is impossible to say when golf was actually invented because
various similar games have been played for centuries. However, it
was first officially mentioned in 1457 in an act by James II of Scotland
when it was made illegal. In fact, it was banned twice again by the
following kings because it got in the way of military training.
2. Two holes in One
Hitting a hole-in-one is the ultimate achievement in a round of
golf, but it is very rare. Even more rare, however, is hitting two
holes-in-one in the same round. But this is exactly what
Kassandra Komma from Oakland University did recently while
playing in a nine-hole game. The odds of such a feat are 67
million to one.
3. Golf Hole Sizes
All golf holes are the same size 4.25 inches in diameter and
they have been this way since 1891. The reason for this is
because the original rule book was written by The Royal and
Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, and this was the size of their
hole cutter.
4. Links
The word 'links' comes from the word 'hlinc' in Old English,
which means raised ground.
5. Early Golf Balls
The early versions of golf balls were quite different to the
modern ones in that they were filled with feathers. In the
mid-18th century, balls began to be made from gutta-percha,
which is like rubber, making them cheaper and longer lasting.
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6. Early Tees
The earliest forms of tees were made from small piles of sand
that were constructed by hand. Celluloid tees only arrived at the
start of the 20th century.
7. Highest Tee
The highest tee in the world is 400 metres, and you will find it at
the Legend Golf and Safari Resort in South Africa. Get a
hole-in-one and you will win a million dollars.
8. Green Zone
Another extreme golf club is the Green Zone Golf Club. This is
divided between two countries, with half the holes in Sweden
and the other half in Finland.
9. Low-Gravity Golf
In 1971, one of the astronauts from Apollo 14 hit a golf ball one
handed on the moon. Along with the javelin, golf is the only sport
to have been played on the moon.
10. Left-Handed Right-Handed Player
Phil Mickelson plays golf left-handed, but he is actually
right-handed in everything else.
11. Fortune Teller
Before the 1957 Masters, Doug Ford not only predicted that he
would win, but also what score he would end up with. He turned
out to get both predictions right, winning with a score of 283.
12. Most Golf Courses
As the home of golf, it seems only right that Scotland has the
highest number of golf courses in the world per capita, with one
for just over every 9,000 people.
13. The Grand Slam
No player has won the Grand Slam in the same year, which
consists of four events: the British Open, the U.S. Open, the
Masters and the PGA Championship. They have all been won
consecutively by Tiger Woods, just not in the same year.
There you have it, 13 facts about golf!
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