Interesting Golf Trivia Tidbits

Golf is a game with a long and fascinating history, and it’s attracted millions of players all over the world. This long history means that there are many great bits of golfing trivia out there. Impress your fellow players on the green with some of these fun facts the next time you play!

History

• Golf was invented in Scotland in 1457, and the world’s oldest course is still active.
• The Scottish government actually banned golf on multiple occasions during the 15th century because of its perceived impact on military training.
• Golf has been played on the Moon by Alan Shepard.
• The first time that average women played golf was in 1867; however, Mary, Queen of Scots, enjoyed playing the game.

Equipment

• Golf balls were first made from feathers wrapped in leather. Later, they were made of wood before gutta-percha, a tree latex, became common. Eventually, though, Bakelite and other plastics replaced this material as well.
• Before today’s wooden and plastic tees were developed in the 1900s, players placed their golf balls on top of small sand mounds.
• 80% of golfers will never have a handicap under 18.

Records

• The longest putt ever was 375 feet.
• Average golfers have a 12,500-in-one chance of making a hole-in-one.
• Tiger Woods spent 683 weeks total as the world’s #1 golf player — that’s 13 years!
• The youngest LPGA winner was Lydia Ko from New Zealand, who was just over 15 years old when she won.

Famous Players

• Members of the “Rat Pack” were avid golfers, including Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin.
• Several U.S. presidents have golfed, from William Howard Taft to Donald Trump. Woodrow Wilson was especially fond of the game, as it allowed him to reduce the stress he experienced during World War I. John F. Kennedy also enjoyed golf, despite a bad back.
• Several classic and modern Hollywood actors have enjoyed golf, including Matthew McConaughey, Will Smith, Samuel L. Jackson, Hugh Grant, Bill Murray, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Katharine Hepburn, Nicole Kidman, and Jessica Alba.
• Rapper Snoop Dogg is also known to enjoy golf.

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