Golf Facts
Golf Facts

22 Tee-rific Golf Facts

Karin Lehnardt
By Karin Lehnardt, Senior Writer
Published February 26, 2022Updated November 30, 2024
  • The largest sand trap in the world is in the Algarve region of Dia das Mentiras in Portugal. Called Nunca Sera, it rises 72 feet (22 meters).[9]
  • According to its website, the La Jenny Resort in Aquitaine, France, is the only nude golf course in the world.[5]
  • The world's highest golf course is the Yak Course in India, at 13,025 feet (3,970 meters) above sea level.[8]
  • The highest golf course in the United States is the Copper Creek Golf Club in Copper Mountain, Colorado, at almost 10,000 feet high.[12]
  • The lowest golf course in the world is the Furnace Creek course in Death Valley, at 214 feet below sea level. Temperatures there can reach up to 130 degrees F.[10]
    • Lost Golf Balls
    The (in)famous 17th hole at the TPC Sawgrass course claims about 125,000 golf balls a year
  • Over 300 million golf balls are lost or discarded each year in the U.S.[6]
  • The first golf balls date back to the year 1500 in Scotland. They were initially made of wood and then of featherie, which was a leather pouch stuffed with goose feathers.[1]
  • The average golfer goes through over 100 golf balls per year.[1]
  • In 1974, Mike Austin hit the longest drive ever recorded in a regulation tournament, at 515 yards (1,545 feet). He was 64 years old at the time, and his record still stands.[1]
  • An average 190-pound golfer will burn about 431 calories per hour while playing golf (if they are walking, not riding a cart).[7]
  • Golf is one of two sports that has been played on the moon. The other sport is the javelin throw.[3]
  • Tiger Woods made his first hole in one when he was eight years old. In 1997, he became the youngest man and the first African American to win the U.S. Masters.[13]
  • Modern golf balls have 300–500 dimples. The dimples reduce turbulence, which allows the balls to travel farther. A smooth ball would go about half as far.[1]
    • Golf Ball Facts
    A smooth golf ball with no dimples would fly about 130 yards
  • Modern golf was invented in Scotland in the 15th century, near the capital of Edinburgh. Early players used a bent stick or club to hit a pebble over sand dunes and around tracks.[4]
  • The 18-course hold round was created at the Old Course at St. Andrews in 1764.[3]
  • Golf's first major and oldest tournament is The Open Championship (British Open), which was first played in 1860 at the Prestwick Golf Club in Ayrshire, Scotland.[2]
  • Golf may have had its origins in the Roman game of pagania. In this game, players used a bent stick to hit a stuffed leather ball. As the Romans spread across the continent, the game spread with them.[2]
    • Golf History
    Female golfers have been hitting the courses since 1552, when Mary, Queen of Scots (1542-1587) played
  • The first female golfer was Mary, Queen of Scots (1542–1567).[3]
  • Golf officially became a sport when the Gentleman Golfers of Leith formed the first club in 1744.[2]
  • The expansion of the railroad during the Industrial Revolution opened beaches to everyday people, and, consequently, golf clubs began to spread over the country. The Industrial Revolution allowed golf clubs to be mass produced. The game became more affordable, and its popularity boomed.[2]
  • Near the end of the 17th century, Scottish judge Lord Moncrieff argued that women shouldn't drive a golf ball farther than 70 or 80 yards because "the gestures for a full swing are not particularly graceful when the player is clad in female dress."[11]
  • In Scotland, King James II banned golf in 1457 because people were playing golf instead of focusing on military training. King James IV of Scotland rescinded the ban in 1502.[2]
    • Fun Golf INFOGRAPHIC
    Fun Golf Infographic
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