Could you ever think that golf is the most popular sport in Ireland? Moreover, the following two countries where golf is considered the most favored are Canada and the UK. The fourth place by popularity goes to the USA. Don’t you find it fascinating?
Do you personally enjoy playing and watching this versatile sport? We bet you do! Considering how fast golf tickets are usually sold out, there are a lot of fans out there! Be the first to get your tickets by checking the Koobit website for available ones.
So, why is golf so popular? Is it the opportunity to connect with other people? Is it the fact that it is relaxing and demanding at the same time? Or maybe, it is the whole beauty of the process in general? In our opinion, it is everything together. Everyone looks for their own pleasures and reasons to be fond of this sport. While most golf lovers, for sure, know the strategies, tactics, and tricks of golf, most of them are not aware of the incredible history behind it and the surprising facts.
So, let us take you on a journey and look closer at different interesting facts about golf.
- The country of origin is Scotland.
This might come as a surprise from one side. However, from the other side, Scottish landscapes could prompt the appearance and development of such an exciting game. Golf appeared in 1457. It is believed that the Middle Ages facilitated the invention of such a royal type of sport. In the very beginning, people played gold only in public. Nowadays, we see the same tendency. Nevertheless, some people like to enjoy privacy and play it privately, renting golf fields or so. - It was banned in Scotland.
Sounds hilarious, don’t you think? The inventors of the game eventually banned it at some point in time. Actually, the Scottish forbade golf three times between the years 1457 and 1744. That had some ground, as golf was played publicly. So a lot of officials considered or mistaken it for some rebellious acts or military training. Sounds strange to hear that in the 21st century, as it is difficult to see golf as some kind of a rebel. - Women’s golf was initiated in 1811
Still the same country, Scotland, where women started playing golf. There is no surprise, unfortunately, that the difference between men and women starting to play is almost 4 hundred years! This struggle has been going on for years. Even though, nowadays, the course of the game is much friendlier to women than it was back then. - Hole-in-one has a 12500 to 1 probability.
Almost all golf players have trouble with a hole-in-one. If you ever start thinking that there is something wrong with you or that you are a bad player, relax! It is just the odds that are very low as there is only a 1 in 12500 chance to achieve a hole-in-one. If you look at the gold careers of even the most successful players, you can find out that some of them have never even made it. - Feather and leather
Every kind of sport has a history of equipment and materials used for balls and other gear in a game. But just think for a minute that initially, golf balls were made of leather and feathers! Can you imagine hitting such a ball across the course? The golf ball was made of leather inside and covered with wet feathers around it. The process of creating balls was usually long, and those balls were not the most reliable ones to play with. - Wooden era
have we surprised you with leather and feather balls? But wait, later, golf balls were made of wood. There is not much evidence why they chose this material. However, there were a lot of experiments with different materials used for making golf balls before we got the modern ones. - Moon golf
It is an interesting historical fact that Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr. actually played gold on the moon! Not so many sports were played there, if not none except golf. In our humble opinion, it is a fact that we should be proud of. - Sand mounds
A lot of people consider golf tees to be a regular part of the game and probably, do not even notice them. However, before the early 1920s, there were no golf tees! Players would make mounds of sand and place a ball on them. - Water splashes. A lot of them!
This fact is not game-changing, but it is really entertaining. Have you ever thought about how many balls are lost in the water? Frankly, only during one championship do about 50 balls hit the water. - Hole-in-one by Tiger Woods
As we have mentioned earlier, the probability of reaching a hole-in-one is very low. However, not for Tiger Woods. In fact, he was keen on playing golf at the age of 2 already! So, the first time he made hole-in-one was when he was only 8 years old. Basically, he had achieved that success long before becoming one of the best professional golfers in history.
Conclusion
If you have ever doubted the uniqueness and enrichment of golf, read this article again. These are only a few facts from history. If we start talking about all of them, it can reach hundreds of cool and fun facts. Going back to basics, if you have stumbled upon this article, you must be interested in general. So don’t spin out and get your tickets to the earliest golf event. Enjoy the beauty of and behind it!
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