Golf Facts

As a premier South Florida golf club, we might actually know too many golf facts. We wanted to impart some of our fun facts about golf for the curious golfer. We hope you find these as interesting as we do and maybe even win at your local golf trivia!

Golf History Facts

Golf has a deep and storied history. We feel every lover of golf should know the following facts about golf history:

Modern-day golf was invented in 1457 in Scotland, predating south Florida golf courses by quite some time.
Golf was banned three times for years after it was invented because the Scottish government believed it interfered with military training.
The first round of women’s golf was played in the year 1811 in Musselburgh, Scotland.
The first golf balls were made of feathers wrapped in leather. These balls flew much further than the balls that came after. They were used until the mid-1800s, when they began being made out of wood.
Although the Augusta is revered by South Florida golf courses and players worldwide, the original Augusta National was plagued by many issues for the first 20 years, and it almost never happened. It had the misfortune of being founded just before the Great Depression, and it did not gain traction until years after World War II.
The original Augusta was intended to have a 19th hole, giving losing golfers a chance to win their money back on a quick round of double-or-nothing. It was indefinitely tabled because the hole would ruin the flow of the golf course.

Facts About the Origins of Golf Rules and Customs

With modern-day golf being invented back in 1457, you may wonder how the game’s rules and intricacies have developed over time. Check out these golf facts about how specific golf customs originated.

Before golf tees, players would shape mounds of sand and place the golf ball on top. Tees were finally popularized in the 1920s.
The term “birdie” was coined accidentally by Ab Smith, who hit a “bird of a shot” in 1889.
A score of three under par is called an “albatross.”
A “condor” is a term given to a hole-in-one on a par 5. It is almost as rare as two hole-in-ones in a single game of golf.

General Fun Facts About Golf

Sometimes you just want to know some interesting and random golf facts, like the following!

Almost 80% of golfers will never have a handicap under 18.
The average golfer has a 12,500 to 1 chance of making a hole-in-one. Tell that to all of the patrons at the South Florida golf courses right now!
Golf was one of the only sports played on the moon. Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr. used a 6-iron to play golf on the moon. This is a fact about golf we should all be proud of!
The longest putt was a mind-blowing 375 feet.
The chance of making two hole-in-ones in a single game is 1 in 67 million.

Facts About Famous Golfers

Certain golfers have transcended the sport to become a part of pop culture. We wanted to offer some fun facts about golfers.

To date, Tiger Woods has won an astounding 82 PGA tournaments.
Tiger Woods made his first hole-in-one at the age of eight.
Phil Mickelson is naturally right-handed, but as a child, he mirrored his father’s swing and learned to swing as though he was left-handed.
Jack Nicklaus was the first golfer who was able to successfully defend his Master’s title.

South Florida Golf Club

After learning these golf facts, we hope we’ve improved your ability to perform at fun golf trivia games. We also understand that we may have gotten you in the mood to play. Deer Creek Golf Club is one of the best golf clubs in Florida. We are open to the public and offer membership deals and affordable rates.

View our tee times and come check out our South Florida golf course designed by the legendary Arthur Hills.