I am always online looking up tips and tricks for golf, reading about tournaments and other golf related articles. Every once in a while, I come across some interesting golf trivia, and I will save it to share with my golfing friends that enjoy that sort of thing and with my readers. Today these are random golf facts I have collected. Some you most likely know, there are a couple you may not have heard of.
1
Did you know that the average golf ball has 336 dimples? I recently bought a dozen Bridgestone golf balls and the box said they had 330 dimples. I am going to have to start paying attention and seeing if all the golf ball brands give you dimple count.
2
The dimples on a golf ball are designed to make it more aerodynamic, allowing it to travel further in the air. I am fascinated with this and have been paying attention since learning this. I always thought the dimples were all the same, they are not. Those same Bridgestone’s mentioned above have different sizes of dimples in different patterns.
3
Golf was one of two sports played on the moon. Alan Bartlett Shepard Jr. used a 6-iron to play golf on the moon. Edgar Mitchell threw a javelin.
4
You may have heard the phrase we will meet up at the 19th hole and wondered where that was since most golf courses have 18 holes. The 19th hole is the bar or lounge usually in the clubhouse. Many golfer head to the 19th hole for a drink after a round of golf.
5
Golf was banned 3 times in Scotland between the years 1457 & 1744. It was banned because the government believed it interfered with military training. In the early days of golf, players would golf publicly, such as on the streets or on business properties. This was seen as a nuisance. In addition, football (soccer) was also banned during this time. Not sure how you golf in the street without doing a lot of damage.
6
Golf has been around since the 15th century, for men that is. It was not until the 19th century that the first round of woman’s golf was played. This first round was played in Musselburgh, Scotland in 1811. In 1867, the first women’s club was developed. From here, women’s golf has an outstanding history.
7
Cabbage is the word given for the deep rough that swallows balls whole and refuses to let them out of their vice-like grip. This term cracks me up because I am sure that is the weird fairway grass, they have in Virginia Beach, it swallows up my ball. Then I read more about the slang cabbage and discovered they are talking about the knee-deep stuff. The sort that when you fire a ball and you see it heading for the “cabbage”, you instantly declare a provisional. You are not going to find it and you do not want to go in and try.
8
That flag tending is when someone holds on to the flag and lifts it out of the cup as the ball approaches. This allows you to see the hole on a long putt but also avoids the risk of a penalty by hitting the flagstick. This was one of the first terms when I started golfing, my husband would ask me to tend the flag. With the new rules, this is no longer necessary unless your partner prefers the flag out.
9
To settle a tie in a competition there is a countback way of settling a tie. It works by counting back until you declare a winner. For example, three players each card a net 68. To find the winner, you compare the back nine of each player. The lowest score wins. If two or more players are still tied, then you go to the last six holes. Then the last three. Then the last one. If there is still a tie, I say let them both claim victory!
10
Scrambling is a stat that is calculated to work out how good a player’s short game is. It is a chip or a putt from less than 50 yards away that results in requiring one putt or less on the green. The stat is worked out by dividing successful scrambles by number of greens missed. I am sure this makes sense to somebody out there; I still do not get how this is going to tell me how good or bad my short game is.
We have a lot more fun golf facts and tidbits that we will share in the coming weeks and months. Visit us often for our latest articles and don’t forget to sign up for our Golf Up North Newsletter and a chance to win some Golf Up North Schwag!
