Most Commonly Asked Questions

Where did the word “golf” come from?

A common misconception is that the word GOLF is an acronym for Gentlemen Only Ladies Forbidden. This is definitely not true. It is now accepted that the ‘golf‘ is derived from an old word meaning ‘club’.

What are the odds of making a hole-in-one?

An average golfer making a hole in one at approximately 12,500 to 1, and the odds of a tour professional at 2,500 to 1.

Has there ever been a hole-in-one on a par-5?

A hole in one on a Par 5 is referred to as a “Condor” and to this date, no such shot has ever been made on any professional tour. There is some speak of it happening before, but nothing supported by evidence

What are the odds of making a double-eagle?

The odds of making a double eagle have been posted at 6-million-to-1, although some think it might be closer to 1 million to 1

What is the lowest 18-hole score ever recorded?

The lowest golf score over an 18 hole course (male) is 55, and was achieved by Rhein Gibson (Australia) at the River Oaks Golf Club in Edmond, Oklahoma, USA on 12 May 2012. River Oaks course measures 6,700 yards with a par score of 71.

What are the highest scores by pro golfers on a single hole?

23 – Tommy Armour on par-5 at 1927 Shawnee Open

What is the PGA Tour cut rule?

In layman’s terms, it means: The cut for most PGA TOUR events remains where it has been in the past, at low 70 professionals and ties. If that cut results in a field larger than 78 professionals, the cut will generally be at the next lower score, meaning the weekend field will be smaller than 70

What does ‘MDF’ mean in golf scores?

“MDF” is an acronym that sometimes appears next to a golfer’s name on PGA Tour leaderboards seen in print or online. Here’s what it means: Short answer: “MDF” stands for “made cut/did not finish.”

What are sponsor exemptions?

“Sponsor exemptions” is a term applied to places in the field for a professional golf tournament that are set aside to be filled at the discretion of the tournament’s sponsor

What is Monday qualifying?

A Monday qualifier is a stroke play golf tournament held on the Monday before a professional golf tournament that awards top finishers entry into the professional tournament. In the United States, both the PGA Tour and Web.com Tour offer Monday qualifiers for most events

What is an ‘opposite-field tournament’?

Opposite field events are held concurrently with special events on the PGA Tour. Each is its own tournament held at a different location. These events allow golfers that don’t qualify for the special events opportunities to earn prize money, FedExCup points, World Ranking points, Ryder Cup points, President’s Cup points and a pension point

Which golfers have earned ‘battlefield promotions’?

• Chris Smith, 1997
• Heath Slocum, 2001
• Chad Campbell, 2001
• Pat Bates, 2001
• Patrick Moore, 2002
• Tom Carter, 2003
• Jason Gore, 2005
• Nick Flanagan, 2007
• Michael Sim, 2009
• Carlos Ortiz, 2014
• Wesley Bryan, 2016

What are PGA Tour slow play rules and penalties?

The basic guideline on pace of play in PGA Tour tournaments is the same thing as is dictated by goodgolf etiquette for the rest of us: Keep up with the group in front. If you are out playing with your friends on a busy day at the local course, that’s your obligation: Keep up with the group in front of yours.

• The player receives a warning for his first “bad time” of the round.
• If he records a second bad time in the same round, he gets a 1-stroke penalty and $5,000 fine.
• If he records a third bad time in the same round, he gets a 2-stroke penalty and a $10,000 fine.
• If he records a fourth bad time in the same round, he is disqualified.

Who are the last amateur winners on the PGA, European and LPGA tours?

PGA Tour:

• Phil Mickelson, 1991 Northern Telecom Open
• Scott Verplank, 1985 Western Open
• Doug Sanders, 1956 Canadian Open
• Gene Littler, 1954 San Diego Open

European Tour:

• Shane Lowry, 2009 Irish Open
• Danny Lee, 2009 Johnnie Walker Classic
• Pablo Martin, 2007 Estoril Portuguese Open

LPGA Tour:

• Lydia Ko, 2013 Canadian Women’s Open
• JoAnne Carner, 1969 Burdine’s Invitational
• Pat O’Sullivan, 1951 Titleholders Championship
• Polly Riley, 1950 Tampa Open

Has an amateur ever won a professional major?

5 times the US open has been won by an amateur, the last being in 1930 by Bobby Jones

How do LPGA Tour golfers qualify for the Hall of Fame?

Must be/have been an “active” LPGA Tour member for 10 years

Must have won/been awarded at least one of the following – an LPGA major championship, the Vare Trophy or Rolex Player of the Year honors; and

Must have accumulated a total of 27 points, which are awarded as follows – one point for each LPGA official tournament win, two points for each LPGA major tournament win and one point for each Vare Trophy or Rolex Player of the Year honor earned.

Who is the youngest major championship winner?

The youngest golfer to win one of the major championships of men’s golf is Young Tom Morris, who was only 17 when he captured the 1868 British Open

Who is the youngest golfer to shoot his age?

The overall record for youngest golfer to shoot his age belongs to Bob Hamilton, a golf pro who shot his age of 59 at Hamilton Golf Club in Evansville, Ind., in 1975. The golfer who holds the age-shooting record on golf’s major professional tours is Walter Morgan, playing the Champions Tour

What does it mean to “press the bet”?

The press, at its most basic, is a second bet that begins during the course of a round, joining and running concurrently with the original bet. When one player presses, he is starting the second bet, or “pressing the bet.” The second bet is usually for the same amount as the original bet

Should rakes be placed inside or outside of bunkers?

Though there’s not a specific rule about where to put rakes, there is a decision that deals with the issue. It explains that the biggest concern is the rake getting in the way of play. So, don’t leave them inside the bunker along a steep bank, because it could catch someone’s ball. Don’t toss rakes into the middle of bunkers, because you’re just a jerk if you do that. And don’t lay them in front of bunkers, because it could stop someone’s ball from going into the bunker.

Do golfers playing as singles have any standing on the course?

A single player has no standing and should give way to a match of any kind

Why are ‘skins’ – as in The Skins Game – called what they are?

A “skins game” is a golf betting game that pits members of a group of four (or three or two) against each other in a type of match play. Each hole carries a value, and the winner of the hole wins that amount. Ties, or halves, result in the bet amount being carried over to the following hole, adding to the pot. When a player wins a hole, they are said to have won a “skin.”

Why is the golf hole the size that it is?

The exact reasons for why that first tool cut holes at the now-standard diameter are lost to history. But it was almost certainly a completely arbitrary thing, a notion supported by the story (perhaps apocryphal) that the tool was built from some excess pipe that was laying about the Musselburgh links. (That 9-hole Musselburgh links, by the way, was the site of six British Opens from 1874 to 1889

Do range balls fly as far as regular golf balls?

Generally, range balls do not fly as far as regular golf balls. But the biggest difference isn’t necessarily that range balls typically fly shorter distances, but that they vary so widely in distance performance

Are yardages listed to the front or center of the greens?

Center of the Green

What do red, yellow and white stakes or lines mean on a golf course?

A set of yellow stakes or lines indicates a water hazard

Red is the same as yellow, up to the golf course to choose

A white stake is the worst of the stakes. It marks out of bounds

Who – and how much – should I tip at the golf course?

What is typically customary? For a forecaddie, about $20 to $25 per player. For a caddie toting just your bag — around $40 to $50 — a little less for a double bag because the other player should be tipping said caddie, too. But if you want to be safe, don’t be afraid to ask the head pro or director of golf

What is swing weight, and does every golfer need to be concerned with it?

Swingweight is not an absolute measurement of weight but rather a representation of the relationship between the amount of weight in the bottom two thirds of a golf club compared to the top third of a golf club. From a players perspective this translates to how the weight of the club “feels” during a players swing

Why is “closest to the pin” abbreviated as “KP”?

There is no defining reason for closest to the pin to be called KP. It’s simply something that started somewhere

What do the numbers on a golf ball mean?

Nothing, really. These single-digit numbers are simply there for identification purposes. Say you and your buddy both play the same golf ball – a Titleist Pro V1, for example. You want to make sure you can tell them apart during the round, and using balls with different numbers can help you do that

Does a “whiff” count as a stroke?

A ‘whiff‘ is a most embarrassing moment for any golfer. It occurs when a player takes a swing at their ball, with the intent of moving it, and fails to make contact with it. The first point to note is that there is no penalty for a ‘whiff‘, but the attempted stroke does count, even though the ball has not moved

How is handicap index calculated?

A Course Handicap is the number of strokes a player receives on each particular course. Determine a course handicap by multiplying the Handicap Index by the Slope Rating (from the course and tee you choose) and dividing by 113 (standard difficulty rating). Round the result to the nearest whole number.

What is “slope rating”?

A slope rating is computed from the difference between the bogey rating and the USGA course rating. A golf course of standard playing difficulty has a slope rating of 113, and slope ratings range from a minimum of 55 (very easy) to a maximum of 155 (extremely difficult).

How far am I supposed to hit each club?

This is one of the most-asked questions from newbies to golf: How far am I supposed to hit each of my golf clubs? What is the golf club distance for each of my clubs? The only completely honest answer is: It depends

Why are golf courses 18 holes in length?

In 1764, the golfers at St Andrews decided to combine the first four short holes into two, to produce a round of 18 holes, though it was still 10 holes of which 8 were played twice. Thus was born the 18–hole round, though it would be hundred years before there were eighteen holes and other courses followed suit