Golf is one of the best-known sports in the world. It can be played by men and women of any age and is a great way to spend your retirement. Yet there is so much interesting information to know about the age-old sport. Read on to find out some fascinating facts.
Longest drive
If you play golf then you know how important it is to hit a good drive. It can be the difference between a bogey and a birdie. The longest drive ever recorded was 515 yards. 515 yards is longer than most par 5s and meant that Michael Hoke, the record holder, could aim straight for the green on most courses.
The moon course
Golf is only one of two sports to have been played on the moon. In 1967 Alan Bartlett Shephard Jr used a 6 iron to send a ball through the moon’s gravity. The other sport that was played, if you are wondering, was javelin (Maybe he didn’t like his shot and throw his golf club in anger, would that count as javelin?)
A solid exercise
If you think golf is just a sport for the old and grey, you are forgiven. It may seem like a Sunday stroll type of sport but it is so much more. It is a great exercise for cardio and building muscle mass. The average golfer will burn 431 calories per hour of playing.
China courses
The development of new golf courses in China is now banned. Yet it still takes place. There are many newer courses that continue to be built as many don’t mention it on planning applications that a golf course is planned.
Golf is just a name
Many people believe that GOLF stands for Gentlemen Only Ladies Forbidden, based on the old rules that women were once not allowed to play. This is not actually true. Instead, the word comes from older words that meant club.