The classic game of golf, live every other sport, has evolved over the centuries with interesting trivia taking place every now and then. Golf, although quite simplistic in its approach, has a number of quirky facts associated with it that we bet you didn’t know earlier!
So, let’s see how dedicated a golf fan you are with these 8 golf facts. We are sure you didn’t half of them earlier.
1. The evolution of golf was quite rough in the beginning. The Scottish government inferred that the sport hinders military training back in the day and put a ban on it three times after it was officially invented and played.
2. World-renowned player, Tiger Woods has hit a hole-in-one, which was also his first when he was just eight years old. He later went on to win 77 PGA tours, which is absolutely astounding!
3. The average chance for a golfer to hit a hole-in-one is one in 12,500. The chance of doing the same twice in a game is a whopping one in 67 million!
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4. Golf has been to places where not many sports have. One of them is our very own Moon! That’s true, during the Apollo 14 mission, Alan Shephard became the only person in the history to play golf on the moon on 6th February 1971.
5. The record for the longest putt by any player in the history of Golf is by Brett Stanford. He was able to hit the ball right into the hole from a mind-numbing distance of 119 meters! That’s 10 meters longer than a football field.
6. Before much favorable plastic and rubber, ancient golf balls were actually made of feathers enclosed in a ball of feathers! Some people claim that these feathery balls traveled farther when airborne.
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7. In Japan, you can pretty much buy an insurance cover for $65 to throw an after party if you hit a hole-in-one in the game. That’s actually true! You can get up to $3000 for a lavish party due for your friends, given your way of making the big shot meets the general requirements of the covering company.
8. Let’s finish off with a nerdy one! Although each golf ball maker has their own criteria about the number of dimples on the golf ball, the optimal number of pits on a golf ball should lie somewhere between 380 and 432 for the best shot!
So, here were the top 8 golf facts that we are sure you didn’t know about, but now you do!
The Sport of Golf Needs a Reform!
For a long time, the golfing industry has been trying to expand its potential by bringing in new players for the sport, while side-by-side carrying the attempts to keep present players loyal to the game by not letting them leave. A variety of programs have been brought into use for this specific purpose. However, none of them seem to be doing all that well if I would say so. Nothing seems to be working.
After observation, I believe, everything comes down to reasoning. So, let us look into the issue closely.
Issues Faced by the Industry
The golfing industry comes across three common issues that the sportpersons normally complain about:
• The game being difficult
• The game being time-consuming
• The game being cost-inefficient, i.e., expensive.
Proclivity towards Golf
Among adults that have shown a proclivity towards the game, there are three distinct groups:
• Ones who like the game but cannot begin due to various reasons, or perhaps due to one of the reasons mentioned in the above sub-section
• Ones who play frequently but play for a reduced number of rounds
• Ones who take up the game for a while but then leave
From here on, I would like to bring my focus on the third group - those that leave the game.
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As I mentioned before, the golfing industry designs programs to gain new players. However, I would like to bring to their notice that for the players they gain with devised programs, almost an equal number of people leave the game too. Their method is analogous to continuously pouring water in a bucket with a hole at its bottom. To say it effectively and clearly, their methods stand ineffective.
When asked, most game-quitters claim that they do not have enough time for golf, or that the game costs too much to indulge in. I doubt the honesty of these claims however.
What I do want everyone here to consider is, the scoring method. I am of the opinion that people opt for easier and dishonest answers to preserve their dignity. They are not to be blamed of course.
Par
I believe that the underlying reason for people to quit playing golf is due to how they view their performance. The game is definitely a tough nut to crack, but the scoring methods make the situation worse. What is supposed to be fun-time for an individual, instead brings in pressure to perform well, making the sport ‘no-fun’.
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All of this, due to one reason alone - the concept of par.
Consider this: a beginner scoring ‘eight’ on a ‘par-four’ hole after six shots and then two putting for an ‘eight’. They have every reason to be elated in context of their ability even though they’ve just begun, but, we all know that they are not, as they are four-over par on that hole. This is our ‘Old Man Par’*.
*Term coined by Bobby Jones
Personal Par
Now, consider this: You take up a new subject at school. You work very hard for your first assignment, and you actually do a very good job. However, you score an ‘F’. How would you feel? Encouraged or discouraged?
On the contrary, imagine if you were marked relatively, with respect to your past and present performance/ability alone. This is personal par.
Personal par was a concept used to groom a young Tiger Woods. His coach designed a system in which he would adjust the par upward based on Woods’ ability at a particular point in time.
If we use this for the game, beginners would find more satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment - the kind of encouragement they need to stick to golfing.
Personal par is the kind of system that we require to improve the game’s condition today and help it recuperate. Having said this, I move for ‘Old Man Par’ to retire and retire permanently. He is killing a good game.
Physical Fitness And Golf
Physical fitness is a choice. There is no argument that a person who is fit enjoys a better quality of life as well as improved health. Fitness requires you to get moving, to use your physical body, to be active. Most golfers are reasonably fit because they get up and about performing their golfing activities. Walking the course instead of using a cart is recommended. The medical benefits of walking kicks in with regular walking three or four times per week, starting at 3 miles a day.
Besides general fitness, you also have the choice to perform physical exercises that will prepare you specifically for playing the golf. Some golfers are fanatic about fitness. But they have the results to prove the wisdom of this option. Remaining in a very good physical condition is your personal choice. Be aware, though, that general fitness and golf-related exercises can both contribute to a richer golfing experience.
Playing golf requires solid flexibility in both muscles and joints. Flexibility is the single most important physical quality likely to influence your golf swing. Stretching drills are an excellent way of aiding the desired suppleness. You can, for example, stand somewhere with enough space. Put your arms together above your head and reach upwards as high as you can, relaxing and repeating these stretches several times. An alternative is to stand with your back against a wall. Reach up with both arms remaining flat against the wall while stretching upwards on your toes.
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When it comes to muscle exercises the core muscle right at the center of your body is a game changer. It is your deepest abdominal muscle, the one that you feel contracting when you cough. Golfers improve with the strengthening of the core, the shoulders, and the upper back. This translates into a better swing. Rotational strengthening should be a further goal. You can add significant distance to your long shots when these muscle groups are trained regularly.
Many exercises can help you to achieve this strengthening of relevant muscles. A simple example is planking where you lie on the floor facing down. Push your body up on your elbows and maintain that position for as long as you can. You should soon be able to do several minutes. Repeat as you feel that core muscle contracting and improving in strength. Or, stand up with your legs slightly wider than the shoulders, take two dumb bells or a medicine ball in your stretched out arms and rotate in a figure eight. Rest and repeat as often as you can.
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These exercises are mere examples of the varied activities available to help you reach golf fitness. Support is at hand from various sources. Trainers at your gym can work out a regular training routine targeting those specific areas. A physiotherapist or similar professional can also be a source of quality advice. Many videos are available on YouTube demonstrating programs for you to follow. They all promote flexibility, mobility, stability and core strength.
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