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About This Quiz
Fore!
One of the oldest sports in the world, the game of golf was first played centuries ago. In fact, there is proof that people were playing games similar to golf as early as the 13th century.
Modern golf, however, is said to have been invented in Scotland. And here we are talking about a game over 18 holes with recorded strokes at every hole. The first mention of golf in Scottish history appears in a 1457 declaration by the parliament of Scotland. This banned any soldiers from playing the sport of "gowf" as it kept them from archery practice. It is said that Mary, Queen of Scots was an avid golf fan.
Recorded instructions for playing golf have been found and dated to the late 1600s. That said, golf is a game of many rules, incredibly talented players, beautiful courses and if you are a professional, it's a great way to make a living.
But what exactly do you know about the game of golf? Do you know your bunkers from your condors? Your tee from your putter? What about your hazards from your driver?
Let's test your golfing knowledge in this short golf quiz. Maybe you are up to scratch golfer after all.
Good luck!
Who has won the most golfing Majors of all time?
Jack Nicklaus
"The Golden Bear," as he is known in the golfing world, Jack Nicklaus is the most successful golfer in the world in terms of Majors won. And let's be honest, that's the best way to judge a golfer. He won the U.S. Masters six times, the PGA Championship five times, the U.S. Open four times and the British Open three times. He also finished runner-up at Major tournaments on 18 occasions.
Tiger Woods
Gary Player
Arnold Palmer
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Can you name the golfer who won the 2018 British Open?
Rory McIlroy
Francesco Molinari
Francesco Molinari of Italy won the 2018 British Open by two shots over England's Justin Rose. The British Open is one of golf's four Major tournaments, and for his trouble, Molinari took home £10.5 million.
Ernie Els
Jason Day
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What is the Ryder Cup?
One of golf's Majors
A team tournament between the United States and Europe
Held every two years, the Ryder Cup is one of the golfing world's greatest spectacles. It features two teams, one from the United States and one from Europe who battle it out for ultimate glory. Players play four-ball matches, pairs and singles over three days with a point scoring system determining the winner.
A team tournament between the United States and the rest of the world
None of the above
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What nickname is given to a hole-in-one?
Hazard
Bunker
Ace
A hole-in-one is extremely difficult to achieve. It means a golfer has managed to land the ball in the hole in one shot. This is called an "ace" and is usually achieved on a par three hole.
Tee
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Of the golf courses listed below, which is the oldest?
Pebble Creek
Sawgrass
Musselburgh Links
Well, it would be found in Scotland, right? After all, it is the home of golf. Musselburgh Links. Written evidence exists that golf was played here in 1672. Originally a seven-hole course, Musselburgh is now a nine-hole course with a par of 34.
Royal Cape
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Can you identify the golfer known as "The Great White Shark"?
John Daly
Nick Faldo
Retief Goosen
Greg Norman
Australian golfer Greg Norman was at the height of his career in the 1980s and '90s. He won over 90 tournaments around the world, including the British Open twice. In 2001 he was voted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.
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Do you know what it means to play a hole in a par score in golf?
The number of shots a golfer with a zero handicap should complete a hole in
Par can be difficult to explain as golfers all have different handicaps. In professional golf, however, handicaps do not exist. So if a hole is a par 4, the golfer should complete it in four shots. Then he has achieved par for that hole.
Completing the hole in one less shot than a zero handicap golfer would
Completing the hole in two fewer shots than a zero handicap golfer would
Completing the hole in one extra shot than a zero handicap golfer would
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True or false. Golf has been played on the moon.
True
Yes, it is true! It was astronaut Alan Shepard that took balls and a golf club with him on Apollo 14. Scientist calculated that Shepherd's shot would have flown for around 2.5 miles and stayed airborne for 70 seconds thanks to the fact that the moon has far less gravity than earth.
False
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What nickname was Arnold Palmer known as?
"The Black Knight"
"The King"
Arnold Palmer is one of the greatest golfers the world has ever seen. He is recognized as golf's first real TV star when the sport first made it onto television. Palmer was extremely charismatic and loved by both the public and fellow golfers.
"The Big Easy"
"The Goose"
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A golfer who wants to hit the ball as far as he can when teeing off would use a ______
1-iron
Driver
When a golfer is going for distance, he hauls out his driver. Well, off the tee that is. Drivers have a massive head but are very light. They loft the ball the least out of all the clubs, hitting at a low trajectory to ensure it goes as far as possible and continues to roll once it lands.
Pitching wedge
Putter
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A golfer teeing off from a par 4 or more hole is aiming for what specifically?
Bunker
Fairway
A golf hole consists of many different lengths of grass as well as areas that include water and sand. The place a golfer wants to land the ball when teeing off is the fairway. This is short grass, which means it is easier to play the next shot, especially in terms of aiming and getting the correct spin on the ball without having to worry about grass affecting the contact with the ball.
Rough
None of the above
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Do you know when the golf tee was invented?
1971
1501
1899
The golf tee was invented and patented in 1899 by Dr. George Grant. A dentist, Grant was also a golfer who wanted an easier way to raise the ball to drive it at the start of a hole. And so, he invented the tee, which has remained much the same to this day.
1955
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What is the President's Cup?
A team tournament between the United States and Europe
One of golf's Major's
A team tournament between the United States and the Rest of the World
Introduced in 1994 and held every two years, the President's Cup features two teams, one from the United States and the other comprising of golfers from around the world but not Europe. Players play four-ball matches, pairs and singles over three days with a point scoring system determining the winner.
None of the above
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Any idea what a bunker is on a golf course?
A rest spot after 9 holes
An out of bounds area
The longer grass surrounding the green
An area on the course filled with sand
Bunkers are found on every hole on a golf course. They are usually very strategic positions to ensure accuracy from golfers. If a shot should land in a bunker, a golfer will most likely play it out with a sand wedge.
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When playing from the fairway into the green, a golfer would mostly use which club?
Putter
Iron
Off a tee, a golfer will use a driver. For putting, he will use a putter. If the ball is in a bunker, a sand wedge is used. But generally, when playing an approach shot to the green, it is an iron that is used. Most golfers have nine different irons in their golf bag.
Driver
Wedge
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Any idea as to the oldest 18-hole golf course in the United States?
Whistling Straits
Bandon Dunes
The Ocean Course
Chicago Golf Club Course
Chicago Golf Club has the oldest 18-hole course in America. It has hosted numerous tournaments including three U.S. Opens in the early 1900's. This course is a par 70.
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Can you name the women's equivalent of the Ryder Cup?
Daisy Cup
Rose Cup
Lily Cup
Solheim Cup
The Solheim Cup is the women's version of the Ryder Cup. It was first played in 1990 with the United States taking the win. To date, they have won 10 of the 15 tournaments played.
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When a golfer is on the green and attempting to hit the ball in the hole with his next stroke, what club does he use?
Putter
A putter is used when a golfer has the ball on the green and is aiming to hit it into the hole. It keeps the ball on the ground, with the golfer having to read the green inclines to hit the ball on the right line and into the hole.
Driver
Sand wedge
9-iron
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Which of these golfers managed the only par 4 hole-in-one in PGA history?
Andrew Magee
The only hole-in-one on a par 4 in PGA history happened at the FBR Open in 2001. And the man to do it? Andrew Magee. Unbelievably, Magee tee shot reached the green with golfers still on it. The ball hit the putter of Tom Byrum and deflected into the hole. The hole-in-one stood.
John Daly
Ernie Els
Retief Goosen
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True or false. Phil Mickelson, who plays left-handed, is actually right-handed.
True
When learning to play golf, Phil Mickelson would mirror his father playing shots. To do this, he would swing left-handed. And that just stuck so to this day, he plays left-handed even though he is right-handed.
False
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Golf balls are covered in dimples. How many of them are there on a standard ball?
180
299
336
Golf balls never used to have dimples but they were introduced to help cause less air resistance. They do this by causing turbulence in the air next to the ball. This reduces drag.
1,001
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"The Black Knight" is the nickname of which South African golfing legend?
Trevor Immelman
Charl Swartzel
Ernie Els
Gary Player
South Africa's greatest ever golfer, Gary Player, won nine Majors through the course of his career. Now over 80 years old, he is known for his extreme fitness and still does 500 sit-ups every day! He is only one of five golfers to win a grand slam of majors. He was included in the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974.
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Do you know the term used to describe if a golfer has shot one over par for a whole?
Bogey
It's something no golfer wants! A bogey is when a golfer completed the hole using one extra shot than the par score. For instance, a bogey on a par 4 hole means a golfer took five shots to get the ball in the hole.
Birdie
Eagle
Albatross
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What are the odds of shooting two holes-in-one in a round of golf?
100,000 to 1
500,000 to 1
5 million to 1
67 million to 1
Those are pretty massive odds right. Well, it does happen! And then you have golfer Martin Pollard from the United Kingdom. In 2010, he shot two holes-in-one in a ROW! What are the odds of that?
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Complete the great golf saying: "You drive for show but you put for _____?
Dough
And that's true, isn't it? And there have been some great putters in the game of golf. None more so than South African Bobby Locke who actually coined this phrase. Locke won four Open Championships between 1949 and 1957.
Fun
The hole
None of the above
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Which of these golfers won the 2018 U.S. Masters?
Patrick Reed
The 2018 U.S. Masters was Patrick Reed's first Major victory after coming close at the 2017 PGA Championship where he tied for second. Reed's efforts saw him pocket $11 million in a tournament dominated by American golfers with Rickie Fowler and Jordan Spieth ending in second and third.
Rickie Fowler
Jordan Spieth
Tiger Woods
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True or false. The word "caddie" comes from the French word "cadet".
True
Yes, it does. The French world "Cadet" pronounced "cad day" means the youngest child. This is where the golfing term "caddy" comes from. A caddy is someone who carries your bag around the golf course. How that links to the youngest child is anybody's guess.
False
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What were early golf balls made from?
Ivory
Leather and chicken feathers
Golf balls have been made from a number of different materials but never bone, ivory or pearl. One of the ways to make them was to boil chicken or goose feathers in a leather sack. This was then formed into a ball shape and painted. These were very expensive, and not everyone could afford them.
Pearl
Bone
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How many golf balls are there on the moon?
None
3
Astronaut Alan Shepard famously took golf balls and a club to the moon on Apollo 14. Shepard hit a few balls from the lunar surface with scientists calculating afterward the balls would have stayed airborne for 2.5 miles!
1
10
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Before the golfing tee was invented, what did golfers do to prop up their ball when driving?
Balance the ball on their upturned shoe
Hit off a piece of tree bark
Hit off a coin
Build a small mound of sand to hit off
To raise the ball off the ground when driving in the early days of golf, players would build up a small mound of sand. Often this meant carrying a bucket of sand with them on their round. This all stopped with the invention of the golf tee.
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True or false. Golf returned as an Olympic sport at the 2016 Olympic games.
True
Golf did return to the Olympics in 2016. The last time it had been played as an Olympic sport was at the 1904 Olympics held in St Louis in the United States. Justin Rose of Great Britain took home gold in Rio.
False
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If a golfer manages four strokes under par on one hole, what is it called?
Condor
Also called a double albatross, or a triple eagle, a condor would be achieved on a par 5 hole by hitting a hole-in-one. This has never been done in professional golf, but there are recorded cases by amateurs.
Albatros
Birdie
Bogey
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What is Tiger Woods' actual first name?
Earl
Eldrick
Some people aren't away that Tiger is just a nickname. His first name is Eldrick. And if that seems a little strange, his second name is Tont. Eldrick includes the E from his father Earl and the K from his mother Kultida, while Tont is a Thai name as his mother is from Thailand.
Barney
Cuthbert
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Golf rules state that a player may only have ____ clubs in his bag.
3
14
A golfer may only have 14 clubs in his bag on a round. One of these will be a putter, and of course, he will probably carry a driver. A wedge of some kind is needed as well while the majority of clubs will be irons.
22
36
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Can you tell us the lowest score ever recorded in a professional round of golf?
59
60
50
58
Ryo Ishikawa of Japan became the first professional golfer to record a score of 58. He did this at the Crowns tournament on the Japanese Golf Tour in 2010. To date, two other golfers, Stephan Jäger and Jim Furyk, have managed the feat.
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You Got:
/35
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