Did you know these few interesting facts about golf?

Deer at Guwahati
Almost anything is possible on a golf course as a passing sambhar deer says hello at the REPTA course in Guwahati, Assam not too long ago.

Gone are the days when golf was talked of as the game for old people. Modern day golf games are a lot more exciting and full of passion besides being an international attraction worth billions of dollars.

If you want to go a step further and bet on golf and other games, you can simply visit https://www.betrallyindia.com/ to learn more about betting and other online fun.

Golf is also a game that has a world of statistics and other details associated with it and we present some relatively unknown and fun facts for you right here.

Let’s go ahead and unwrap some of those right here:

Longest recorded drive

English-American pro golfer and Kinesiology master Michael Hoke Austin made the longest drive of 515 yards.

While playing in the 1974 US National Seniors Tournament, Hoke drove the golf ball over that amazing distance.

US’ first 18-hole course

America’s very first 18-hole golf course was constructed on a sheep farm in Downers Grove in the year 1892.

Businessman and golf fanatic Charles Blair McDonald moved to the town and began constructing his golf course. The work began with him and his colleagues where they did their best to make the first-ever golf course on a sheep farm.

The Downer’s Golf Course is still a pretty good one but the number of holes has been downgraded from 18 to nine holes.

Wooden golf balls

If you thought that the golf balls were made of leather or rubber, you might be wrong. Earlier, golf balls were made of wood especially from beech and box trees, and these balls first appeared back in the 14th Century.

Further, right till the 17th century, people continued to use wooden golf balls.

Of course, the time-span of the wooden based golf balls was pretty less where the balls needed to be replaced periodically with time.

And also feathers

A feather golf ball. Image courtesy Twitter.

A different type of golf ball that is said to be the feathered variety that first came into existence around the era of the wooden ball. This was basically a leather pouch filled with goose or chicken feathers from where it got its name as the “feather ball”.

With the usage of extensive technology, material and labour, even in the modern day, a single feather golf ball – if you were so minded – will cost around $10 to $20.

Golf on the Moon

Well, this is that sort of a fact you got to pay attention to. Golf is one of only two games to have ever been played the moon too. On February 6, 1971, Alan Shepard had the honour of hitting a six-iron – with a one-handed swing – on the lunar surface.

Naturally, given the moon’s low gravity, that six iron shot by the Apollo 14 mission commander travelled a lot farther than it would have back on good old Mother Earth.

Also, in case if you are wondering about the other sport played on the moon, it was athletics, in the form of a javelin throw by Edgar Mitchell, also on the same mission!

It’s a power workout!

For those who don’t know the real and full benefits of golf, it’s an excellent game that induces a full-body workout. It helps burn those extra calories and helps build a better layer of muscle mass.

Typically, an hour of golf can burn 431 calories, quite unbelievable stuff. The longer you stay on the course, the greater the calorie burn.

Conclusion

Such nuggets about the great game of golf add another facet to a past-time that is a passion for those seduced into picking up a club.

The deeper one probes , the more there is to learn, not just about the technicalities of swing and stance, but facts and figures that help keep and develop still further interest in the game.

With golf being played almost non-stop around the world, there is always something of interest waiting to be discovered around the corner, almost on a daily basis.

Also read: Introducing Neo, my (occasional) golf agony uncle


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