63 Amazing Facts, Trivia & Golf Statistics [2023]

Golf is one of the most popular sports to play, with so much history this means that now it is 2023 there is so much information about the sport!

However, we’ve condensed all of this information that is out there into one place as we bringing you some of the very best statistics about golf.

We’re sure that you are bound to love the fun facts about golf that you discover in our complete guide!

Best Statistics About Golf

Firstly, we will bring you a range of the most interesting statistics about golf ranging from golf course statistics to PGA tour stats.

Golf Course Statistics

• In the world, there are over 34,000 golf courses.
• The oldest golf course in the world is the old course at St Andrews In Scotland.
• The average golf course on the PGA Tour is roughly 7,000 yards in length.
• A par 5 typically ranges from 460-600 yards.
• A par 4 typically ranges from 230-460 yards.
• A par 3 typically ranges from 90-230 yards.
• USA is the country with the most golf courses in the world.
• However, the country with the most golf courses per capita is Scotland.
• Golf courses are present in 85% of countries worldwide.
• Portland, OR is a great place to live for golfers with 4.48 golf courses per 100,000 residents.
• Florida is the state with the most golf courses with over 1,000.

Golf Participation Statistics

• There are around 2 million beginner golfers each year in the US.
• Over 456 million rounds of golf are played annually.
• An average golf course has around 30,000 rounds of golf per year.
• 77.5% of active golfers are male in the US.
• 54 is the average age of golfers in the US.
• Avid golfers make up 76% of all golf rounds.
• The average golf handicap is between 13 and 15.
• There has been a 10.9% increase of high school participation in golf for girls between 2013-2018.
• In the same time span the percentage dropped for boys by 5.6%

Golf Industry Statistics

• The golf industry is worth approximately $70bn annually.
• There are approximately 2 million Americans employed in the industry.
• Every year several billion is raised for charity through golf.
• The PGA Tour events themselves have raised over $180m annually.
• It can cost several million dollars to buy a golf course, depending on the location.
• The longest golf hole is at Satsuki Golf Club with their 964 yard par 7 hole.
• Callaway Golf makes revenue of over $1bn.

Golf Club Statistics

• The average driver distance for men is around 226 yards and for women is around 148 yards.
• A golfer on the PGA Tour carries 14 golf clubs in their bag.
• A putter typically makes up around 41% of shots during a golf round.
• The odds of making are hole in one are 12,500 to 1!
• The odds of making two holes in one in a round of 67 million to 1!
• A driver loft will range from 9.5 degrees to 14.5 degrees.
• The sand wedge was invented by professional golfer Gene Sarazen.

PGA Tour Statistics

• The PGA Tour first started in 1929.
• 245 Golfers make up the PGA Tour.
• Charles Kocsis was the youngest ever winner on the PGA Tour in 1931 at 18 years, 6 months and 9 days.
• The First Ryder Cup was held in 1927.
• Jim Furyk shot the lowest ever round on the tour with a round of 58 at the 2016 Travelers Championship.
• Only two Englishmen have won the Masters, these are Nick Faldo (3 times) and Danny Willett.
• Tiger Woods has spent the most weeks as golf’s world number 1 at 281.
• The winner of the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup takes home over $10million in prize money.
• An average of 3.6 million people tune into PGA Tour coverage at any time during a tournament.
• The lowest ever tournament score in relation to par on the PGA Tour was -33 by Steve Stricker in the 2009 Bob Hope classic.
• The four majors in the professional golf calendar are The Masters, The US Open, The USPGA & The Open.
• Golfers from over 80 countries appear on the PGA Tour.
• When asked, 81 PGA Tour players voted Augusta National as their favourite course to play followed by Harbour Town.
• Celebrities often take part in PGA Tour tournaments such as the Pro/Am at Pebble Beach.
• There has been one hole in one on a par 4 on the PGA Tour by Andrew Magee in 2001.

Best Facts About Golf

Now that we have covered some of the most amazing golf statistics we’re going to bring you some of the very best golf facts and golf trivia that you need to know!

Best Golf Facts

• The highest golf course in the world was Tactu Golf Club in Peru, which was 14,335 ft above sea level.
• The longest ever recorded drive in golf was in 1974.
• Roughly 125,000 balls a year are hit into the water of the 17th hole at the famous 17th hole at Sawgrass.
• Scott Base Golf Club in Antartica is the most southerly golf club in the world.
• Le Mirage Golf Club in Quebec is owned by Singer, Celine Dion.
• PGA Tour professionals pay their own travel expenses (top golfers are covered by sponsors)
• The term ‘Green’ in golf only refers to the area of the golf course and not the color.

Interesting Golf Trivia & Fun Facts

• Golf balls were originally made of wood.
• A person called Ab Smith coined the term ‘birdie’ in 1889, when he hit a ‘bird of a shot.’
• Tiger Woods made his first ever hole in one when he was 8 years old.
• The oldest golf tournament in the world is the Open Championship which was founded in 1860.
• Babe Zaharias is the only female to have made the cut in a male PGA Tour event.
• The first winner of the Open only shot rounds of 88 and 91 to win.
• Two golfers made an appearance in the 1996 golf film, Happy Gilmore. Mark Lye & Lee Trevino.

In Summary: The Best Statistics About Golf

So there you have it, a whole range of statistics about golf for you no matter what type of the best facts about golf you are looking for.

We’ve covered a whole range of topics such as PGA Tour Statistics, golf participation statistics & golf course statistics that we’re sure you are to find both interesting and useful.