This golf trivia page is for a quiz night, a long cart ride or the 19th hole. It covers golf history, traditions and rules, scoring and the four men's majors, in 30 questions with short answers. Every answer is a fact we've already published and sourced, so you can read it out loud. Quiz a friend and keep score, or just read straight through.
These golf trivia questions and answers cover when golf was invented (15th-century Scotland; the oldest written record is a 1457 Scottish ban), why golfers yell "fore," why a round is 18 holes (St Andrews cut 22 holes to 18 in 1764), how the birdie got its name (Atlantic City Country Club, 1903), and what the four men's majors are. Each answer below links to the full story.
Jump to:
- Golf history trivia (1–10)
- Golf traditions and rules trivia (11–18)
- Golf scoring trivia (19–23)
- Majors and "Is golf a sport?" trivia (24–30)
- How to use these questions
- FAQs
Loss Prevention Golf Tee with Bear, set of 5. Five tees, each tied to a small bear toy (the "loss prevention" part of the name). The set makes an easy prize for whoever wins the quiz.
Golf History Trivia
1. When was golf invented?
Golf as we know it began in Scotland in the 1400s. The earliest written record is a 1457 Act of the Scottish Parliament under King James II that banned "the golf" because it pulled men away from archery. Stick-and-ball games were played earlier in the Netherlands and China, but the game played into a hole is Scottish.
2. Who invented golf?
No single person. Golf grew out of games ordinary Scots were already playing on the links.
3. Where was golf invented?
Scotland. The game took shape on the sandy east-coast links around St Andrews, Edinburgh and Leith.
4. What is the oldest golf course in the world?
The Old Course at St Andrews usually gets the title. Golf has been played on those links since at least 1552, and Guinness World Records lists the Old Course as the oldest. Musselburgh Old Links near Edinburgh has a strong claim of its own: an account book shows Sir John Foulis losing money at golf there on 2 March 1672.
5. What is the oldest golf course in America?
Oakhurst Links in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, laid out in 1884, is generally credited as the oldest. The USGA backs the claim. The course later sat unused for years and was restored.
6. What is the oldest golf club in the United States?
St. Andrew's Golf Club in Yonkers, New York. Scottish-born John Reid and his friends founded it in 1888, and it's the oldest American club that has existed without a break.
7. When was the USGA founded?
In 1894. St. Andrew's Golf Club in Yonkers was one of the five clubs that founded the United States Golf Association.
8. What does GOLF stand for?
Nothing. "Gentlemen Only, Ladies Forbidden" is a modern myth. The word most likely comes from the old Scots gouf or gowf, and it may share roots with the Dutch kolf, meaning "club." Early Scottish records spell it many ways.
9. When did golf reach Japan?
Arthur Hesketh Groom, a British merchant living in Kobe, built four holes on Mount Rokko in 1901. Kobe Golf Club, Japan's first golf club, was founded there in 1903.
10. When did golf reach Korea?
Korea's first proper course opened in Seoul in 1921 at Hyochangwon, now Hyochang Park. Some accounts point to a small six-hole course at Wonsan around 1900, and one Korean encyclopedia dates Hyochangwon to 1919, so you'll see a few dates. For what came next, read how Korea became a global power in golf.
The full timeline, from the 1457 ban to the first rules at Leith, is in our story of when golf was invented.
Golf Traditions and Rules Trivia
11. Why do golfers yell "fore"?
To warn anyone ahead that a ball is coming their way. The most widely told origin is the forecaddie, a caddie sent ahead to watch where balls landed. The USGA favors an old Scottish military warning, "beware before." Either way, it means look out.
12. Why are there 18 holes in golf?
On 4 October 1764, the Society of St Andrews Golfers (the club that became the R&A) turned the first four holes on its links into two. The course was played out and back, so that cut the round from 22 holes to 18. Other courses didn't all change at once.
13. When did 18 holes become the official standard?
The R&A's 1858 rules said one round of the links, or 18 holes, counts as a match unless players agree otherwise. By the late 1800s, 18 holes was widely accepted as a full round.
14. Is a round 18 holes because a bottle of whisky has 18 shots?
No. It's a good bar story, but there's no record behind it. The 18-hole round comes from the 1764 St Andrews change.
15. What is the 19th hole?
Golf slang for the clubhouse bar or restaurant where players meet after 18 holes. It's where scores get compared and the round gets retold. The term goes back to at least the 1890s in Britain.
16. What is a mulligan?
An unofficial do-over. In a casual round, your group lets you replay a bad shot, often your first drive, without counting it. Mulligans aren't allowed under the Rules of Golf, so they don't belong in competition or a handicap round. Nobody agrees on where the name came from. For what the rule book does allow, see how golf's rules changed in the last decade.
17. What is a gimme?
A short putt your playing partners concede, agreeing you'd make it, so you can pick up without putting. It's common in friendly rounds because it saves time. In match play, an opponent is allowed to concede a stroke. In stroke play, every putt has to be holed. For the rest of the unwritten rules, see our guide to golf etiquette.
No gimme? Then you mark your ball on the green. A marker like the Munsingwear 3D Penguin Ball Marker doubles as a conversation piece, and our golf ball markers guide covers the rest.
18. When did the Masters green jacket start?
In 1937, Augusta National members began wearing green sport coats so patrons would know who to ask for reliable information. In 1949, Sam Snead became the first Masters champion to get one, and earlier winners got theirs after the fact. There's more on the Masters' history and traditions.
The why behind each of these, from "fore" to the 19th hole, is in golf traditions explained.
Golf Scoring Trivia
19. What is a birdie, and where did the word come from?
A birdie is one stroke under par. The story goes back to Atlantic City Country Club in 1903, when Ab Smith hit what he called "a bird of a shot." The name stuck, and it's now golf's best-known scoring word. (It's also where our Birdie Lucky Charm jewelry gets its name.)
20. What is an eagle?
Two under par on a hole. The term followed the birdie as a stronger label for a better score, a nod to the eagle, America's national bird, as a symbol of power.
21. What is an albatross?
Three under par on a single hole. In American golf it's usually called a double eagle. It's rare enough that many professional golfers never make one.
22. What is a bogey?
One stroke over par on a hole. The term originated in Great Britain, where "bogey" was the target score before par became standard.
23. What is a scratch golfer?
A golfer with a handicap of 0, meaning they can consistently shoot par. It's the standard of amateur golf, and only a small percentage of players get there.
The full set of golf scoring terms is here, plus why golf uses bird names and advanced golf scoring.
Majors and "Is Golf a Sport?" Trivia
24. What are the four men's majors?
The Masters, the PGA Championship, the U.S. Open and The Open Championship. They're the four most prestigious tournaments in men's professional golf.
25. In which months are the majors played?
The Masters in April, the PGA Championship in May, the U.S. Open in June and The Open in July. The PGA Championship moved from August to May in 2019.
26. Which major is the oldest?
The Open Championship, first played in 1860.
27. What is the career Grand Slam, and who has it?
Winning all four majors at least once. Six men have done it: Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, who completed his at the 2025 Masters.
28. Has anyone won all four majors in the same year?
Not with today's four majors. Bobby Jones won the 1930 Grand Slam, which then meant the U.S. and British Opens and Amateurs. Tiger Woods held all four modern majors at once, winning the 2000 U.S. Open, The Open and PGA Championship and then the 2001 Masters, but that spanned two seasons.
See where each one sits among the four majors and golf's biggest tournaments.
29. Where does golf rank among the hardest sports?
51st of 60 on ESPN's Degree of Difficulty grid, with a score of 37.9 out of 100. Boxing ranks first. Golf scores low on speed and contact, not on how hard it is to master. The full list is on hardest sports ranked.
30. Is golf a sport, and is it one of the most expensive to play?
Yes, golf is a sport. It returned to the Olympic Games at Rio 2016, and the NCAA has held a men's golf championship since 1939. Here's the full case: is golf a sport.
On cost: in Project Play's 2024 National Youth Sports Parent Survey, families spent an average of $1,016 on a child's primary sport over the past year. That survey didn't report golf separately. More on the most expensive sports to play.
How to Use These Questions
Read them out at the 19th hole, print them for a Friendsgiving table, or split the room into teams and run one section per round. History and traditions make good warm-ups. Scoring separates the golfers from the guests, and the majors round settles ties. Keep score on the back of a scorecard if you have one.
If you're bringing something for the winner, small things work best. Our golf stocking stuffers list has tees, markers and towels, and the best golf gifts guide goes bigger. Or browse golf gifts under $100.
FAQs
What are some good golf trivia questions?
Start with one from each section above: history, traditions, scoring and the majors. Good openers: When was golf first written about? (A 1457 Scottish ban.) When did a round become 18 holes? (St Andrews, 1764.) What are the four men's majors? Every answer on this page links to a sourced Erthe post.
When was golf invented?
Golf began in Scotland in the 15th century. The earliest written record is a 1457 Act of the Scottish Parliament under King James II that banned "the golf" because it pulled men away from archery. Read the full timeline in when golf was invented.
Why do golfers yell fore?
"Fore" warns people ahead that a ball is heading their way, so they should duck. The most widely told origin is the forecaddie, who went ahead to spot balls. The USGA favors an old Scottish military warning, "beware before." There's more in golf traditions explained.
Why are there 18 holes in golf?
On 4 October 1764, St Andrews turned its first four holes into two, cutting its out-and-back round from 22 holes to 18. Other clubs followed, and the R&A wrote "one round of the links, or 18 holes" into its 1858 rules. The whisky-bottle story is a myth.
What are the four majors in golf?
The four men's majors are the Masters (April), the PGA Championship (May), the U.S. Open (June) and The Open Championship (July). The Open is the oldest, first played in 1860. See the four majors alongside golf's other big events.
What does GOLF stand for?
Nothing. "Gentlemen Only, Ladies Forbidden" is a modern myth, not the origin of the word. "Golf" most likely comes from the old Scots gouf or gowf and may share roots with the Dutch kolf, meaning club. The history is in when golf was invented.
Is golf a sport?
Yes. Golf returned to the Olympic Games at Rio 2016, the NCAA runs championships for it, and ESPN's panel scored it alongside 59 other sports. It asks less speed and contact than boxing, but it's still one of the harder games to master. Here's why golf counts as a sport.
