Anecdotes and records in golf

Small ball, big stories – anecdotes and records from golf

Whether it is the first-time participation of women in the Olympic Games or a hole-in-one over an impressive distance: golf has many interesting, funny and impressive anecdotes and records to offer. And if you are unhappy after a round of golf, take a look at our overview of the highest golf results ever.

1st Olympic Fire also for women

Paris, 1900: At the Olympic Games, women were allowed to compete in four sports for the first time in the history of competition. With a total of 10 female athletes from France and the USA, most of the participants were women in golf, which was an Olympic sport for the first time. Four years later, golf was stripped of its Olympic status. In 2016, for the first time after 112 years, this will look different again: The IOC has received an application from the IGF (International Golf Federation) for the 2016 Olympic Games.

Animal helpers on the green

At the Talamore Golf Course in North Carolina, USA, adventurous golfers with strong nerves can take advantage of very special services: Instead of a “normal” caddy, they can rent a llama, which carries two golf bags across the golf course for the players. Since llamas are not necessarily among the most obedient animals, golfers should expect involuntary breaks due to stubbornness or even spitting attacks.

Young blood and old hare

Matthew Draper pulled off a real feat in a junior competition: he sank the golf ball into the hole after 111 metres of trajectory with just one stroke – ace! Nothing special? Matthew was only five years old at the time, making him the youngest golfer to score a hole-in-one in an official tournament! Good prerequisites for perhaps breaking yet another record in his golf career: Norman Manley is the undisputed “King of Aces” with 59 hole-in-ones.

A sprightly pensioner in California had to wait 102 years for her first “Hole-in-one”. This makes Elsie McLean the oldest player who managed to get the ball into the hole with one shot. She hit the ball 91 meters on the field in Chico. According to the sports channel ESPN, McLean replaces the record of a 101-year-old man from Florida. After her success, the sprightly pensioner was invited to numerous US talk shows.

The longest short golf course in the world

65 minutes playing time with a golf course length of only 114 meters? Can’t you? It’s possible! The ninth hole tee shot at Portal Golf Club is located in Saskatchewan, Canada. The green, on the other hand, is in the state of North Dakota. In contrast to Saskatchewan in North Dakota, summer time is in effect for six months of the year and therefore there is a time difference of one hour – 65 minutes for 114 metres is therefore not unusual during this time, but the rule.

The biggest “golf course” in the world

Floyd Satterlee Rood took up the challenge of a very special but unofficial golf course: Rood crossed the USA from the Pacific to the Atlantic coast. In his luggage was his golf club and 3,511 golf balls. It took him 384 days and 114,737 tees to cover the distance of 5,468 kilometres.

Active into old age

Golf is known to keep you fit. The best example is Arthur Thompson from British Columbia. This spry man is the oldest golfer to ever play an 18-hole round. At the proud age of 103, he still hit balls over a course of more than 5,500 metres at the Uplands Golf Club in Victoria, USA.

Big decisions

Fairy tale or truth: On the lush green of the square, businessmen supposedly like to make very important decisions and close the big deals. The biggest known deal was sealed at a tournament of the US Bank Wachovia in North Carolina: The board nodded a $25 billion deal between tee times on the turf.

Beaten by a long shot

The ball flew and flew and was only stopped by a fence: At a distance of 719 meters it finally stopped. With this impressive tee shot, Carl Hooper scored the longest golf shot ever during a golf tournament at the 1992 Texas Open. Unfortunately, this was also the only positive thing for Hooper. After it took him three shots to get back on the fairway, he could only finish with a double-bogey (2 over par) and missed the cut.

From the beginning to the top

In 1986 the Golf World Ranking was introduced. At that time it was headed by a German. Bernhard Langer from Anhausen was the first world ranking list leader. Today this is Tiger Woods. Nobody has been able to push him from the throne for 507 weeks. In the German men’s singles, Martin Kaymer in 39th place is the greatest hope. In the women’s race, Mexican Lorena Ochoa is number one on the leader board. Sandra Gal is the best German golfer: she is on the 165th place of the world ranking list. The probably most famous female golfer, Michelle Wie, who for a long time was regarded as the greatest hope for young talent, is incidentally in 310th place.

10th shot for eternity?

Robert Mitera certainly had no idea that on 17 October 1965 he would set a record that still exists today. At the Miracle Hills Golf Club, USA, his swing not only put the ball in the hole in one stroke – the ball flew a full 405 metres. It is also curious that Mitera could not even see the hole from the tee and was only later informed by a fellow player about his memorable stroke.