1 Golf Is an Ancient Sport The idea of golf is pretty simple Hit the ball into a hole in the ground Maybe that’s why people have been playing golf for hundreds or even thousands of years Historians say people played games like golf in ancient China and Rome Players used bent sticks or clubs to hit a ball No one is really sure where the modern game of golf started Some historians think the game started in Europe But most people believe it started in Scotland during the 1400s Golf became so popular there that the government passed laws against it They Golfer and his caddy in 18th century Scotland 4 said too many men were playing golf instead of learning how to defend the country By 1500 even the Scottish king was playing
In the 1890s golf was all over the world Equipment and rules have changed a little but the game is basically the same today 1.62 Weight in ounces 46 g of a golf ball The ball has to be 1.68 inches 4.27 cm in diameter This rule was passed soon after World War I 1914 1918 Golf balls used to be stuffed with feathers Today they are made of rubber 5
Tournaments Travel There are several major golf organizations and tournaments The largest organization for men in the US is the Professional Golfers Association or PGA Professional women golfers play in the Ladies Professional Golfers Association or LPGA Both organizations host major tournaments throughout the United States They are not always in the same place The PGA and LPGA take bids from different courses Corporate sponsors may also have a say in which courses are chosen Only the best are selected Michelle Wie competes in the Honda LPGA in Thailand in 2019 2 6
Masters tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta Georgia Most are private courses at country clubs Sometimes public courses are used as well That means any golfer can follow in the footsteps of the best THINK ABOUT IT What features do you think a golf course needs to be chosen for a PGA or LPGA tournament 4 Number of major PGA tournaments held each year The US Open the PGA Championship and the Masters are held in the US The British Open is held on a course in the United Kingdom The Masters is the only PGA tournament played in the same location each year 7
