Supposedly originating half way across the world, beyond the Atlantic Ocean in Scotland, in the closest form as it is played today (in the 18 hole format), golf is a hugely popular sport across the country. There are sufficient statistics to prove its popularity in the country.
- Approximately 45% of all golf courses in the world, which is close to 15,300 courses, are found in the United States.
- Florida tops the list with more than a 1000 golf courses within its state boundaries.
- However, it is in Minnesota that most citizens play golf, which amounts to almost 25% of the locals there.
- There are a total number of about 29,000,000 golfers in the United States, which is close to 10% of the total population of the country.
- As it is commonly perceived, golf is a sport for those who have money or come from an affluent family background. Data shows that golfers usually have an annual income of over $100,000.
- It is a fact that golf was played on the moon, yes, you heard me right, on the Moon – on February 6, 1971, by Alan Shepard.
- However, right here in the United States, there are some exceptional golf courses,
- the Pine Valley Golf Club in Camden County, New Jersey,
- the Cypress Point in Pebble Beach, California, and
- the Augusta National Golf Club, located in Augusta, Georgia. These are just three of the many courses that attract golfers of all kinds: the serious players, the champions of the game, and the ones who play as a hobby.
- Furthermore, best of all, it is heartening to know that walking around an 18 hole golf course is equal to walking approximately four miles. The longest of them is the International Golf Club in Massachusetts.
- The list of American celebrities, both men and women, who enjoy playing golf includes musicians, Presidents, authors, sportspersons (who are world champions in other games), movie stars, and businessmen. Some examples are Humphrey Bogart, Andrew Carnegie, Winston Churchill, Holly Sonders, Bill Clinton, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Michael Jordan, John F. Kennedy, Barack Obama, Chris Berman, John D. Rockefeller, and Vera Wang amongst hundreds of others.
- Two of the greatest American golfers of all time are:
- Jack Nicklaus: He won 18 Major Championships and has 73 PGA Tour victories to his credit. Nicklaus is the all-time greatest and is unbeaten in his records even today. Nicklaus became the first player to complete double and triple career slams of golf’s four major professional championships.
- Tiger Woods: He won 14 Major Championships and has 79 PGA Tour victories to his credit. He’s one of only five golfers to achieve a modern-day grand slam three times and the only player in the modern era to win four modern-day majors in succession, dubbed the Tiger Slam.
