Golf: Just Another Four-Letter Word Quiz

Answer: Scotland

The origins of golf are somewhat unclear, though it is generally accepted that modern golf originated in Scotland. The first mention of it is in an edict signed by King James II of Scotland in 1457, prohibiting the sport, as it was deemed as a distraction from archery, which was at the time used for military training.

The oldest golf club in the world is the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews in Scotland, established in 1754, and is considered the worldwide "Home of Golf".

Answer: The Open Championship

The Open Championship (also known as the British Open, or simply The Open), is the oldest championship in golf, the first being played in 1860. It has always been held in the United Kingdom, mostly in Scotland and England. St. Andrews is the course that has hosted it the most times, its 29th playing coming in 2015. Carnoustie, Turnberry, and Royal Troon are also located in Scotland and have hosted it multiple times. Harry Vardon of England won the tournament six times between 1896 and 1914, and multiple-time American winners include Tom Watson, Walter Hagen, Bobby Jones, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Arnold Palmer, and Lee Trevino.

Answer: Jack Nicklaus

Jack Nicklaus (nicknamed "The Golden Bear") was born in 1940 in Columbus, Ohio. He won his first major at the 1962 U.S. Open, where he defeated the popular Arnold Palmer in a playoff. He went on to win three more U.S. Opens, three Open Championships, five PGA Championships, and six Masters.

He had 117 wins overall. The final win of his career, the 1986 Masters, was probably the most thrilling of his career, as he came back from seven strokes behind during the final day to win.

Answer: Pitch and putt courses

Pitch and putt courses consist entirely of short holes, with a maximum total distance of 1,310 yards. The idea was developed in Ireland in the 1940s, but has since grown in popularity across the world. It is so named because the holes typically do not require a full swing to be used.

A total of three clubs are typically brought by the player to the course, one of which must be a putter.

Answer: Driver

You can hit the longest shot possible with the driver. Since par 5s are typically the longest holes on the golf course, you will want to use one on your first shot to hit the ball as far as you can. Drivers are typically only used on the tee shot, where the ball can be teed up off the ground; it is very difficult to use a driver on flat ground.

A downside to using it is that it is generally harder to control the accuracy with the shot than with other clubs.

Answer: Keeping your knees bent

There are many aspects to the golf swing. In fact, it is one of the most complicated movements in sports and incredibly difficult to master. Fortunately, this mistake is quite common and relatively easy to correct. If the ball only lifted slightly off the ground and then rolled, you have "topped" the ball, meaning you only hit the top of it with the bottom of the club head. Remembering to bend your knees before swinging, and keeping them bent, will help towards hitting the ball on the middle of the club head, making it go higher and farther.

Answer: Wedge

You would use a wedge for the shortest shots, and also when you need to control your shots the most. Since you are only a few yards from the green, using a wedge will help you get the ball closest to the hole and maintain good accuracy. They also have a higher loft on the club head, meaning it is easier to get backspin on the ball, which makes it stop sooner after landing.

There are several types of wedges, including the pitching wedge (for longer shots), and the sand wedge (for bunker shots).

The putter is used on the green.

Answer: Bogey

Since you took six shots total on the par 5 hole, your score is +1, which in golf parlance is a bogey. If you had gotten the ball in the hole in 7 shots, it would have been +2, or a double bogey; in 5, a par; in 4, -1 for a birdie; and in 3, -2 for an eagle.

Answer: Accidentally damaging the course by making a "divot"

A divot is made when you take a swing, and in hitting the ball, take a chunk of grass out of the ground. This is considered a normal occurrence and does not cause a penalty stroke to be added. Proper golf etiquette states that you should re-place the grass into the divot before moving to your next shot.

In general, you would incur a penalty stroke if you cannot play your next shot; normally though there are exceptions, such as if your ball is in standing water.

Answer: A number indicating your skill level

A handicap is a number used by amateur golfers for several purposes. The lower the number, the better the skill level. If you were to look at a scorecard, there is a "handicap" number for every hole: a 1 indicates the hardest hole, while 18 is the easiest. This is the order in which the amateur's score is adjusted if one was playing against a professional. For example, if an amateur's handicap is 8, he or she would subtract a shot from their score on holes with the handicaps 1 through 8 in order to match the skill level of the professional.

Another use is for entering tournaments. Some tournaments require a golfer's handicap to be at a certain number or below.