Golf History & Major Milestones

Learn about the greatest players and top moments in golf history. You can read about records, stats, and award winners from both major tours and championships.

  • Ben Curtis hits his tee shot on the 17th hole during the third round of the 2011 Players Championship
    Records on TPC Sawgrass' 17th Hole
  • Jean Van de Velde in the Barry Burn at the 1999 British Open
    The Worst Golf Chokes and Collapses
  • An aerial view of a link golf course during the daytime.
    What Is a Links Golf Course?
  • Hal Sutton during the 2000 World Match Play Championship
    The Records for Most Career Holes-in-One in Golf
  • Phil Mickelson thumb's up sign
    Why Phil Mickelson Was Sometimes Called 'Figjam'
  • Arnold Palmer with Bobby Jones after Palmer's win in the 1958 Masters
    Arnold Palmer in the Majors: His Wins and Near-Misses
  • A group of women holding golf clubs at the Wake-Robin golf club, an African-American women's golf club in Washington DC, on April 6, 1938.
    12 Black Golfers and Golf Innovators You Should Know
  • Payne Stewart
    24 Champion Golfers Who Died Tragic, Early Deaths
  • Arnold Palmer
    The Arnold Palmer Drink: How to Make It and the Name's Origin
  • Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland plays a shot on the 14th hole during the third round of the World Golf Championships-Dell Match Play
    Top 10 Irish Golfers of All-Time
  • Woody Austin falls backwards into the water during the 2007 Presidents Cup
    17 of the Best Golfer Nicknames of All-Time
  • Australian golfer Greg Norman at the 1994 Players Championship
    Top 10 Australian Golfers of All Time
  • A statue of Ben Hogan near the clubhouse at Colonial Country Club, a club sometimes called Hogan's Alley
    Hogan's Alley: What It Is, Where It Is, Why It's Called That
  • Portrait of Mary Queen of Scots
    Origins of the Golf Term 'Dormie'
  • golf ball next to a golf hole whose standardized size is 4.25 inches
    Why Is the Golf Hole Size 4.25 Inches in Diameter?
  • Lithograph of golfers on the links of Edinburgh circa 1750
    When and Where Did Golf Begin?
  • Tiger Woods celebrates after sinking his birdie putt on the 18th hole to force a playoff with Rocco Mediate during the 2008 U.S. Open Golf Championship
    2008 US Open: Tiger Woods Wins a Thriller
  • Golfer yells fore to warn others ahead to watch out for an errant shot
    3 Fun Facts About Why Golfers Yell Fore
  • Detail from a photo that appeared in a 1913 golf instruction book by Jerome Travers shows Travers preparing to chip his stymied ball over the stymie his opponent laid for him.
    The History of the Stymie in Golf
  • What Is the Origin of the Word 'Mulligan' in Golf?
  • Par is an essential part of golf today, but that wasn't always the case.
    Origin of 'Par' in Golf
  • Measuring to determine the winner of a KP contest, or closest to the pin
    Why Is 'Closest to the Pin' Known as 'KP' in Golf?
  • Colonel Bogey Tee cups, cardboard rings that served as golf tees
    Tracing the Origins of Bogey as a Golf Term
  • golfer Mike Reasor
    Mike Reasor, the PGA Tour Player Who Scored 93-Over Par
  • 18th century woodcut showing golfers at St. Andrews
    Learn the Etymology of the Word Golf
  • A complete set golf bag and golf club on the golf course
    Top 10 Golfers In the History of the Champions Tour
  • Illustration showing a little birdie knocking golf ball into cup
    Origins of 'Birdie' and 'Eagle': How They Became Golf Terms
  • Vijay Singh at the Buick Open
    The PGA Tour Buick Open
  • Yani Tseng of Taiwan hits her second shot on the 13th hole from the deep rough during the first round of the ShopRite LPGA Classic Presented by Acer on the Bay Course at Stockton Seaview Hotel and Golf Club on June 8, 2018 in Galloway, New Jersey.
    6 Great Golfers Who Suddenly Lost Their Games
  • 15th hole on the Old Course at St. Andrews
    Why Are There 18 Holes On a Golf Course?
  • sandbags stacked up
    How Did 'Sandbagger' Become a Golf Term?
  • Tiger Woods - 2008 Buick Invitational
    Golf Almanac
  • Skins Game signage for Jack Nicklaus and John Daly
    Origin of 'Skins' in Golf
  • Hale Irwin - 7 wins in Champions Tour majors
    Most Wins in Champions Tour Majors
  • Collection of colorful golf tees
    Who Invented the Golf Tee?
  • Golfers Frank Stranahan, Lew Worsham, Petty Berg and Wiffi Smith
    Golf On the Little Screen: When the Game Was First Televised
    • More In: Sports & Athletics
    View more