History of Golf in Timeline

Golf is a sport where players use different clubs to hit a ball into designated holes on a course. The objective is to complete the course with the fewest number of strokes.

1900: Golf at the Summer Olympics

Golf was featured in the Summer Olympic Games official programme in 1900.

1904: Golf at the Summer Olympics

Golf was featured in the Summer Olympic Games official programme in 1904.

1930: Bobby Jones Praises Joyce Wethered

In 1930, Bobby Jones praised Joyce Wethered after they played an exhibition against each other, considering her an exceptional golfer.

1934: Inception of The Masters

In 1934, The Masters was first played at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia.

1937: Founding of the Senior PGA

In 1937, the Senior PGA was founded, making it the oldest of the five senior golf major events.

1950: Formation of the LPGA

In 1950, the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) was formed to popularize the sport and provide competitive opportunities for women golfers.

1960: Jack Nicklaus at the U.S. Open

In 1960, Jack Nicklaus gained widespread notice by finishing second in the U.S. Open to champion Arnold Palmer, with a 72-hole score of 282 (the best score to date in that tournament by an amateur).

1961: Jack Nicklaus Wins U.S. Amateur

In 1961, Jack Nicklaus played one more amateur year and won that year's U.S. Amateur.

1962: Jack Nicklaus Turns Pro

In 1962, Jack Nicklaus turned pro after success as an amateur.

February 1971: Alan Shepard Golfs on the Moon

In February 1971, astronaut Alan Shepard became the first person to play golf anywhere other than on Earth, smuggling a golf club head and two golf balls on board Apollo 14 to play golf on the Moon.

1972: Title IX and Golf Opportunities

In 1972, U.S. Congress passed Title IX of the Education Amendments, helping golf have more equal opportunities.

1977: Renee Powell Plays in British Men's Tournament

In 1977, American Renee Powell became the first woman to play in a British men's tournament.

1984: Release of Nintendo's Golf

In 1984, Nintendo's Golf was released and is recognized as the best-selling golf video game in history.

1984: First Golf Course in China Opened

In 1984, the first golf course in China opened.

1996: International Federation of PGA Tours Founded

In 1996, the Japan, Australasian, Sunshine, PGA, and European Tours founded the trade body of the world's main tours, the International Federation of PGA Tours.

1999: Asian Tour Joins International Federation of PGA Tours

In 1999, the Asian Tour became a full member of the International Federation of PGA Tours.

2000: Canadian Tour Becomes Associate Member

In 2000, the Canadian Tour became an associate member of the International Federation of PGA Tours.

2000: Decrease in Frequent Golf Players in the United States

In 2000, the number of people in the United States who played golf twenty-five times or more per year was 6.9 million.

2001: Changes to Women's Majors

In 2001, the Women's British Open replaced the du Maurier Classic as a major, as recognized by the LPGA Tour in the U.S.

2003: Senior Open Championship Recognized as Major

In 2003, the Senior Open Championship was recognized as a major by PGA Tour Champions.

2004: Expansion of Golf Courses in China

From 2004 to 2009 the number of golf courses in China had tripled.

2004: The R&A Spun Off

In 2004, The R&A was spun off from The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews (founded 1754).

2005: Golf Courses Per Capita Ranking

In 2005, Golf Digest calculated that the countries with the most golf courses per capita were, in order: Scotland, New Zealand, Australia, Ireland, Canada, Wales, the United States, Sweden, and England (countries with fewer than 500,000 people were excluded).

2005: Decrease in Golf Players in the United States

In 2005, the number of people in the United States who played golf twenty-five times or more per year decreased to 4.6 million, according to the National Golf Foundation. The total number of golfers decreased from 30 to 26 million during the period of 2000 to 2005.

2007: Tour de las Américas Becomes Associate Member

In 2007, the Tour de las Américas (Latin America) became an associate member of the International Federation of PGA Tours.

2008: Ladies European Tour Schedules Event Opposite LPGA Championship

In 2008, the Ladies European Tour scheduled an event opposite the LPGA Championship, changing its previous practice of avoiding conflicts with the three LPGA majors played in the U.S.

2009: Golf Courses in China

By the end of 2009, there were roughly 600 golf courses in China.

2009: Expansion of International Federation of PGA Tours

In 2009, the International Federation of PGA Tours underwent a major expansion, with eleven new tours becoming full members.

2010: Money Titles Claimed by the Same Individual

Since 2010, the PGA Tour and European Tour's money titles have been claimed by the same individual three times.

2011: Luke Donald Wins Money Titles

In 2011, Luke Donald claimed both the PGA Tour and European Tour's money titles.

2011: PGA Tour Takes Over Tour de las Américas

In 2011, the PGA Tour effectively took over the Tour de las Américas.

2011: Women Golfers in the United States

Since 2011, the number of women golfers in the United States has increased to 25 percent from 19 percent.

2012: Rory McIlroy Wins Money Titles

In 2012, Rory McIlroy claimed both the PGA Tour and European Tour's money titles.

2012: PGA Tour Takes Over Canadian Tour

In 2012, the Canadian Tour was renamed PGA Tour Canada after it agreed to be taken over by the PGA Tour.

2013: Henrik Stenson's Achievements

In 2013, Henrik Stenson won the FedEx Cup points race on the PGA Tour and the European Tour money title. Tiger Woods topped the PGA Tour money list.

2013: The Evian Championship Added as Major

In 2013, The Evian Championship was added as the fifth major on the LPGA Tour.

2014: Rory McIlroy Wins Money Titles

In 2014, Rory McIlroy claimed both the PGA Tour and European Tour's money titles.

2016: Golf Returns to the Olympics

After a 112-year absence, golf returned to the Summer Olympic Games for the 2016 Rio Games.

2016: Anchored Putting Banned

In 2016, anchored putting, a style where a longer putter shaft is anchored into the player's stomach or below the chin, was banned on professional circuits.

2017: USGA and R&A Rule Rewrite

In 2017, the USGA and R&A undertook a complete rewrite of the golf rules with the aim of simplifying them.

January 2019: New Golf Rule Book Effective

In January 2019, the new, completely rewritten rule book for golf, undertaken by the USGA and R&A with the aim of simplifying the rules, came into effect.

2019: Golf Courses Worldwide

As of 2019, the United States has the highest number of golf courses—as much as 43% of the total worldwide. Combined with second placed Japan, together they account for a majority (51%) of golf courses worldwide.

2020: World Handicap System Introduced

In 2020, the USGA and The R&A, working with various existing handicapping authorities, introduced a new World Handicap System globally to address difficulties in translating between different handicap systems.

2021: Women Golfers in the United States

In 2021, women made up 25 percent of golfers in the United States.

2025: Pay Gap in Women's Golf

As of 2025, there is still a significant pay gap in women's golf, such as the LPGA and the Ladies European Tour, and golf remains one of the sports with the most pay disparity by sex.