Golf Compendium

If another golfer tells you that you're playing "army golf," is that a good thing or a bad thing? "Army golf" is a slang expression in golf that refers to a golfer who is spraying her shots in all directions, with no consistency. So you don't want to be an army golfer.

Which golfers, in the history of the PGA Tour, managed to play nine holes — the front nine or the back nine — taking the fewest putts? The all-time record is six putts for nine holes on the PGA Tour, and that record is shared by three golfers.

The 1959 Ryder Cup was the 13th time this tournament between teams representing Great Britain and the United States was played. Following the Team USA victory, the overall standings to this point were 10 wins for the USA, three wins for Great Britain.

Ted Kroll's best years on the PGA Tour were in the early to mid-1950s, and they were pretty good years — he led the tour in money once. He also made multiple appearances as part of Team USA in the Ryder Cup. He was known as a friendly man always willing to help his fellow pros talk through (or work through) issues with their game, and also for being a very straight hitter of the golf ball.

The 1957 Ryder Cup was the 12th time this tournament between teams representing Great Britain and the United States was played. Following the Team GB victory, the overall standings to this point were nine wins for the USA, three wins for Great Britain.

The 1955 Ryder Cup was the 11th time this tournament between teams representing Great Britain and the United States was played. Following the Team USA victory, the overall standings to this point were nine wins for the USA, two wins for Great Britain.

Susie Maxwell Berning was an LPGA Tour golfer whose best years were from the mid-1960s to the mid-1970s. After coming out of Oklahoma and first playing under her maiden name, Susie Maxwell, Berning went on to a Hall of Fame career despite the fact that she played only a handful of full (20-plus starts) seasons. But she had a knack for winning the big ones: Four of her 11 career wins were major championships. And three of those four major wins were in the U.S. Women's Open.

What is the "big stick" in golf? It's the driver. So what is the golf game named Big Stick? It's a game that requires you to hit driver from every tee.

The 1953 Ryder Cup was the 10th time this tournament between teams representing Great Britain and the United States was played. Following the Team USA victory, the overall standings to this point were eight wins for the USA, two wins for Great Britain.

The 1949 Ryder Cup was the eighth time this tournament, featuring teams representing Great Britain and the United States, was played. Following Team USA's victory, the all time standings were six wins for the U.S., two wins for Great Britain.

The 1947 Ryder Cup was the seventh time this tournament was played, but, because of World War II, the first time in 10 years. It produced the most lopsided result in event history. After Team USA's win, the all-time standings to this point were five wins for the United States, two wins for Great Britain.

The Ryder Cup is one of the biggest events in golf when it is played every other year. Contested between teams of professional male golfers representing Europe and the United States, it goes back to 1927.

Marion Hollins was a top amateur golfer of the 1920s, including being a U.S. Women's Amateur winner. But her biggest lasting impact on golf was being the driving force between the creation of three golf clubs, including one course that is still considered one of the very best in the world.

The 1929 Ryder Cup was the second ever played in this series, which pits teams of professional male golfers representing the United States and Great Britain. Following the Team GB victory, each side had one win.

John Panton was a Scottish professional golfer on the British and European circuits from the 1940s into the 1960s. He was considered one of the best iron players and best wind players of his era

The Woodlawn Invitational was a high-payout professional golf tournament played in Germany on an American air base from the late 1950s through the late 1960s. It was sponsored by the United States Air Force.

The 1937 Ryder Cup was the sixth time this tournament, between teams representing Great Britain and the United States, was played. Following Team USA's victory, the overall standings were four wins for the USA, two wins for Team GB.

The 1933 Ryder Cup was the fourth time this competition was played. Following the Great Britain team's victory, the all-time standings were two wins for Team GB, two wins for the United States.

The 1951 Ryder Cup was the ninth time this tournament between teams representing Great Britain and the United States was played. Following the Team USA victory, the overall standings to this point were seven wins for the USA, two wins for Great Britain.

There are multiple Ben Hogan Awards in golf, including a well-known one that goes to a college or amateur golfer every year. But the one we're discussing here is presented by the Golf Writers Association of America (GWAA) to golfers for their perseverance in overcoming or battling physical adversity.

Skip Alexander was a PGA Tour golfer of the late 1940s and early 1950s whose career was off to a promising start until he suffered serious burns and other injuries in a plane crash. In fact, Alexander was the sole survivor of that crash.

"Inside the leather" refers to a measurement: It's the distance from within which short putts in a casual golf match are automatically conceded. In such a match, or a round of golf between friends who use gimmies, when the golf ball is "inside the leather" on the putting green, the putt is conceded or is called a gimme.

You've probably heard of the Arnold Palmer drink , but have you heard of the John Panton drink? If you are from, or have spent a lot of time in, Scotland, you probably have. It's another drink named after the golfer who popularized it.

The 1931 Ryder Cup was the third time this tournament between teams representing Great Britain and the United States was played. Following Team USA's victory, the American side held a 2-1 lead in the biennial series.

Remember Danielle Amiee? If you were ever a fan of the Golf Channel series The Big Break you probably do. Amiee was the season champion on Big Break III: Ladies Only , the first Big Break series to feature women in the cast. She was a controversial figure for viewers, polarizing for fans. She was either the villain of Big Break III , or was just the contestant unlucky enough to be portrayed that way.

The 2006 Ryder Cup was the 36th time this match play tournament between teams representing Europe and the United States was played. For the second consecutive time, Team Europe won by a 9-point margin. Following this result, the all-time standings were 24 wins for Team USA, 10 for Europe, with two draws.

Is a charity ball a dance to raise money for charity? Sure. But that's not what golfers mean when they use the term. In golf, "charity ball" is similar to, but not necessarily identical to, a mulligan.

Chako Higuchi was the first female golf star in Japan and completely dominated the Japanese tour in its first decade of existence. Then she traveled to America and became the first Japanese golfer to win on the LPGA Tour, and then the first Asia-born golfer, male or female, to win an international major championship.

The 2021 Walker Cup was the 48th time this biennial amateur team competition between amateur male golfers from the United States and Great Britain & Ireland was played. Following Team USA's victory, the all-time standings were 38 wins for the United States, nine wins for Team GB&I, plus one tie.

Big Break III: Ladies Only was the name of a television series that aired on the Golf Channel in 2005 after being taped in 2004. As the name makes clear, only women golfers played in this installment of the network's Big Break franchise, after the first two years of the series had men-only casts.

The list of Walker Cup captains goes back to 1922, the first year this biennial tournament for amateur male golfers began. Every other year, a team representing Great Britain & Ireland (GB&I) faces a squad of golfers representing the United States. And each of those teams has a team captain.

The 1995 Walker Cup was the 35th time this competition took place. Following the Great Britain & Ireland team's victory, the all-time standings were 30 wins for Team USA, four wins for Team GB&I, one tie.

Colorado Golf Club is located in Parker, a suburb just southeast of Denver. It opened in 2007 with 27 holes of golf — an 18-hole course, plus a 9-hole short course — designed by the team of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw. And the club very quickly earned a visit from a pro tour major championship, and has hosted more big events since including a Solheim Cup.

Arthur Havers won the British Open in 1923 with a hole-out from a bunker on the last hole to pip Walter Hagen. He also won some important matches in the Ryder Cup on Team Great Britain. Despite these and other achievements, Havers' golf swing wasn't admired even in his own time, and today even the official website of the Open Championship badmouths it.

Sometimes you might hear a golfer say, "I underclubbed that shot." Or an announcer during a golf broadcast say something like, "She and her caddie need to get on the same page, they've been underclubbing her last few approach shots." What does it mean to underclub?

The 1993 Walker Cup was the 34th time this competition took place. Following the United States team's victory, the all-time standings were 30 wins for Team USA, three wins for Team GB&I, one tie.

"Bounce Back" is the name of a golf points game in which golfers place a monetary value either on each point earned, or more simply agree to pay out to the overall high-points earner. In Bounce Back, a golfer who comes back from a double bogey by making a par or better on the next hole earns a point.

The 1991 Walker Cup was the 33rd time this competition took place. Following the United States team's victory, the all-time standings were 29 wins for Team USA, three wins for Team GB&I, one tie.

Almost all of the greats in LPGA Tour history, and very many of the "very good," as well, won a major championship during the course of their careers. But not all of them! The list of the greatest LPGA players without a major even includes a couple Hall-of-Famers.

The U.S. Senior Open is one of the five major championships of senior men's professional golf, but unquestionably the biggest of them. Want to see which golf courses the USGA has selected over the years for this tournament? The list is below. But first, a few notes.

The 1989 Walker Cup was the 32nd time this competition took place, and for only the third time Team GB&I claimed the win. Following that result, the all-time standings were 28 wins for Team USA, three wins for Team GB&I, one tie.

The U.S. Senior Open is the biggest tournament in senior (50-and-over) pro golf, and one of the major championships on the Champions Tour. Look down the list of tournament winners below and you'll see many of the biggest names in Champions Tour history, and some of the biggest names (including Nicklaus, Palmer and Player) in the history of golf at all levels.

The 1987 Walker Cup was the 31st time this competition took place. Following the United States victory, the all-time standings were 28 wins for Team USA, two wins for Team GB&I, one tie.

The 2020 British Open was not played. The tournament was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the virus sweeping the globe and causing serious illnesses and, in some cases, death.

Ayako Okamoto didn't even start playing golf until she was 22 years old. Despite that late start, she became one of the most successful Japanese golfers ever, both in her home country and on the LPGA Tour.

The 1985 Walker Cup was the 30th time this competition took place. Following the United States victory, the all-time standings were 27 wins for Team USA, two wins for Team GB&I, one tie.

The 1983 Walker Cup was the 29th time this competition took place. Following the United States victory, the all-time standings were 26 wins for Team USA, two wins for Team GB&I, one tie.

BIP is an acronym that has a couple uses in golf, all of them slang terms for a golfer who is not doing well. But what is the specific meaning of the B, the I and the P?

The 1981 Walker Cup was the 28th time this competition took place. Following the United States victory, the all-time standings were 25 wins for Team USA, two wins for Team GB&I, one tie.

So you and your buddy just finished the 18th hole of your big match with a lot of money (or at least a lot of pride) on the line. Problem: You're tied. You'd love to keep playing extra holes to break the tie, but can't. What to do? Now is the time for a "scorecard playoff."

The 1979 Walker Cup was the 27th time this competition took place. Following the United States victory, the all-time standings were 24 wins for Team USA, two wins for Team GB&I, one tie.

"Vanity handicap" is a term applied to a golfer whose handicap index is lower than it should be because the golfer is finagling the numbers. That golfer is too vain, in other words, to admit to having a handicap that is slightly higher than what he claims.

The 1977 Walker Cup was the 26th time this competition took place. Following the United States victory, the all-time standings were 23 wins for Team USA, two wins for Team GB&I, one tie.

Golfers getting naked — on camera. Yes, it has happened, and some of the biggest stars in the game have done it. But don't get too excited by our headline: We aren't going to post any of the photos here. We'll just tell you about the golfers who've gone au naturel on camera.

The 1975 Walker Cup was the 25th time this competition took place. Following the United States victory, the all-time standings were 22 wins for Team USA, two wins for Team GB&I, one tie.