Golf: Explainer
Browse SportsMonkie's explainer about golf, organized in one crawlable topic hub.
77 articles in this topic.
Golf Drop Rules, Explained
Golf drop rules under Rule 14.3: drop from knee height into a relief area, and replay if the ball rolls out. When you drop and what it costs.
The 4 Golf Majors in Order
The four men's golf majors in calendar order: the Masters, the PGA Championship, the U.S. Open and The Open Championship. Dates, venues and history.
Red Stakes vs Yellow Stakes in Golf
Red stakes mark a lateral penalty area with extra sideways relief; yellow marks a regular penalty area with fewer options. The difference, per Rule 17.
Strokes Gained in Golf, Explained
Strokes gained measures every shot against a tour baseline, so a positive number means you beat the average. How it works and how to read it.
What Is a Provisional Ball in Golf?
A provisional ball is a backup you play when your first shot may be lost or out of bounds, to save time. How Rule 18.3 works and when it counts.
What Is Twilight Golf?
Twilight golf is discounted late-afternoon play, when courses drop green fees because there is less daylight left to finish 18 holes. How it works.
Average Driving Distance by Age: Where Do You Stand?
The average male amateur drives it around 225 yards, peaking in the 20s and 30s and dropping roughly 30 yards by the 60s. See the full breakdown by age and handicap.
Best Golf YouTubers: Who to Watch
The best golf YouTubers cover club reviews, coaching, and entertainment. Here are the real channels worth following and what each does best.
The Bump and Run: Golf's Highest-Percentage Short-Game Shot
The bump and run flies low and rolls to the hole like a putt. Here is the best club to use, when to play it over a chip or flop, and how to hit it.
Cart Path Relief: How to Take Your Free Drop Correctly
A cart path is an immovable obstruction, so you get free relief. Here is how to find the nearest point of relief and drop correctly under Rule 16.1.
Early Extension in the Golf Swing: What It Is and Why It Hurts You
Early extension is when your hips thrust toward the ball on the downswing. Here is what causes it, why it wrecks contact, and the drills that fix it fast.
Golf Etiquette for Beginners: The Unwritten Rules
Golf etiquette for beginners comes down to safety, pace, and course care. Here are the unwritten rules that keep you welcome on any course.
How Much to Tip a Caddie: A Practical Guide
How much to tip a caddie: plan on $20 to $60 on top of the bag fee for a single round, more at resorts. Here are real ranges by course type.
Interlock vs Overlap Grip: Which Should You Use?
Interlock locks the pinky and index finger together; overlap rests the pinky on top. Interlock suits smaller hands, overlap suits most players. Here is how to choose.
Shallowing the Golf Club: What It Means and Why It Matters
Shallowing means dropping the club onto a flatter plane in transition so it approaches from the inside. It cures the over-the-top slice. Here are the drills and feels that work.
What Is a Texas Wedge? Putting From Off the Green
A Texas wedge is a putter used from off the green. Named for windy, hard-baked Texas courses, it is the safe, low-risk play on firm ground. Here is exactly when to use it.
What Does 3&2 Mean in Golf? Match Play Scoring Explained
What does 3&2 mean in golf? It means a player was 3 holes up with 2 to play, so the match ended early. Here is how match play scoring works.
What Is a Flyer Lie? Why the Ball Jumps From the Rough
A flyer lie is rough grass that gets between clubface and ball, killing spin so it flies farther. Here is how to spot one and how each lie affects the shot.
What Is a Tight Lie in Golf? How to Play It
A tight lie is a ball sitting on firm, closely mown turf with little grass underneath. Move the ball back, hands ahead, and strike ball-first. Here is how to play every lie.
What Is Lag in the Golf Swing? Explained Simply
Lag is the angle held between your lead arm and the club shaft on the downswing. Here is what lag does for power and contact, and drills to create it.
What Tees Should You Play From? A No-Ego Guide
What tees should you play from? Match the total yardage to how far you hit your driver. Here is the USGA Tee It Forward chart to pick right.
What Is a Condor in Golf? The Rarest Score in the Sport
A condor is four under par on one hole: a hole-in-one on a par 5. Fewer than ten have ever been recorded. Here are the confirmed condors.
What Is a Good Golf Score? Benchmarks by Skill & Age
A good golf score is anything under 90 on a par-72 course, which beats about 75% of players. See the benchmarks by skill level and age, for 9 and 18 holes.
What Is a Scratch Golfer? Plus Handicaps Explained
A scratch golfer has a 0.0 handicap index and plays to par on a rated course. Only about 1.6% reach it. What it takes, plus what a plus handicap means.
What Is an Eagle in Golf? How Rare It Really Is
An eagle in golf is two under par on one hole, usually a par 5 in three shots. See where it ranks on the scoring ladder and how rare eagles really are.
What Percentage of Golfers Break 100? The Real Data
About 55% of golfers break 100, roughly 26% break 90, and only 5% break 80. The real distribution from USGA handicap and NGF data, in one table.
What Is an Up and Down in Golf?
What is an up and down in golf? Getting the ball in the hole in two shots from around the green: one to get it up, one to putt down.
Augusta National Membership Cost
What does Augusta National membership cost? Reported initiation fees, annual dues and why the club never publishes official figures, explained.
The Career Grand Slam in Golf, Explained
The career grand slam means winning all four professional majors in a career. Only six men have done it, most recently Rory McIlroy in 2025.
FedEx Cup Playoffs Format, Explained
The FedEx Cup playoffs are the PGA Tour's three-event finale: top 70 players narrow to 50, then 30 at the Tour Championship. Here is how it works.
How Do You Qualify for the Masters?
You qualify for the Masters through set invitation categories: winning a major, ranking in the world top 50, winning on tour and more. Here is how.
Cost to Play Pebble Beach Golf Links
What does it cost to play Pebble Beach? As of 2025 the green fee is roughly $675+ per round, plus cart and caddie. Full breakdown and how to book.
The Most Exclusive Golf Clubs
The world's most exclusive golf clubs, from Augusta National to Cypress Point. What makes a club exclusive and why money alone can't get you in.
Most Masters Wins: Golf's Green Jacket Kings
Jack Nicklaus holds the record with six Masters wins. The full list of multiple green jacket winners, records and the numbers behind Augusta's greats.
How PGA Tour Purses Are Paid Out
The PGA Tour splits a purse by a fixed percentage table: the winner takes 18%, second gets about 10.9%, and it scales down from there. How it works.
What Is a Birdie in Golf? Scoring Terms
A birdie is a score of one stroke under par on a hole. How birdies fit with pars, bogeys, eagles and albatrosses, plus where the term came from.
What Is a Gimme in Golf? Rules and Etiquette
A gimme is a short putt your opponents concede so you skip holing it. What counts as a gimme, when it's allowed and why it's not in the Rules of Golf.
What Is a Municipal Golf Course?
A municipal golf course is a public course owned by a local government. What 'muni' means, how it differs from other public courses, and who runs it.
What Is a Pro-Am in Golf?
A pro-am pairs professional golfers with amateurs on the same team or event. How pro-ams work, what they cost, and what you win, explained.
What Is a Snowman in Golf?
A snowman in golf is a score of 8 on a single hole, named because the number 8 looks like a stacked snowman. What it means and how bad an 8 really is.
What Is an Amateur Golfer?
An amateur golfer plays for no prize money beyond strict limits. How the USGA and R&A Rules of Amateur Status define it, and how it differs from a pro.
What Is the 19th Hole in Golf?
The 19th hole in golf is slang for the clubhouse bar where players gather after a round. What it means, its origins, and the match-play meaning too.
Why Do Golf Courses Have 18 Holes?
Why do golf courses have 18 holes? It traces back to St Andrews, not a whisky bottle. The real history of golf's 18-hole standard, explained.
Wolf Golf Game Rules: How to Play and Score
Wolf golf game rules: how the Wolf rotates, picks a partner or goes Lone Wolf, plus a simple points scoring system and 3-man Wolf explained.
What Does MC Mean in Golf? Missed Cuts
MC in golf means Missed Cut: a player finished 36 holes outside the cut line and does not play the weekend. What the cut is, and who still gets paid.
Average Golf Swing Speed by Age (And What's Good)
Average golf swing speed by age: how driver clubhead speed changes from your 20s to your 70s, what counts as a good number, and how it maps to distance.
Bingo Bango Bongo: The Golf Game That Rewards Everyone
Bingo Bango Bongo is a golf betting game with three points per hole: first on the green, closest once all are on, and first in the hole. Here is how to play.
Blades vs Cavity Back Irons Explained
Blades reward pure ball strikers with feel and shot control; cavity back irons add forgiveness for everyone else. Here is how the two designs compare.
The Chapman Format Explained: Rules and Strategy
The Chapman format is a two-person golf game: both partners drive, swap balls for the second shot, then pick one and play alternate shot to the hole.
Forged vs Cast Irons: Does the Difference Matter?
Forged irons are pressed from soft carbon steel for feel; cast irons are moulded for forgiveness and value. Here is which one actually suits your game.
Four-Ball vs Foursomes: Ryder Cup Formats Explained
In four-ball, each player plays their own ball and the team counts the better score. In foursomes, partners share one ball and alternate shots. Here's the side-by-side.
Golf Club Lofts Chart: Standard Lofts for Every Club
A full golf club lofts chart: standard degrees for driver, woods, hybrids, irons and wedges, plus how modern 'strong' lofts changed the numbers.
Golf Skins Game Rules: Carryovers, Validation and Payouts
In a golf skins game each hole is a skin, won only by an outright low score. Ties carry the skin forward. Here are the rules, carryovers and payouts.
Highest Paid Female Golfers: LPGA Earnings and Endorsements
The highest paid female golfers in 2026: Nelly Korda's $13m year, Annika Sörenstam's LPGA money record, and the real prize-money gap with the PGA Tour.
How Long Does 9 Holes of Golf Take? Times by Group Size
Nine holes of golf takes about 2 to 2.5 hours for a foursome, and closer to an hour on your own. See how long 9 holes take by group size and cart use.
How Many Acres Is a Golf Course? Size by Course Type
Most 18-hole golf courses cover about 110 to 190 acres, averaging near 150. Here is how course type, layout and land use change the acreage.
How Many Dimples on a Golf Ball? Why They Exist
Most golf balls have 300 to 500 dimples. A Titleist Pro V1 has 388. Here is why the count varies and how dimples cut drag and add distance.
How Much Water Does a Golf Course Use? The Real Numbers
A typical 18-hole golf course uses roughly 90–130 million gallons of water a year, but desert courses use far more and rainy ones far less. The real figures, by region.
How to Get a Golf Handicap Without Joining a Club
You can get an official golf handicap without joining a club by signing up to a virtual or online club through your national association. Here is how, and the cost.
How to Keep Score in Golf: Reading and Marking a Scorecard
To keep score in golf, count every stroke on each hole and write the number in the box, then total the nine and eighteen. Here is how to read a scorecard.
Hybrid vs Iron: When to Make the Switch
Hybrid vs iron: hybrids launch higher and are easier to hit than long irons. Here's the equivalence chart and exactly when to swap an iron for a hybrid.
The Longest Drive Ever Recorded: Golf's Distance Records
The longest drive ever recorded in competition is Mike Austin's 515-yard bomb in 1974, credited by Guinness. Here is the truth behind golf's biggest drives.
The Longest Golf Courses in the World
The longest golf course in the world is Australia's Nullarbor Links at 1,365 km. The longest conventional 18-hole course is Jade Dragon in China at 8,548 yards.
Low Compression Golf Balls: Who Should Play Them and Why
Low compression golf balls (roughly 70 and under) suit slower swing speeds, seniors and beginners with a softer feel. See who should play them and top models.
The Oldest Golf Courses in the World
The oldest golf courses in the world sit in Scotland: Musselburgh Old Links has documented play from 1672, while St Andrews traces golf to the 1400s.
Spikeless vs Spiked Golf Shoes: Which to Buy
Spikeless vs spiked golf shoes: spikeless win on comfort and versatility, spiked on grip and wet-weather traction. Here is which pair most golfers should buy.
What Is a Driving Iron? Who Should Carry One
A driving iron is a low-lofted, strong long iron built for control off the tee. Here's what it's equivalent to, and who should carry one over a hybrid.
What Is a Forecaddie? Role, Cost and Tipping
A forecaddie works ahead of your group to spot balls, give yardages and speed play. Here is what they do, what to tip, and how they differ from a caddie.
What Is a Mid Handicapper? Handicap Ranges Explained
A mid handicapper carries a Handicap Index around 10 to 20 and usually shoots in the 80s to mid-90s. Here are the low, mid and high ranges explained.
What Is a Shank in Golf? Why It Happens
A shank is a shot struck by the hosel that shoots sharply sideways. Here's what causes a shank, how it differs from a slice, and how to fix it fast.
What Is an Executive Golf Course? Length and Par Explained
An executive golf course is a shorter, lower-par layout with more par 3s and a quicker round. Here is the typical length, par and how it compares.
What Is GIR in Golf? Greens in Regulation Explained
GIR means greens in regulation: reaching the green in par minus two strokes. Here is what counts, what a good GIR is, and typical figures by handicap.
What Is Offset in Golf Clubs?
Offset sets the clubface slightly behind the hosel, giving you a split-second longer to square the face. It helps fight a slice and launch the ball higher. Here's how it works.
What to Wear Golfing: Dress Codes Decoded for Every Course
What to wear golfing: a collared shirt, golf trousers or tailored shorts, and soft-spike shoes cover almost every course. Here is how dress codes change by venue.
Why Do Golfers Yell Fore? Origin and When to Shout It
Golfers yell 'fore' to warn anyone ahead that an errant ball is heading their way. The word likely comes from 'forecaddie' — but the origin is genuinely disputed.
Draw vs Fade: The Difference and Which to Play
Draw vs fade in golf: a draw curves right-to-left for distance, a fade left-to-right for control. Which shot shape you should play, and why.
What Does E Mean in Golf? Understanding Even Par Explained
In golf, E stands for even par, meaning a player completed the round or hole in exactly the number of strokes intended. Here is what even par means.