Golf Quiz
Birdies, albatrosses, Augusta and the Grand Slam: 15 golf questions from the first tee to the 18th green.
How many holes are played in a standard round of golf?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
18
A full round is 18 holes, a standard that comes from the Old Course at St Andrews, which settled on 18 holes in 1764 after reducing its original 22.
Professional tournaments are usually 72 holes over four rounds, with a cut after 36 holes.
What is the term for a score of one stroke under par on a hole?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Birdie
A birdie is one under par, an eagle is two under and a bogey is one over; the term dates from American slang around 1900, when "bird" meant something excellent.
The word bogey originally meant the ideal score, named after a popular song about the Bogey Man, before it came to mean one over.
Which golf club hosts the Masters Tournament every April?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Augusta National
The Masters has been played at Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia every year since 1934 apart from three wartime years, making it the only major held at the same course each year.
The champion receives a green jacket, which must be kept at the club except during the winner's first year.
What is the name of the team competition played every two years between golfers from the United States and Europe?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Ryder Cup
The Ryder Cup has been contested since 1927, originally between the United States and Great Britain, with the opposition expanding to all of Europe in 1979.
The Solheim Cup is the women's equivalent, and the Presidents Cup pits the United States against an international team without Europeans.
Which golfer holds the record for most men's major championship wins, with 18?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Jack Nicklaus
Jack Nicklaus won 18 majors between the 1962 U.S. Open and the 1986 Masters, which he took at age 46, and his haul includes a record six green jackets at Augusta.
Nicklaus also finished second in 19 majors, so he was in the top two of a major 37 times.
What is the maximum number of clubs a player may carry during a round under the Rules of Golf?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
14
Rule 4.1 limits a player to 14 clubs, a cap introduced by the USGA in 1938 after some players had been carrying 25 or more, and the R&A followed in 1939.
Ian Woosnam was penalised two strokes at the 2001 Open after his caddie left a 15th club in the bag.
Which of the four men's majors is the oldest?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
The Open Championship
The Open Championship was first played at Prestwick in Scotland in 1860, 35 years before the first U.S. Open and 74 years before the first Masters.
The Open's trophy, the Claret Jug, was first awarded in 1873 after the original Challenge Belt was won outright by Young Tom Morris.
Which Scottish town is home to the Old Course, known as the "Home of Golf"?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
St Andrews
Golf has been played on the links at St Andrews since the 15th century, and the town's Royal and Ancient Golf Club helped write the rules of the game.
The Old Course has seven enormous double greens shared by two holes each, so some putts can run over 100 feet (30 metres).
What is the term for a score of three under par on a single hole?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Albatross
An albatross, also called a double eagle in the United States, is three under par, usually a two on a par five, and it is rarer than a hole in one.
Gene Sarazen's albatross on the 15th hole in the 1935 Masters, the "shot heard round the world", helped make the tournament famous.
Which golfer was nicknamed "The King" and led a famous fan following known as Arnie's Army?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Arnold Palmer
Arnold Palmer won seven majors, including four Masters, and brought golf to the television age in the late 1950s and 1960s with his aggressive style, charisma and devoted gallery.
The drink named after him, half iced tea and half lemonade, became a registered brand that still carries his name.
Who won the 1997 Masters by a record 12 strokes at the age of 21?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods shot 18 under par at Augusta in 1997, winning by 12 shots in his first major as a professional and becoming the youngest Masters champion.
Woods went on to hold all four major titles at once after the 2001 Masters, a feat known as the Tiger Slam.
Which golfer completed the career Grand Slam by winning the 2025 Masters in a playoff and then successfully defended the title in 2026?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Rory McIlroy
Rory McIlroy beat Justin Rose on the first playoff hole in April 2025 to become the sixth man to win all four majors, then won again in 2026 by one stroke over Scottie Scheffler.
The only other players to win the Masters in consecutive years are Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods.
Which golfer won both the PGA Championship and the Open Championship at Royal Portrush in 2025?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Scottie Scheffler
Scottie Scheffler won the 2025 PGA Championship by five shots and then the Open at Royal Portrush by four, giving him the third leg of the career Grand Slam.
Scheffler was only the second world number one to win the Open, after Tiger Woods, who did it three times.
Which amateur won all four of the era's major championships in 1930, the original Grand Slam, and later co-founded Augusta National?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Bobby Jones
Bobby Jones won the U.S. and British Opens and the U.S. and British Amateurs in 1930, retired from competition at 28, and then built Augusta National with Clifford Roberts.
Jones was a lawyer who never turned professional, and he received a ticker-tape parade in New York after his Grand Slam.
Which golfer became the only woman to shoot a 59 in an LPGA Tour event, in 2001?
Got a hunch? Pick the answer that feels right.
Annika Sörenstam
Annika Sörenstam shot 59 in the second round of the Standard Register Ping in Phoenix in March 2001, and no other woman has matched it on the LPGA Tour.
Sörenstam won 72 LPGA titles and ten majors, and in 2003 she played a PGA Tour event at Colonial, the first woman to do so in 58 years.
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All Sports quizzes →About the Golf Quiz
Golf has four majors, a 700-year-old home at St Andrews and a record book with Jack Nicklaus on top. Nicklaus won 18 majors, Tiger Woods won the 1997 Masters by 12 strokes at age 21, and in April 2025 Rory McIlroy finally completed the career Grand Slam at Augusta after an 11-year wait.
These 15 questions cover the scoring terms, the rules on clubs and equipment, the famous courses, the majors and the Ryder Cup, and the legends from Bobby Jones to Scottie Scheffler. The early questions suit anyone who has played a round, while the later ones reward fans who watch every major. Each answer includes a short explanation and a bonus fact.
You will find 15 multiple choice questions here, each with four options. Difficulty: Medium. Most people finish in about 6 minutes, and every answer comes with a short explanation and one extra fact worth keeping.
How to play
Read the question and pick one of the four answers. The correct answer is revealed straight away with a short explanation, then press Next question to keep going. At the end you get your score out of 15 and a full review of your round. Play again any time and the questions arrive in a fresh order. There is no timer and no account.
Good to know before you play
What are the four majors in men's golf?
The Masters, the PGA Championship, the U.S. Open and the Open Championship (often called the British Open), played in that order each year.
Who has won the most majors in men's golf?
Jack Nicklaus, with 18 major titles between 1962 and 1986. Tiger Woods is second with 15.
How many clubs can a golfer carry?
A maximum of 14 clubs under the Rules of Golf, with a two-stroke penalty for each hole played with more, up to four strokes per round.
Answer key: all 15 questions with explanations
- How many holes are played in a standard round of golf?
18 A full round is 18 holes, a standard that comes from the Old Course at St Andrews, which settled on 18 holes in 1764 after reducing its original 22. Professional tournaments are usually 72 holes over four rounds, with a cut after 36 holes. - What is the term for a score of one stroke under par on a hole?
Birdie A birdie is one under par, an eagle is two under and a bogey is one over; the term dates from American slang around 1900, when "bird" meant something excellent. The word bogey originally meant the ideal score, named after a popular song about the Bogey Man, before it came to mean one over. - Which golf club hosts the Masters Tournament every April?
Augusta National The Masters has been played at Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia every year since 1934 apart from three wartime years, making it the only major held at the same course each year. The champion receives a green jacket, which must be kept at the club except during the winner's first year. - What is the name of the team competition played every two years between golfers from the United States and Europe?
Ryder Cup The Ryder Cup has been contested since 1927, originally between the United States and Great Britain, with the opposition expanding to all of Europe in 1979. The Solheim Cup is the women's equivalent, and the Presidents Cup pits the United States against an international team without Europeans. - Which golfer holds the record for most men's major championship wins, with 18?
Jack Nicklaus Jack Nicklaus won 18 majors between the 1962 U.S. Open and the 1986 Masters, which he took at age 46, and his haul includes a record six green jackets at Augusta. Nicklaus also finished second in 19 majors, so he was in the top two of a major 37 times. - What is the maximum number of clubs a player may carry during a round under the Rules of Golf?
14 Rule 4.1 limits a player to 14 clubs, a cap introduced by the USGA in 1938 after some players had been carrying 25 or more, and the R&A followed in 1939. Ian Woosnam was penalised two strokes at the 2001 Open after his caddie left a 15th club in the bag. - Which of the four men's majors is the oldest?
The Open Championship The Open Championship was first played at Prestwick in Scotland in 1860, 35 years before the first U.S. Open and 74 years before the first Masters. The Open's trophy, the Claret Jug, was first awarded in 1873 after the original Challenge Belt was won outright by Young Tom Morris. - Which Scottish town is home to the Old Course, known as the "Home of Golf"?
St Andrews Golf has been played on the links at St Andrews since the 15th century, and the town's Royal and Ancient Golf Club helped write the rules of the game. The Old Course has seven enormous double greens shared by two holes each, so some putts can run over 100 feet (30 metres). - What is the term for a score of three under par on a single hole?
Albatross An albatross, also called a double eagle in the United States, is three under par, usually a two on a par five, and it is rarer than a hole in one. Gene Sarazen's albatross on the 15th hole in the 1935 Masters, the "shot heard round the world", helped make the tournament famous. - Which golfer was nicknamed "The King" and led a famous fan following known as Arnie's Army?
Arnold Palmer Arnold Palmer won seven majors, including four Masters, and brought golf to the television age in the late 1950s and 1960s with his aggressive style, charisma and devoted gallery. The drink named after him, half iced tea and half lemonade, became a registered brand that still carries his name. - Who won the 1997 Masters by a record 12 strokes at the age of 21?
Tiger Woods Tiger Woods shot 18 under par at Augusta in 1997, winning by 12 shots in his first major as a professional and becoming the youngest Masters champion. Woods went on to hold all four major titles at once after the 2001 Masters, a feat known as the Tiger Slam. - Which golfer completed the career Grand Slam by winning the 2025 Masters in a playoff and then successfully defended the title in 2026?
Rory McIlroy Rory McIlroy beat Justin Rose on the first playoff hole in April 2025 to become the sixth man to win all four majors, then won again in 2026 by one stroke over Scottie Scheffler. The only other players to win the Masters in consecutive years are Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods. - Which golfer won both the PGA Championship and the Open Championship at Royal Portrush in 2025?
Scottie Scheffler Scottie Scheffler won the 2025 PGA Championship by five shots and then the Open at Royal Portrush by four, giving him the third leg of the career Grand Slam. Scheffler was only the second world number one to win the Open, after Tiger Woods, who did it three times. - Which amateur won all four of the era's major championships in 1930, the original Grand Slam, and later co-founded Augusta National?
Bobby Jones Bobby Jones won the U.S. and British Opens and the U.S. and British Amateurs in 1930, retired from competition at 28, and then built Augusta National with Clifford Roberts. Jones was a lawyer who never turned professional, and he received a ticker-tape parade in New York after his Grand Slam. - Which golfer became the only woman to shoot a 59 in an LPGA Tour event, in 2001?
Annika Sörenstam Annika Sörenstam shot 59 in the second round of the Standard Register Ping in Phoenix in March 2001, and no other woman has matched it on the LPGA Tour. Sörenstam won 72 LPGA titles and ten majors, and in 2003 she played a PGA Tour event at Colonial, the first woman to do so in 58 years.
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