What year was golf first played in the Olympics?
Category: Golf History
Image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/thedcms/7662576984
Clue
It was early 20th century and the Olympics were in Paris, France.
Answer
The 1900 Summer Olympics - the second of the modern Olympics - was the first Olympic Games to include golf.
Golf at the Olympics
- Only four countries participated in golf at the 1900 Olympics; Great Britain, France, Greece, and the United States.
- While the men’s competition was played over 36 holes the women’s event was only contested over 9 holes.
- In 1900 the Olympics was not as strong an event as it is now and many of the golfers participating did not realize they were competing in the Olympics. They thought it was ‘just’ a golf tournament.
- Both the men’s and the women’s competitions were won by participants from the U.S.
- The International Golf Federation has a good article with more information.
- This entertaining article by Bill Mallon has further information about the history of golf in the Olympics.