Rules & Formats
Team Golf Formats: Scramble, Best Ball, Foursomes and More
How scramble, four-ball, foursomes, greensomes, Chapman and shamble work, when to use each, and the World Handicap System's recommended allowances.
Graham Whitley
Graham Whitley is the pen name of the small independent editorial team behind Open Tribune News.
Majors & Tours
How the Official World Golf Ranking Works
How OWGR points are earned, the two-year window and divisor, the 2022 Strokes Gained-based method, LIV Golf's 2026 status and why rankings matter.
History & Legends
The Origins of Golf: Scotland, St Andrews and the Birth of the Rules
From a 1457 Scottish ban to the first written rules at Leith, the rise of St Andrews, the 18-hole standard and the founding of the USGA in 1894.
Majors & Tours
Women’s Golf Majors and the LPGA Tour Explained
How the LPGA Tour works, the five women's majors and their history, the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship and the link with the Ladies European Tour.
Equipment
How to Build Your First Golf Set
Which clubs a beginner actually needs, boxed sets vs individual clubs, new vs used, forgiving designs, shaft flex basics and when a fitting makes sense.
Learn the Game
Parts of a Golf Course Explained: Tee to Green
A hole-by-hole tour of a golf course: teeing areas, fairways, rough, bunkers, penalty areas, the green and how the Rules of Golf divide it all up.
Majors & Tours
The Ryder Cup Explained: Format, History and Selection
How the Ryder Cup works: USA vs Europe, foursomes, four-ball and singles, the 14½ points needed to win, captain's picks, and a short history through 2025.
History & Legends
The History of the Masters Tournament
From Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts founding Augusta National to the green jacket, Amen Corner, the Par 3 Contest and Jack Nicklaus's six titles.
Rules & Formats
Penalty Areas, Out of Bounds and Lost Balls: Your Relief Options
Red and yellow penalty areas, stroke-and-distance for out of bounds and lost balls, the provisional ball and the optional Local Rule E-5, explained clearly.
Learn the Game
Golf Etiquette: The Unwritten (and Written) Rules of the Course
Golf etiquette explained: safety and shouting fore, pace of play and ready golf, divots, pitch marks and bunkers, behavior on the green, dress codes and carts.