When Happy Gilmore first hit theatres, he amused us with his whacky, profanity laden outbursts and his tendency to break equipment. While the casual observer might write the game of golf off as a stuffy old game, the true golfers among us know that it is a game of passion, and like any passion the emotions associated with the commitment to the game can be a little….tumultuous to say the least. So it’s no surprise that some of our favourite (and not so favourite…) pro golfers occasionally take a leaf out of Happy’s book and go on mini-rampages when the game doesn’t quite go their way. So here they are – ten times the game of golf was “livened” up by pro golfers acting out.

There’s the lucky ball, the lucky socks, and the lucky club. There are superstitious rules for golfing – never use a red tee (on the chance you might anger a runaway bull), don’t use water balls on holes with water hazards (like attracts like, obviously), and don’t wash off a ball that’s been giving you some great rounds (it’s clearly got a clear veneer of awesome on it). Sports superstitions aren’t exactly news – they’ve been around for as long as the game has been played, and many people believe that having positive superstitions improves your game. I agree - peace of mind means a piece of cake, or so I keep telling myself when I tape four leaf clovers all over myself in the vain attempt to lower my score. But what you might not know is that you are not alone in your golf superstitions – even the pros have their version of the playoff beard. Here are some golf superstitions held by some of your favorite pros, pictured below with their trophies – maybe adopting one would help improve your game? You’ll never know until you try.

“I haven't looked for a golf ball since mulligans were free, which was a law I passed in 1995.” - Dan Jenkins (an American author and golf journalist). For those in the business of operating a golf venue, there is profit on the green, in the rough, and in ponds. A staggering 300 million golf balls are lost by golfers every year. As a result, millions of dollars are lost as well. Every make and condition can be found when retrieving abandoned golf balls. From high-end Titleist Pro V1 to lesser-known brands, banged up pretty badly or in mint condition. Recycling, reconditioning and reselling used balls is estimated as a $200 million per year enterprise. Recycled golf balls--or “pond balls” as they are sometimes called--sell at a range from as little as 25 cents per ball to as much as $3 each for high-end brands in excellent condition. Golf courses that send their retrieved balls to LostGolfBalls.com can take advantage of this revenue stream.

While the average male golfer is capable of a maximum drive just over 300 yards, top hitters like Dustin Johnson and Tiger Woods routinely exceed 350 yards in their PGA prime. Last year’s winner of the Masters Tournament, Bubba Watson, currently holds the record for the longest drive in a PGA Tour event at an extraordinary 424 yards.

Can you remember your last three scores but not your anniversary? Do you have club marks on the ceiling of your living room, or even a hole in the wall? Can you tell the difference between bent, Bermuda, and Poa annua grass?

A round of golf, with some introductions and conversation—how’s that for a day at the office? Golf lovers and business people rejoice: the course can be an excellent place of business. So start with a good, firm handshake, and we’ll walk you through how to take care of business on the course!

A ladybug on your golf club, a four-leaf clover in the rough, and a horseshoe-shaped green. Would you take these as signs of good things to come on the course? How much luck is there really behind these 5 incredible shots

Practice makes perfect. While no one would argue that golf is a sport that takes a lot of practice, we know that sometimes it can be difficult to put in the hours needed to improve your game.

Some people make New Year’s resolutions—and some refuse. Whatever side of the fence you’re on, golfers can always look at the year ahead and put some thought around what they’d like their game to achieve.