Just as in other sports, golf statistics are easy to come by. But statistics can really tell a lot about the game of golf. They can predict the growing popularity of this great game and give golfers something to strive for as they attempt to meet or best the statistics set by the pros.

For example, there are 57 million people all over the world who call themselves golfers. In the last ten years, there have been 7,800 new golf courses open up all over the globe. The average male golfer can drive the golf ball 195 yards while the average drive by women is 145 yards. The record for longest drive is 415 yards.

Golf statistics are especially important for the professional golfer as well. They are ranked according to their showing in various tournaments and assigned points that determine who is the best golfer. These golf statistics are especially important in years when the Ryder Cup is played as their point totals determine who will play in this prestigious tournament.

There are also golf statistics that keep track of how much money a player has made which is another way of ranking their abilities. As of the writing of this article, Vijay Singh is the worldwide money leader with Tiger Woods following closely behind.

Because there are many, many golf leagues at golf clubs all over the world, keeping track of player statistics is essential in the running of these leagues. Often players will also want to keep track of their own statistics to track their progress. Luckily, there are a lot of software programs that can help with this. Many of them are even free for download on the Internet.

Here are a few programs we?ve found that seem to be pretty comprehensive for keeping track of golf statistics:

* Stat Doctor ? keeps track of handicap, golf statistics, and overall game performance in an easy-to-use program. Available for download at www.golfstatdoctor.com

* Keep My Golf Score ? this is an online golf statistic software program where you join for free and input your playing information. The program will then compute your golf statistics and keep track of your performance. www.keepmygolfscore.com

* Golf Tracker ? their website states simply, ?You golf. We keep score?. This is also an online golf statistics program that is free to use. You input your information and they will keep track of them. www.golftracker.com

Some people think that statistics are dry and boring ? especially golf statistics, but if you are a golfer who is interested in improving your game, you will want to keep track of your golf statistics and then watch as your golf game improves!