ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews behavioural economics studies that have used golf performance data to gain insight into the game of golf. It focuses on the issue of skill versus luck in golf. Based on skill, one can use ordinary least squares (OLS) regression, as specified in the equation, to estimate each individual player's mean neutral score while simultaneously controlling for the relative difficulty of the rounds in which the scores are recorded. In this equation, is a matrix of dummy variables that identifies players, and a matrix of dummies that identifies the interaction of round and course. The availability of golf-related performance data, especially ShotLink data made available by the Professional Golfers' Association (PGA) Tour, has made it possible to study golf in ways that heretofore were impossible. The chapter includes miscellaneous data such as weekly Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR), as well as points and scoring data related to the final stage of the x Tour Qualifying Tournament (Q-school).
