Celebrities That Could Have Been Golf Pros
Golf is a favorite pastime of a lot of celebrities. It's a leisurely sport that a lot of celebrities have found that they're quite good at. A lot of celebs also get involved in playing 18 holes for charity. Because they find themselves on a golf course so often, many celebs have pretty impressive golf skills.
Justin Timberlake and Bill Murray are two of the most respected celebrity golfers, and Tony Romo's game is so strong he's making a push to get professionally ranked! Keep reading to find out more about these celebs who are almost golf pros.
Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake was into golf as a kid. He became a celebrity when he was quite young and was able to spend some time on the course, and at one point, he even proclaimed that he would be a professional golfer by the time he was 30. Well, Timberlake's 30th birthday has come and gone and he's still not a pro golfer.
He is an international pop star, though, so he's got that going for him. Timberlake once compared singing and golfing. He said, "The golf swing is very, very rhythmic. There's a certain tempo to it, just like in music. It just made sense to me. Music is everything to me."
Snoop Dogg
It might surprise you to learn that Snoop Dogg is quite a good golfer. He's also a huge fan of the sport. Snoop cites Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, and Tiger Woods as his favorite golfers.
Snoop also admits, "it's hard to play golf... It looks easy on TV, but it's not that easy. It's a real profession, it's a real sport, it's real coordination, it's real timing." Snoop's last known handicap was 18. He's always working on his swing.
Justin Bieber
Justin Beiber grew up in Canada and when he was younger, all he wanted to do was get onto a golf course. Unfortunately, before he became THE Justin Beiber, he didn't have enough money to get into golf clubs. He would play guitar on the street to earn money so he could get onto the green.
It's possible that Beibermania might never have happened if Beiber didn't want to play golf so badly. Now he has enough money to go golfing whenever he wants.
Hugh Grant
Hugh Grant isn't just good at golf— he's excellent at golf. Grant is ranked as the 16th-best male celebrity golfer in the world. He's absolutely obsessed with the sport. He can often be spotted golfing at Dunhill Links in Scotland.
When he's not golfing, you can find Hugh Grant starring in romantic comedies. He also has a reputation for being a player off the court, if you know what I mean. Hopefully, he keeps his games on the green from now on.
Cameron Diaz
Cameron Diaz is something of a golf fanatic. She even has her own set of customized golf clubs that are fitted to her proportions.
Diaz first learned how to play golf on the set of There's Something About Mary, which also happens to be the movie that made her famous in America. Since then, she's reported her handicap to be around 36. That's pretty good for a casual player. She doesn't get to golf all that often, but when she does get on the green, she tears it up.
Michael Phelps
Michael Phelps is better known for his prowess in the water than on the green, but that doesn't mean that he doesn't know his way around a golf course. After retiring from professional swimming, Phelps had more free time to spend playing golf. He's become so famous for his time on the links that he's even had his own Golf Channel show.
And did we forget to mention he made the cover of Golf Digest, too?
Adam Levine
Adam Levine is better known for his musical talents than he is for his golf talents. He doesn't really even look like a golfer. His body is covered in tattoos and he seems too cool to be playing with clubs sometimes.
Looks can be deceiving, though. Levine is quite an accomplished golfer. In 2012, he was even featured on an episode of The Haney Project, one of Golf Channel's flagship programs. Maybe he has what it take to go pro.
Carson Daly
Carson Daly has grown up a lot since his MTV days. Now you can find him on shows such as The Voice being an excellent television host. Daly actually grew up playing golf in Southern California. He even played for Loyola Marymount University, and once competed against Tiger Woods in a junior-level tournament during the 1990s. He has a 7.8 handicap.
"I wanted to be a professional golfer until I was 18," Daly once told NBC.
Catherine Zeta-Jones
Catherine Zeta-Jones doesn't hold anything back on film, and she doesn't hold anything back on the golf course It turns out, this Oscar-winning actress is a fierce competitor. "It's not just my husband [Michael Douglas], it is any man I play," she said in an interview. “There has been an issue with paparazzi so I make him go into the bushes. A deal is a deal.”
She's pictured here at the Mission Hills Star Trophy in China in 2010.
Bill Murray
Bill Murray is a golfer and he plays one on TV. Well, he played a groundskeeper at a golf course in a movie once. Remember Caddyshack? In real life, Murray is an avid golfer who sports an eight handicap.
Murray often participates in charity golf events such as the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. In 2011, playing alongside D.A. Points, he won the entire competition. First prize for winning the event was $1.1 million.
Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel L. Jackson is the highest grossing actor of all time. From Nick Fury in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to Mace Windu in Star Wars, his resume is untouchable, and so is his love of golf.
Jackson is so serious about golf that his contracts state he is allowed to play while filming. Without golf, he claims his behavior would become destructive. He says that Arnold Palmer is the most temperamental golfer that he's ever played with, and he's played with a lot of them!
Tom Brady
Tom Brady is quite possibly the greatest quarterback to ever play in the history of the NFL. He is also one of the most respected celebrity golfers, and has even given advice to Phil Mickelson!
Speaking with Golf Channel, Mickelson said Brady gave him this advice, "Overload, underload. It's about how to create speed, how to retrain and reprogram your governor for speed. I’ve been doing a lot of the same stuff, and he just kind of explained how he applied it to football and throwing and arm velocity."
Dennis Quaid
In 2005, Golf Digest named Dennis Quaid as Hollywood's top golfer. At the time, his handicap was one. In the years since, his handicap has dropped to six. That hasn't stopped Quaid from holding a golf charity event every year, though.
Quaid also has plans to turn his love of golf into a movie. He has been open about his desire to star in a film about the sport. After watching him warm our hearts in The Rookie, we'd love to see him hit the links on the silver screen!
Celine Dion
Another surprising addition to this list is Celine Dion. The Canadian known for her incredible voice loves the relaxing sport. Not only is her handicap a solid 17, but she owns her own golf course, Le Mirage.
Dion also has a private course at her home in Canada. And who can forget the 2000 Kraft Nabisco tournament where she got a little crazy and jumped into a pond with Karrie Webb! That same year, Webb won her second consecutive Rolex Player of the Year title.
Alice Cooper
Shock rocker Alice Cooper is so in love with the sport of golf that he even wrote a book about it! The book, Golf Monster: My 12 Steps to Becoming a Golf Addict, details how turning to golf helped him approach sobriety in his life.
Cooper says that the relaxing sport was a major reason he was able to beat his alcoholism. Not only has he stayed sober since the mid-1980s, but he also sports an attractive handicap of seven when he's on the course.
Mark Wahlberg
You can choose to believe whether this is true or not, but Mark Wahlberg claims that playing golf is the only exercise he gets to stay in shape. Obviously, he gets into a real routine before shooting a movie, but during his time off, he works to improve his seven handicap.
Speaking about his health, Wahlberg said, "If I have to do it for a movie, whether it's being in shape or out of shape, then I'll do it for the job. That's part of the gig. But other than that I just like to swing a club."
Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan, like Tom Brady, can stake claim to being one of the greatest to ever play his sport. It turns out, basketball isn't the only athletic competition he exceeds at. On the golf course, he sports a 1.2 handicap.
Over the course of the last several decades, Jordan has joined 12 private golf clubs. He also owns over 40 golf sets and has a private putting green at his house. Would you believe us if we told you he averages 36 holes a day?
John Smoltz
John Smoltz is a Hall of Fame MLB pitcher who spent most of his career with the Atlanta Braves. He is the only hurler in league history to record 200 wins and 150 saves. After he retired, he nearly became one of the only professional athletes to successfully transition to golf.
With a two handicap, Smoltz once attempted to qualify for the U.S. Open in Pebble Beach. He came close, but ended up barely on the outside looking in. The performance was praised by Tiger Woods, who said Smoltz is the best non-PGA golfer ever.
Tony Romo
Tony Romo is doing his best since retiring from the NFL to become the next John Smoltz. In 2017, the former Cowboys quarterback missed the cut for the U.S. Open by six strokes. Jason Day praised Romo, saying he had "sneaky talent."
The good news for Romo is he has his broadcasting career to fall back on. After one season with CBS announcing football games, he is already widely regarded as one of the best in the booth.
Sugar Ray Leonard
Sugar Ray Leonard has made over $100 million boxing for living. You would think he wouldn't be scared of anything. Surprisingly, he says, "A downhill three-footer? That's scary," and he enjoys that golf makes him face his fears.
When he was boxing, Leonard wasn't scared of his opponents. "Marvin Hagler wasn't scary," and neither was anyone else who challenged him in the ring. To help him overcome his real fears, Leonard starred on The Haney Project just like Adam Levine did.
Kenny G
Kenny G is probably the most famous saxophonist of all time. To earn the title, he had to work tirelessly on his craft. To maintain his reputation, he still works tirelessly. And to become the best golfer he can be, he applies that same work ethic.
As he told Golf Digest, "With the sax, I learned technique well enough so that it feels like part of my body and I just express myself. That's where I want to get in golf." It doesn't hurt that he's been playing golf since high school, where he starred on his alma mater's team.
Charles Barkley
If you were to watch Charles Barkley play golf, and judge him solely based on his swing, you'd think he was terrible. There's hidden beauty in that swing, though, and Chuck is a much better golfer than people give him credit for.
Unfortunately, we don't know his handicap. We do know that he takes golf seriously enough that he once broke his club taking a shot. The moment was even broadcast on television during one of his appearances for the NBA on TNT.
Condoleeza Rice
Condoleeza Rice lived a busy life before discovering her passion for golf. As the Secretary of State for President Bush, she simply didn't have time for leisure. Once she turned 50 and had more free time though, that all changed.
Rice started playing golf and fell in love with the game. Today, she has a reported handicap of 14 and says putting and driving are her strengths, while irons and wedges give her trouble. She was one of the first women to earn a membership to Augusta National Golf Course in 2012.
Jack Wagner
Jack Wagner might be most famous for his role on General Hospital, but he is just as dramatic on the links. While he's been a staple on daytime television since 1985, he also has another saucy secret.
Wagner is a member of the prestigious Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles. He is often spotted there, and is known to have a +0.3 handicap. Next time you see in person, you might not want to challenge him to 18 holes.
Vince Gill
As a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, not many people know that Vince Gill has been golfing since he was 10 years old. In fact, before becoming a country music icon, Gill considered a career in golf.
Of course, we're happy he chose the path he did. What would our lives be like without his iconic music playing from our speakers? As much as we'd like to play a round with Gill, we're just as happy seeing him in concert!
Steve Azar
When Steve Azar is not touring, he spends his time playing golf. He currently has a 0.9 handicap, and is working to improve it whenever he is on the links. Azar also spends his time golfing to raise money for charity.
Golfing for a good cause allows him to do something he is passionate about while also giving back to those in need. His golf game is so good, Golf Digest listed him as one of the top 100 musicians who play.
Mario Batali
Mario Batali may have left the public eye a few years ago, but that hasn't stopped the Iron Chef from working on his golf game. At the peak of his popularity, Batali even made appearances on the Golf Channel.
Batali's love of golf is so large, he has even suggested the best food to pair with a day on the links. One of those dishes, a small onion sandwich, has been served at the Masters!
Anne Murray
Like Vince Gill, we don't know where we'd be without the amazing music of Anne Murray. Luckily, she never seriously considered a career in golf, she just dreamed about it.
According to Golf for Women, "She used to dream of being a pro golfer and scored an ace at Turning Stone Resort & Casino near Utica, N.Y. " With an 11 handicap, she is also ranked as the best female celebrity golfer in the world.
Angie Everhart
Angie Everhart started golfing at five years old and never stopped. We understand -- when you're in the public eye as much as the model and actress is, sometimes you need to be able to escape and find a more calming activity.
Currently, Everhart is noted as having a 27 handicap. Because of her notoriety on the links, she has been a featured guest several times for the Golf Network. It's "fair" to say as a model, actress, and golfer, she is a true triple threat.
Lucas Black
Lucas Black became famous for his breakout role in the sports film Friday Night Lights. Since then he has become a massive star. He was featured on NCIS: New Orleans for years and is set to appear in the ninth Fast and Furious film.
As his career has ascended, so has his golf game. According to Golf Digest, Black's handicap of 2.3 makes him the second-best male celebrity golfer in the world.
Chris O'Donnell
Starring as Robin in Batman Forever in 1995 proved to be a breakout role for Chris O'Donnell. While he might play second fiddle on the big screen, he is Batman on the links.
O'Donnell has a handicap of 5.2 and can often be found playing for charity to help give back. It helps that he has plenty of time to work on his game when NCIS: Los Angeles isn't filming.
Kevin Sorbo
Kevin Sorbo achieved fame in the '90s playing Hercules. While his career might have died down in more recent years, the power of his golf game has only grown. He currently has a 7.2 handicap and is listed at the 13th best male celebrity golfer in the world.
Of course, if you can't find him on the links, you can always catch him on TV. Hercules is still shown regularly in syndication.
Matthew McConaughey
Here's one activity you'll see Oscar-winning actor Matthew McConaughey putting on a shirt for: playing a round of golf. The Dazed and Confused star played on his golf team in high school and still enjoys the sport to this day.
With an 8.6 handicap, McConaughey claims he has scored four aces in his lifetime. "[Golf] can't be mastered, he said in an interview. "It's the toughest and most intriguing and difficult yet inspiring [game]."
Minka Kelly
American actress and model Minka Kelly might be more well-known for her roles in Friday Night Lights, Parenthood, Charlie's Angels, Almost Human, and Titans than she is for her athleticism. But her talent extends beyond the small screen and onto the golf course.
She participated in the 2012 World Celebrity Pro-Am and was humble about her abilities on the green. "I'm learning," she told reporters. "It's not easy." She grew up watching Masters tournaments and named Ian Woosnam her favorite pro.
Colt Ford
Colt Ford is known to many people for his voice, but some of his fans might not be aware that he's also a pretty good golfer. The rap/country singer even toyed with the idea of playing professional golf on the mini-tours in the '90s.
Ford qualified for a Web.com Tour event but ended up missing the weekend cut by two shots. After teaching pro at several clubs in Georgia he decided to pursue a music career.
Kurt Russell
Continuing to go down Golf Digest's rankings leads us to Kurt Russell. His 8.2 handicap is enough to rank him 21st. His love of golf, of course, is second to love of acting.
Russell has had a long career in Hollywood, and is still highly sought after as an action star. When The Fast and the Furious franchise wanted to beef up its cast, it turned to Russell, who plays a character named "Mr. Nobody."
Haley Joel Osment
Boasting a 9.6 handicap ranks Haley Joel Osment 30th overall against his male celebrity peers. He can be spotted often working on his game to improve his ranking at Oakmont Country Club in Glendale, California.
Osment originally broke into the public eye when he "saw dead people" in The Sixth Sense. The role of Cole Sear earned him an Oscar nomination among other accolades. Today, Osment takes mostly smaller roles as comedic relief.
Bruce Greenwood
Bruce Greenwood has been acting in Hollywood a long time. Most modern audiences probably know him as Captain Christopher Pike in Star Trek (2009), while older audiences would know him from St. Elsewhere.
With so many years of acting under his belt, Greenwood can take fewer roles today and focus more on his driving game. He may be ranked 36 by Golf Digest, but he's number one in our hearts.
Ray Romano
Of all the celebrities on this list, perhaps none look like they were born to golf more than Ray Romano. The former Everbody Love Raymond star turned dramatic actor has been golfing a long time and sports a handicap of 11.6.
If Romano didn't stay as busy as he does with all his movie projects, we imagine he could easily improve that number. Just look at him, golf is clearly in his DNA!
