There’s something about golf that attracts some of the most famous names out there - from Hollywood A-listers right through to professional athletes, politicians and musicians. Golf attracts big names from all over the world, with many celebrities treating it as not just a hobby but as a second career or side hustle.
Celebrity pro-ams are a great way to raise awareness of the game and encourage more people to get involved in this enduring game. Recently footage emerged of the high-profile pairing of Spiderman actor Tom Holland with Padraig Harrington at the pro-am of the 2021 BMW PGA Championship, where Tom won the longest drive competition. It’s fair to say it caused quite a stir!
There’s nothing like a celebrity pro-am to raise the profile of the game and add a bit of star-spotting sparkle to proceedings, and they’re an enduringly popular part of the golfing calendar.
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at some of the biggest names to hit the links recently. But first, we’ll tell you a little about golf pro-ams and celebrity pro-ams, and we’ll also spotlight Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star Alfonso Ribeiro, and take a look at the clubs he chose for his golf bag at the recent Pebble Beach Pro-Am in California (spoiler alert - he’s a PING fanatic!). Want more WITB? Check out our other What’s In The Bag articles for more inspiration!
What’s been in the bag at the biggest celebrity pro-ams recently?
What’s a pro-am golf tournament?
First, let’s take a look at the format of a pro-am golf tournament. There’s no other sport where amateurs can play alongside professionals in quite the same way, and to be able to play so close to a seasoned expert is an unforgettable experience that many amateurs yearn for. The idea of a pro-am golf tournament is that a professional golfer (pro) is accompanied by one or more (up to four) amateurs (ams) on a round.
Pro-ams and celebrity pro-ams both tend to be held on the days leading up to a major golf tournament, with the amateurs paying for their exclusive spot alongside the professional. The reason for this, historically at least, was to fund the cost of the main tournament, but more recently the money tends to go directly to the professionals.
The cost of an amateur place on a pro-am can vary wildly, but tends to be cheaper earlier on in the week leading up to the tournament, with prices going up (and the quality of the professionals going up too) the closer to the event you get. On top of this very memorable experience, amateurs can expect to be invited to a prize-giving ceremony and/or exclusive reception afterwards. It’ll certainly be a day that you’ll never forget!
The PGA Tour pro-am was originally an 18-hole competition, but things have changed recently to a ‘nine-and-nine’ format where one pro takes the first nine holes and the other pro takes the next nine holes - reducing the amount of time the professional has to take out of their pre-tournament training schedule. The amateurs still get to play the full 18 holes, with the added bonus of having exposure to not just one but two world-leading players.
What’s a celebrity pro-am and how does it work?
A celebrity pro-am works in exactly the same way as a normal pro-am competition, only the professional is paired with (usually just one) celebrity on their round. It attracts a lot of attention around the globe, raising awareness of the main tournament and going a long way towards gaining lucrative sponsorship.
Celebrity pro-ams have an incredibly big draw - they are watched by thousands of avid golfing fans in person, and millions more if they are televised, which they quite often are.
Let’s look at one of the biggest names to have appeared at celebrity pro-ams this year - Alfonso Ribeiro - to find out which professional player he joined on the course, and which clubs he played with.
Pebble Beach Celebrity Pro-Am - Alfonso Ribeiro
Held in California, the AT&T Pebble Beach celebrity pro-am is one of the most internationally celebrated pro-ams, with huge coverage. Golf-mad celebrity Alfonso Ribeiro (Carlton from the Fresh Prince of Bel Air, co-host of Dancing With the Stars, and the voice of the PGA Tour Champions commercials) plays off a handicap of 1, and has taken part in this and many other celebrity pro-ams for years.
In 2023, he paired up with professional William McGirt to wow the crowds at Pebble Beach. He’s a PING aficionado, so let’s see which models he chose to play with. Check out our fantastic selection of used PING golf clubs to set up your own golf bag just like Ribeiro’s!
Driver: PING G430 LST
Ribeiro teed off with a PING G430 LST driver, one of the longest, most forgiving drivers on the market. ‘LST’ stands for Low Spin Technology and it’s aimed at players with a low handicap and a fast swing who want to reduce the spin on the ball to gain more distance.
3-wood: PING G430 MAX
Clearly a fan of PING, for his 3-wood, Ribeiro chose a PING G430 MAX, known for its distance and precision.
Hybrid: PING G430
Ribeiro’s choice of hybrid was another PING model - this time the G430 19 degrees, great for consistent ball flights.
Irons: PING i230 (4-U)
His irons were all from the PING i230 range, from his 4 iron through to his utility wedge.
Wedge: PING Glide 4.0
Ribeiro played with a PING Glide 4.0, with a precision-machined face and grooves for ultimate precision.
Putter: PING Sigma 2 Tyne
Giving excellent stability on short putts, the PING Sigma 2 Tyne was his choice of putter.
Other golf-mad celebrities
Alfonso Ribeiro is just one of the many golf-mad celebrities who love to take part in pro-ams. It’s hardly surprising that golf attracts so many stars from stage, screen and sportsfield - it must be the perfect antidote to the hectic lifestyle that they live every day. And since we know that golf carries many benefits to health and wellbeing, you can be sure that golf is part of their wellness regime too.
Here are some other well-known celebrities with impressive handicaps and a love for the game of golf:
Justin Timberlake
Not just an avid golfer, but a golf businessman too, famous musician, songwriter, actor and producer Justin Timberlake is an investor and partner in 8am Golf. Playing off a handicap of 1, Timberlake is one of the biggest hitters in the celebrity golfing arena. He’s regularly spotted at the Pebble Beach Celebrity Pro-Am.
Tim Henman
The former tennis star Tim Henman has been making waves on the golf course since retiring from professional tennis. He’s another fan of PING, and plays off a handicap of 2, so he’s definitely one to watch out for at future celebrity pro-ams.
Dennis Quaid
Actor and Hollywood legend Dennis Quaid - star of The Long Game - plays off scratch and is largely known to be one of the best, most passionate golfers in the film industry.
Naga Munchetty
BBC’s breakfast anchor Naga Munchetty started playing golf in 2008, and is currently playing off a very respectable handicap of 8. We can only conclude that she has more hours in her day than everyone else!
Hugh Grant
Everyone’s favourite bashful rom-com hero and Paddington villain Hugh Grant plays off a handicap of 7 and has taken part in quite a few major celebrity pro-am championships in recent years. He’s a member of the Queenwood Club in Surrey, and can often be seen on the greens when he’s taking a break from filming.
Anton Du Beke
It’s a 5 from Anton - but that’s his playing handicap, not his dance score. The talented ballroom dancer and Strictly pro-turned-judge is a regular on the golf course, and apparently he was once a county championship footballer too. Is there anything this man can’t do?!
Experience celebrity pro-ams for yourself
Celebrities and golf go hand in hand, and it’s easy to see why so many famous stars head to the fairways to let go, relax and enjoy some downtime while refining their technique and getting some gentle exercise and a change of scenery. If you’re a keen golfer, there are few more exciting opportunities than to go and watch a celebrity pro-am in person. You may well find yourself rubbing shoulders with golfers that you’ve looked up to for years, and celebrities that you never dreamed of meeting. You might even spot yourself on the TV!
It’s an experience not to be forgotten, so if you’ve not been before we really do encourage you to get your hands on a ticket - you’ll always be glad you did, and you’ll no doubt pick up some great tips by closely watching professional golfers doing their thing.
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