On the heels of the release of “Happy Gilmore 2” on Netflix and the steadfast devotion around golf during the warmer months of the year, golf feels as relevant as ever right now. These days, the sport looks a lot like expensive clubs, pricey tee times, and even trips to virtual driving ranges or places like Top Golf, where you can eat bar food while driving the ball in a contained, elevated environment.
Yet in decades past, golf seemed a little more accessible. From golf ball machines to protective outfits, these vintage photos of golf are a far cry from what the sport looks like today.
1. Hanging Out at the Golf Ball Machine (1938)
2. Team USA at the 1st Ryder Cup (1927)
3. Walter Hagen When He Became the First American To Win the British Open (1922)
4. The Legendary Arnold Palmer
5. Crossing Your Fingers Nothing Gets You in the Shin … (1956)
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6. Arnold Palmer on the Wake Forest Golf Team (1948)
7. Jack Nicklaus Playing Golf on His Honeymoon (1960)
8. Chi Chi Rodriguez With His Caddy John Lynch at the Masters Tournament (1975)
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9. Payne Stewart Styling at the Masters (1987)
10. Spectators at the Open Championship at Royal Troon (1982)
11. President George H.W. Bush Taking Calls While Golfing (1991)
12. Driving Range in Tokyo, Japan (1964)
13. Man After Winning a Golf Tournament in the 1970s
14. Catching Stray Balls in the 1920s
15. Jack Nicklaus at His Last Major Masters Victory (1986)
16. Willie Nelson Takes the Golf Course
17. Women Practicing Their Swing With a Robot Trainer (1925)
18. Flappers Cooling Off on a Block of Ice at a Golf Course in the 1920s
Sports fans, take note:
You can read about more athletic feats in Victory, Defeat, and Glory: 15 Sports Moments That Shook the World. Plus, be sure to check out 10 Expensive Sports Contracts That Broke Records and From Side Streets to Sandlots: 15 Vintage Photos That Capture the Spirit of Stickball.
