25 Things That Should Be On Every Golfer’s Bucket List

October 12, 2016 Sara Rubin Comments

You may or may not have seen that moderately awful movie, “The Bucket List” starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman.  Even if you haven’t seen it, you’re probably familiar with the concept of a bucket list.  As golfers, there are infinite numbers of goals and acheivements that we can add to a bucket list, but we thought it would be fun to put together a golfing bucket list for the ordinary man.  These are 25 things that every golfer should do at some point:

1. Play Some Night Golf

While some golfers may frown on night golf or look at it as a bit of a joke, night golf can be seriously fun.  It adds a whole new dimension to the game and makes you look at the golf course from new angles.  Plus when you’re wearing a headlamp and hitting a glow in the dark ball, there’s virtually no way that you and your buddies aren’t going to have fun.

2. “Hire” a Caddy for a round

Caddies don’t have to be just for pros and the country club elite.  Grab a buddy who knows the game well and have him or her carry your bag, help you line up putts and mark off distance.  You may find that getting a second opinion helps you play better, and at the very least, you’ll gain a little insight into the caddy/pro relationship.

3. Play a round with old school clubs

In a lot of attics and garages are beautiful old clubs just gathering dust.  Why not take them out on the course and see how you fare with some antique persimmon woods and blade irons.  If anything, the antiques will probably give you a new appreciation for how far golf club technology has come.

4. Party at the Waste Management Open

From the outside, the Waste Management Open down in Phoenix looks about as far away from a traditional golf atmosphere as you can get.  It’s loud, it’s raucous and it is an all-out party on the golf course.  This makes a great golfer’s bucket list addition because who wouldn’t want to attend golf’s biggest party?

5. Sneak onto your local country club

Alright, so this might be pushing it, but if you aren’t a country club member, why not sneak out some night and play a few holes?  We’re definitely not advocating breaking and entering here and the worst that’ll probably happen is that they tell you to get lost.  But the excitement of playing golf somewhere exclusive will be something that you’ll likely remember for a long time.

6. Go on a pilgrimage to Scotland

This is one golf bucket list item that may be a little out of reach for some people since overseas travel is expensive, but if you really love the game and appreciate the history, you should absolutely travel to Scotland.  Visiting and maybe even playing at St. Andrews or Carnoustie or any number of the other fantastic golf courses from the birthplace of the game should certainly be a part of any golfer’s bucket list.

7. Build your own backyard golf hole

If you have the space, building your own backyard golf hole can be a fantastic way to play more golf without actually playing more golf.  Designs can run from the elaborate to the basic, but adding something to your home that allows you to play the game more is definitely a win. 

Pro Tip: If you don’t actually want to build a golf hole, grab some wiffle balls and create your own golf course around your front and back yards.  Set targets and par levels and compete with your family and friends.  You’ll be surprised how much fun you can have on your own golf course.

8. Hit golf balls at the Chelsea Pier

As a Midwesterner, I’ll admit that when someone suggested this, I kind of scoffed.  I mean, how cool could it actually be?  The answer is very cool.  There is just something completely unique about being in Manhattan and hitting balls out into the Hudson Bay from four stories up.  It’s definitely worth the trip and worth an addition to your golfing bucket list.

9. Play some Cross Country Golf

If you have never heard of cross country golf, let us enlighten you about one of the fastest growing trends in the sport.  Instead of playing the golf course in the traditional order of holes, you pick a point for the next hole (it can be any green on the course) and play to it in as few strokes as possible.  This means that you may be taking some really creative routes around the golf course and you’ll likely play from some angles and spots that never even crossed your mind.  It also means that you are creating an entirely new golf course from scratch when you play and that is very very cool.

10. Successfully execute a Happy Gilmore swing

I’m just going to assume that since you’re reading this list, you’re probably familiar with Happy Gilmore and his infamous swing.  Something that should be on every golfer’s bucket list is a perfect execution of the “wind up and smack it” Happy Gilmore swing.  Better yet, if you can make it into a contest with your buddies to see who can get the best result, you’ll really be having fun.

11. Engage in some competitive match play

If you really want to find out who you are as a golfer and as a person, give competitive match play a try.  Every hole presents a new opportunity to gain or lose ground and if you’re playing against a strong competitor, it’ll take all your focus and mettle to hold on until the end.

12. Play an intense putt putt match

While this one may not be for every golfer, putt putt or mini golf is the ultimate golfing game of the masses and you haven’t really lived until you’re trying to match your buddy’s hole in one through a windmill.  While most people have played mini golf before, this one gets really fun once you decide to take the competition up a notch.

13. Do a golfing marathon

Playing 54 holes in one day sounds like a dream for a lot of golfers and it definitely can be amazing.  When you play a lot of golf in a short amount of time, you’ll quickly find that your stress level and focus on individual hole scores quickly falls by the wayside.  With so many holes to play, you start to focus on this bigger picture, so marathon golf can be a great way to get out of your own head if you get obsessed with each stroke. To execute marathon golf correctly, you’re going to want to shoot for at least 54 holes in a day and make sure you hydrate!

14. Play in a real tournament

I’m not talking about some best ball scramble your co-worker signed you up for here.  Your golfing bucket list should definitely include playing in a real stroke or match play tournament.  Most clubs and cities host various tournaments throughout the year.  Do yourself a favor – sign up for one and do your best.

15. Play a top 100 course

There are so many fantastic golf courses in this world that it would be a shame to have gone through life not playing any of the best.  Some of the Top 100 Golf Courses will be virtually impossible for the average Joe to play (Augusta National), but others like Bandon Dunes, are refreshingly accessible and even affordable.  Do some research and find out what great courses are in your area and make it a point to get there and play.

16. Score a hole-in-one

This is one bucket list item that can elude even the best golfers in the world.  Alternatively, there are other people who have gotten multiple hole in one’s and you just want to say, “he man, share the wealth!”  There is no question – getting a hole in one is something that should be on every golfer’s bucket list.

17. Experience a Ryder Cup in person

The Ryder Cup is arguably the best event in all of golf and one of the best sporting events in the world.  Every other year, the best golfers from the United States and Europe come together to see which team can emerge victorious.  The Ryder Cup atmosphere is electric with fans from both side showing pride for their homeland and for their teams.  You also get to see normally staid and calm pro golfers exhibit a lot more personality and excitement.

18. Watch the Par-3 Contest at the Masters

The Par 3 Contest at the Masters occurs every year on the Wednesday before the Masters kicks off and it is bar-none one of the coolest events in golf.  Many golfers bring their kids and wives and they just have fun with it.  Plus, since it’s before the actual tournament begins, spectators can take photos, so you make actually get to take home some photographic proof of your experience. 

19. Shoot your age

Shooting your age obviously becomes substantially easier as you get older, but nonetheless it can and should be a goal for all golfers to do at some point.  If you’re on the south side of 40, you can always try shooting your age for 9 holes.

20. Break 80 (or 70 or 100 or whatever your stretch score is)

Most golfers have a score that always just seems a little out of reach.  This varies by golfer, but most feel that playing just one round in the 60’s or 70’s or 80’s or 90’s would be something to be proud of.  Whatever that score is for you, mark it down and put it on your bucket list and buy yourself a drink on the day that you actually break that score.

21. Play a round of golf in all 50 states

This is a golfing bucket list goal that will definitely take you awhile to achieve.  Playing a round of golf in all 50 states is something that not many people have done, however it’s something that is one of those “Ultimate Bucket List” challenges that everyone should shoot for.  After all, even if you don’t get all 50 states, you’ll have still played a lot of great golf in a lot of great places.

22. Play a high-stakes money match

While we definitely don’t advocate high-stakes gambling becoming a part of most people’s regular routine, standing over a 4-footer for par when you’ve got real cold, hard cash on the line will certainly challenge you in a new way.  And when we say “high-stakes”, know that the amount of money doesn’t have to be big to feel the pressure.  You may sweat it out over $20 while others may want to go for more big money bets.  Only do what is comfortable for you.

23. Play a round with only three clubs

Here’s a challenge for you: grab one wood, an iron and a putter and play a full round.  Having only three clubs at your disposal will force you to think creatively about golf course management and how you use your golf clubs.

24. Take a golf road trip with your buddies

A golfing road trip with friends is something that every golfer should do at least once in their lifetime.  Map out your route, book your tee times and get ready to have a great time with people you love.

25. Create and play your own Bucket List of golf courses

This list is intended to provide you with some inspiration for adding some fun and excitement into your golf game.  Why not put together your own list of golf courses you want to play and put together a plan to play them all.  Incorporate your friends and family and make it a yearly event.  After all, the whole point of playing golf is to have fun.  

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