Golf has been included in the summer Olympics for the first time in more than 100 years. The renowned golfer Gary Player has long advocated for the sport’s inclusion in international competition, so he must be happy to see men and women from all over the world driving and putting to represent their countries.
Golf has always been a well-liked sport in the United States, with each major tournament bringing strong television ratings. The event at the Olympics this year will likely draw even more viewers.
But as the most well-known golf book illustrates, the activity has frequently served as a source of humor. Author John Feinstein, who also penned the Indiana University basketball book A Season on the Brink, titled his memoir about the PGA tour A Good Walk Spoiled.
Golf has been incorporated into the plots of many well-known sitcoms in an effort to make viewers laugh. Here are seven television programs where a regular character enjoys playing nine or eighteen holes of golf.
Cosmo Kramer from Seinfeld
Jerry’s whimsical neighbor goes golfing in several episodes, the most memorable of which is “The Marine Biologist.” Michael Richards’s character Kramer gathers 600 golf balls and launches them into the water, only to have one of them get stuck in a whale’s blowhole and cause it to beach itself.
Larry David from Curb Your Enthusiasm
The creator of Seinfeld indulges in golf in his follow up series, most notably the episode called “The Black Swan.” While playing a round of golf, Larry accidentally kills the beloved bird of the golf course owner.
Jim Halpert from The Office
The Houghton-Mifflin employee (played by John Krasinski) uses a golf outing to get close to the company’s CEO in an effort to try to secure his biggest sales account.
Thurston Howell III from Gilligan’s Island
The millionaire (Jim Backus) is able to simulate his favorite activity even on a desert island.
Ricky Ricardo from I Love Lucy
In “The Golf Game” episode, Desi Arnaz, who plays Lucy’s husband, and Fred, his next-door neighbor, both develop game addictions.
Bart Simpson from The Simpsons
Homer forces his son to participate against Todd Flanders in a miniature golf tournament in order to show up his annoying neighbor Ned, a contest that justifies the title “Dead Putting Society.”
Ralph Kramden in The Honeymooners
The bus driver (played by Jackie Gleason) and his best friend Norton (played by Art Carney) become obsessed with the game in “The Golfer” episode.