Real-Life Happy Gilmores: 10 of the Most Spectacular Breakdowns on the Green by Your Favorite Pro Golfers!

When Happy Gilmore first hit theatres, he amused us with his whacky, profanity laden outbursts and his tendency to break equipment. While the casual observer might write the game of golf off as a stuffy old game, the true golfers among us know that it is a game of passion, and like any passion the emotions associated with the commitment to the game can be a little….tumultuous to say the least. So it’s no surprise that some of our favourite (and not so favourite…) pro golfers occasionally take a leaf out of Happy’s book and go on mini-rampages when the game doesn’t quite go their way. So here they are – ten times the game of golf was “livened” up by pro golfers acting out.

There’s the lucky ball, the lucky socks, and the lucky club. There are superstitious rules for golfing – never use a red tee (on the chance you might anger a runaway bull), don’t use water balls on holes with water hazards (like attracts like, obviously), and don’t wash off a ball that’s been giving you some great rounds (it’s clearly got a clear veneer of awesome on it). Sports superstitions aren’t exactly news – they’ve been around for as long as the game has been played, and many people believe that having positive superstitions improves your game. I agree - peace of mind means a piece of cake, or so I keep telling myself when I tape four leaf clovers all over myself in the vain attempt to lower my score. But what you might not know is that you are not alone in your golf superstitions – even the pros have their version of the playoff beard. Here are some golf superstitions held by some of your favorite pros, pictured below with their trophies – maybe adopting one would help improve your game? You’ll never know until you try.

What tricks do you have in your golf bag? In the world of golf today, many players look to instructors to help them analyze their swing and to learn new tricks through practice techniques and technology—turning a high handicap golfer into a scratch golfer. While knowledge about the swing is useful, practice is the ultimate key to shaving strokes off of a round! To up your golf game, we’ve put together some useful tips to help you get the most out of your time at the driving range: To start, loosen up! Before swinging your first club, always take the time to stretch. Stretching helps you avoid developing tense muscles that can lead to back aches and cramps in your hands or feet. Here are a few suggestions for your stretching routine: rotate your shoulders, flex your joints, stretch your back, and roll your wrists and ankles. For more inspiration, check out this one-of-a-kind warm-up routine from 21-time European Tour winner and stretching enthusiast, Miguel Angel Jiménez.

If there’s anyone that could possibly make me feel even more inadequate when it comes to golfing than I already am, it would be Jack Nicklaus. The legendary “Golden Bear” is the most lauded person in golf history. Seriously, the titles attached to this guy are incredible. In fact, everything this guy does in incredible. You think you know a guy until you’ve combed through the internet like a viral stalker and find out some pretty amazing facts about golfs golden boy – so here’s ten amazing things you might know about Jack Nicklaus.

We all have crazy stories from places that we’ve played at. Sometimes it’s about a devil of a sand trap, a particular violent devil-inhabited goose, or a clubhouse in serious need of a paint job. But nothing can top the following courses – perfect for the thrill-seeking, the adventurous, or the absolutely insane.

We’ve talked about miracles on the green before – in this blog where we talked about one-in-a-million shots made by our favourite pro golfers. But then we decided – why not look further into those odds? For example, a PGA Tour Pro’s chances for a hole in one is about 1 in 3000, while an average players odds are more to the tune of one in 12,000. Further investigation revealed some pretty amazing golf feats that definitely beat the odds – by both pros and the amateurs.

We’ve all been there. You’re stuck in a sand trap, or have rolled into the trees. Maybe you’ve got a ten foot gator to wrestle away from your ball, or perhaps playing it where it lies means climbing halfway up a tree. Whatever it is, you’re far behind and it’s going to take nothing short of a miracle to help you come out ahead. It is at that point that you send up a silent prayer to whatever deity has decided to amuse itself with your current misfortune in the hopeful attempt that the Fairway God will bless you with some amazing miracle. You line up the shot, wiggle your behind, and fervently hope. And if you’re lucky, you’ll join the ranks of some of the greats who managed to pull off some of the most amazing miracle shots in recent golf history.

If you love playing golf but are not at liberty to pay a $500 green fee in places like Pebble Beach or Shadow Creek, you are not alone. Good golf doesn’t have to break the bank. All over the U.S., there are public golf courses and golf-centered retirement communities where you can still get excellent golf, beautiful scenery, and affordable prices. Here is our short list of the five best affordable golf courses and five of the best affordable golf retirement communities, where you can get excellent value golf all at excellent prices. (Prices are approximate peak season public rates and may vary.) So put the money back in your pocket, and enjoy some amazing golf

Can you remember your last three scores but not your anniversary? Do you have club marks on the ceiling of your living room, or even a hole in the wall? Can you tell the difference between bent, Bermuda, and Poa annua grass?