We’ve all sat there and been regaled by some after-dinner funnies and, like much of our own play, it can be very hit and miss. So I punched “best golf jokes” into Google and decided whether they work or not…
Best golf jokes: R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Four retired men play golf together once a week for many years. One day a funeral procession drives by the course. One man says to the others: “Stop and remove your hats, gentlemen. Show some respect.”
One of the other men asks what’s got into him. “I have never seen you show anybody any respect.”
The first man replies: “Well I was married to her for 65 years.”
Verdict: Good, simple sexist fodder though the attention to detail with the 65 years of marriage puts this fourball in their late ’80s.
Related article: Time to confess: How weird is your relationship with your clubs?
Best golf jokes: Caddiesmack
A golfer walks off the 18th green, hands his putter to his caddie and says, “Kid, you’ve got to be the worst caddie in the world.”
The caddie replies: “Sir, that would be too much of a coincidence.”
Verdict: Not bad and a punchline that most of us weren’t expecting. Quick and to the point though how you’re going to bring this one to the table is anyone’s guess.
Related article: Introducing the worst player-caddie relationship of all time
Best golf jokes: Drink and drive
If you drink, don’t drive. And don’t even putt.
Verdict: A variation of “Don’t drink and drive, you’ll spill it” and equally as horrific. Avoid.
Related article: I think I’ve found the secret to playing better golf
Best golf jokes: Clucking mad
A golfer sliced a ball into a field of chickens, striking one of the hens and killing it instantly. He was understandably upset, and sought out the farmer. “I’m sorry,” he said, “my terrible tee shot hit one of your hens and killed it. Can I replace the hen?”
“I don’t know about that,” replied the farmer, mulling it over. “How many eggs a day do you lay?”
Verdict: Better and unlike many of its golfing jokey contemporaries the punchline can’t be said to yourself about a third of the way in. Quite quirky for a golf joke and, told in the right manner, might be worth using.
Related article: Quick 9: Animal encounters in golf
Best golf jokes: Head scratcher
“Do you play off scratch?” said one player.
The other replied: “I sure am. Every time I hit the ball I scratch my head and wonder where it went.”
Verdict: I’m scratching my head as to why people would find this funny. Get the clever word play being used here? Golf gets stuck with some terrible ‘funnies’ – “Does your husband play?” when leaving a putt short – but this is on a new level of wrongness.
Related article: Almost anything from our tips section
Best golf jokes: Speed bump
A fourball watched, intrigued, as a lone player played up short of the green they were on. As they teed off on the next they noticed him quickly chip on and putt out, before running up to their tee.
Sensing their bewilderment, he said: “Sorry, do you mind if I play through – I’ve just heard that my wife has had a terrible accident and may not make it!”
Verdict: Again we’re back on the safe ground of ‘er indoors and huge guffaws from a load of boring men.
Related article: It’s the simplest rule in golf, so why does everyone ignore it?
Best golf jokes: Swing thoughts
Guy gets to a long par 3 over water. A voice from above says, “Hit the new Titleist Pro V1.”
The guy tees up the Titleist and takes a practice swing.
The voice comes back, “Never mind, hit a range ball.”
Verdict: Some simple fodder that probably is best saved for your saddest collection of golfing contemporaries. If you take this one outside to the real world then you will, quite rightly, be met with an awkward silence.
Related article: What to expect from the Titleist Pro V1 and Pro V1x balls
Best golf jokes: Second coming
A man was addressing the ball when an announcement came over the loud speaker: “Will the gentleman on hole number one please not hit from the ladies’ tee box.”
The man backs away, a little distracted, then approaches his ball again. As he does, the same announcement comes over the loud speaker.
The man is getting irritated now, and after backing away from his shot, approaches his ball one more time. This time the announcement came: “We really need the gentleman on hole number one to move off of the ladies’ tee box!”
To which the man turns around and yells: “And I really need the announcer to shut up and let me play my second shot!”
Verdict: The old classic and one for the golfing cognoscenti. We can see the punchline coming, and we might have heard it 20 times before, but, said with conviction, you can have the whole room in stitches if enough drink has been taken.
Related article: The annoying things people say on the golf course
An American citizen is vacationing on his own in Ireland. He decides to play a round and is paired with three locals.
He takes a few practice swings, steps up to the 1st tee, and proceeds to hook the ball out of bounds. He shakes his head, reaches in his pocket, and re-tees another ball. He tells his playing partners that he is taking a Mulligan. He pounds one down the centre of the fairway.
With a big smile, he asks the others: “In the States we call that a Mulligan. What do you called it here in Ireland?”
After a moment of silence, one of the locals replies: “Hitting three.”
Verdict: It could just as easily work in Scotland which opens it up to a larger audience. The bottom line, here being, that nobody likes a cheat.
Related article: Darren Clarke on the Open returning to Northern Ireland