How many golfers really own private jets? The numbers are in!
Commercial flights? Don’t be silly! Check out which golfers fly on private jets right here…
Considering the amount of miles that professional golfers travel over the course of a year, is it any surprise they fly in private jets?
Think about the PGA Tour schedule for 2024. The year started in Hawaii, and there have been events all over the United States.
Throw in the Genesis Scottish Open and the Open Championship, which are both in Scotland, as well as the Olympic Games in Paris in August, and that’s a lot of travel!
Yes, professional golfers might well travel in business or first class. However, with the amount of air miles that those at the very top will do, why not splash out on private jets?
Which current golfers fly on private jets?
Those at the very top of the game, and therefore earning the most money through both results and sponsorships, are the ones that tend to own the nicest private jets.
We have taken a look at some of the best-known golfers who own private jets…
Tiger Woods
Arguably the most dominant golfer of all time, with 15 majors to his name, Tiger Woods is the owner of a Gulfstream 550.
The American spent more than $50 million on the jet, one that can fly close to 8,000 miles and carry up to 20 people at a time. Just make friends with Tiger instead of buying your own, right?
Phil Mickelson
Now in his 50s, Phil Mickelson is a six-time major champion, with wins at the PGA Championship, Open Championship and Masters Tournament.
He made golfing history at the former in 2021, when he took victory at Kiawah Island. He became the oldest men’s major champion in history, winning the PGA Championship at the age of 50.
‘Lefty’ is another member of the golfing fraternity to own a Gulfstream jet. Mickelson, who now plays in the LIV Golf League, has a Gulfstream V, which can travel around 7,500 miles.
Rory McIlroy
A four-time major champion and one of his generation’s best, it is no surprise that Rory McIlroy – who plays golf on both the PGA Tour and DP World Tour each year – has a private jet.
He is the only multiple winner of the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai and the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup, showing he travels a lot to different parts of the world to be successful.
The Northern Irishman owns a Bombardier Challenger, which costs in the region of $30 million.
Jack Nicklaus
The only man to have won more major championships than Woods is the great Jack Nicklaus, and he is someone that has owned a number of private jets throughout his life.
According to jetfinder.com, Nicklaus has owned jets from a number of different companies – including Gulfstream, Cessna, JetStar and Lears.
The American, now well into his 80s, has not just relaxed on these jets. He also has both a pilots and a helicopter licence, allowing him to fly a number of different planes, jets and choppers.
Greg Norman
Australian Greg Norman was one of the first golfers to move into flying on private jets. His first was a Lockheed JetStar, which was one of the first private jets to ever be produced.
The Aussie, who has won two majors and gone on to become the CEO of the LIV Golf League, and he has now owned at least seven private jets in his lifetime.
Are you surprised that golfers travel on private jets these days? Or does it surprise you that more golfers do not? Let us know your thoughts with a post on X, formerly Twitter!
Matt Coles
Mention a European country, and Matt will tell you which resorts make the National Club Golfer Top 100s: European Resorts list. He might even throw in who designed the golf course and how many rooms the hotel has got at each one…
Matt got into the game of golf from a young age, following his old man to the local golf club. He fell for the sport, and now can’t seem to go a day without thinking about how to improve his game (Thanks Dad!). Matt has been a member of Howley Hall GC in Leeds since 2020, and is just about managing to maintain a single-figure handicap. He likes to remind people that he once broke 75, but won’t tell people that it was on a shortened course during the winter.
He moved to Leeds after graduating from the University of Central Lancashire with a First Class Honours degree in Sports Journalism. Matt joined NCG after almost five years travelling the world with the Professional Squash Association, working on events in all four corners of the globe.
Matt currently plays a Cobra King LTDx driver and RadSpeed 3-wood. TaylorMade monopolise the rest of his bag, with a SIM UDI, M5 irons and both Milled Grind and HI-TOE wedges, along with a Monza Redline putter. He uses a Vice Pro Plus golf ball, because he’s a bit different…
Away from golf, Matt is a Manchester United fan, and a keen runner, having ran the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon (his first and possibly last), in May 2023.
