Thinking of booking a professional golfer for your event?

Far from its somewhat staid reputation, golf is in fact an intriguing sport to get to grips with – from the natty golf sweaters and the various types of club, to the quirky terminology that’s used in the sport, there’s plenty for you to get your teeth into when you book a golfer as an after dinner speaker.

For instance, a ball that is ‘afraid of the dark’ is one that doesn’t want to go into the hole. An ‘albatross’ is a hole that is played three strokes under par and the somewhat tastelessly named ‘Adolf Hitler’ is two shots in the bunker.

Golfers make excellent celebrity speakers at a wide range of events, giving people who might otherwise not give the sport a second glance the chance to find out why so many people love it, and what it’s all about.

Golf: the sport

The modern form of golf is thought to have originated more than 500 years ago, in Scotland of all places – which explains why it’s such a mecca for golfers these days! The first written record of the game’s existence is when it was banned by King James II, who considered golf to be a distraction to the vastly more important business of learning archery.

In 1502 James changed his tune, lifting the ban and himself becoming a keen golfer. Golf courses dating back to around that time can still be found in St Andrews and East Lothian, making it a much older sport than some might assume.

The oldest surviving rule book dates to 1744 and the Open Championship, still played today, is the world’s first major golf tournament.

How is it played?

A game of golf consists of 18 holes, but confusingly that doesn’t mean that all courses have 18 holes – some have just nine, and must be played twice through to constitute a game of golf.

Put simply, the rules are to get the ball into the hole while hitting it as few times as is possible. Each hole is different and has a different ‘par’, the average number of strikes taken for the ball to get into the hole – this is where the expressions above-par and below-par originate.

After dinner speakers

One of the most eloquent and interesting speakers on our books is the inimitable Sam Torrance, a golfing legend from the 70s, 80s and 90s who still competes in seniors games to this day. Torrance didn’t miss a single tournament between 1981 and 1995 and played in eight Ryder Cups, four of which his team won.

In 1985 it was his putt that won the match, and wrested the Ryder Cup trophy from the hands of our rivals on the other side of the Atlantic for the first time in three decades.

The Scot holds both an OBE and an MBE for services to sport and now commentates on golfing tournaments for the BBC, as well as appearing regularly on the panel show, A Question of Sport.

He’s a witty and engaging speaker, who’s comfortable in front of an audience and is happy to answer questions, making him a particularly excellent choice for a room of golf aficionados like at a golf club dinner or sporting awards ceremony.

For a choice that’s a little bit different, why not opt for Byeong Hun An? He’s a young South Korean golfer who nonetheless has plenty of accolades under his belt and is an excellent choice for the younger audience – though his star quality is sure to wow golf fans of all ages.

The son of two Olympic gold medallists (in table tennis), he became the youngest ever winner of the US Amateur Championships in 2009 and only the third ‘rookie’ in the European Tour’s 60 year history to win last year.

Book a golfer for your next event

If you’re in the market for celebrity speakers then you’re in the right place; we have more than 25 golfers on our books who can deliver excellent entertainment for audiences of all types, from sporting awards dinners and golf club members’ events to charity galas and corporate events.

Get in touch with us today to find out more about the golfers and other celebrity speakers on our books, who can help to ensure that your next event is the one that everyone’s talking about.