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How Alan Shepard Hit One Of Golf’s Most Infamous Shots

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When you think about some of the most famous shots in the history of golf, you’re probably thinking about the shots that win majors and the balls hit by legends. But the most infamous golf shot in history may have been out of this world, literally. 

During the Apollo 14 mission to the moon in 1971, commander Alan Shepard was able to take a golf club and some balls up to the moon with him. And once he got there, Shepard became the first person to hit a golf ball outside of the earth’s atmosphere.

And, like so many of us, Shepard took a mulligan after his first swing and hit second shot because he wasn’t satisfied with the first.

Talking about his shot in an interview with the USGA, Shepard had a pretty good idea of how he did on his shots. “I shanked the first one; it rolled into a crater about 40 yards away,” said Shepard. “The second one, I kept my head down. I hit it flush and it went at least 200 yards.”

That just goes to prove that the fundamentals are even essential on the moon.

Apollo 14 Alan Shepard Golf age 47 oldest American on the Moon video

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What most people don’t know about this story is that Shepard actually had to sneak the club and the balls onto the space shuttle because NASA wasn’t a fan of the idea. They had recently had a scare with Apollo 13 losing an oxygen tank so fun antics weren’t their priority.

So Shepard brilliantly had help creating a 6-iron head that he could retrofit onto an instrument that is used to scoop soil. Then, he strategically hid the golf balls in a sock and the clubhead in his suit.

After attaching the head to the tool, Shepard was ready to take his swing on the moon. But that wasn’t the end for the now infamous makeshift club. Shepard donated his custom 6 iron it to the USGA Golf Museum in Far Hills, New Jersey. There is also a replica of the modified club that is on display in the Smithsonian’s Air and Space Museum.

It’s a really amazing story of how golf reached new worlds decades ago and seeing the club itself is an experience I highly recommend. Maybe one day, future generations of astronauts will find that ball that Shepard shanked into the crater and bring it home for all to see.


Cover Image via YouTube

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