How Many Golf Balls Are There on the Moon?

Ever lie awake at night, restless and unable to sleep, just staring at the ceiling and wondering, “how many golf balls are there on the Moon?”

No? Ok, me neither.

But there is an answer to this otherwise seemingly useless bit of trivia.

And for those of you wondering…the answer is TWO.  There currently are two golf balls on the Moon.

Now, that number is nowhere near the amount of golf balls just waiting to be rescued from your course’s water hazard, but you still might be wondering just how they got there.

So here are the specifics for anyone looking to throw a little useless golf knowledge around at your next dinner party:

Both golf balls were hit by the same person, NASA astronaut Alan Shepard.  And if you thought you were obsessed with golf, think about the fact that Alan took the time to modify an 6-iron club head so that he could smuggle it onboard and attach it to a device normally used to collect dust samples.

APOLLO 14 Golf Shot On The Moon

Near the end of the final EVA on Apollo 14, Alan Shepard hit several golf shots on the moon, captured on the television feed. Original footage courtesy NASA.

Also, aside from being the fifth person to ever walk on the Moon, Alan holds the title for being the only person to ever play golf on the Moon. Take that Neil Armstrong!

After taking a few not-so-perfect cuts (in his defense it’s pretty easy to fat one in a space suit) legend has it that Shepard left two balls up there on the Moon’s surface, where they lie there to this day, waiting for someone to find them and play them as their own.

And for those of you who really want to geek out on this, you can read NASA’s transcript from the mission where, among other things comes perhaps most relatable part of this entire story, where Alan is quoted saying: “Got more dirt than ball. Here we go again.”

We feel you Alan…and we thank you for bringing our beloved game to the next frontier.