Tired of repeating the same advice over and over? Don’t know what to say when a friend asks for help finding a new golf coach? Here are golf quotes from some of the best golfers ever that will get you fired up to play better.

Golf quotes are often used in pre-round tees up conversations with friends and golfers. Quotes can be motivational, funny, or enlightening. Here are our top golf quotes that will help you conquer your game.

If you are a first-time golfer, here are some great quotes from the pros on the golf course which will help you navigate your way through the game.

Even for pros at the game, you can benefit from knowing some great golf quotes to help you along the way.

If you are interested, you can check out some of our great reviews of golf clubs and golf balls. We reviewed Callaway Golf Balls in detail and the Callaway Strata golf clubs set as the best golf set for beginners.

Quotes from famous golfers

Here are some of the best quotes from the pros about golf, and golf equipment. These quotes will help you get into your game mode and get ready to swing.

These are some of the best quotes about golfers and the game itself. It is important to know that knowing a few golf quotes would be beneficial for you as a golfer. Whether you are a professional golfer or not, knowing some great quotes would never hurt.

Jack Nicklaus

One of the most accomplished players ever, Jack Nicklaus is considered by many as one of golf’s greatest ever. He won a total of 73 PGA Tour events, was the first player to get $1 million in endorsements, and “The Golden Bear” was ranked in the top 10 players on the list from 1978-1996. So, when he says something about golfing success, it’s worth listening in.

Here are the top golf quotes from Jack Nicklaus

1. “Success depends almost entirely on how effectively you learn to manage the game’s two ultimate adversaries: the course and yourself.” – Jack Nicklaus
2. “Achievement is largely the product of steadily raising one’s level of aspiration and expectation.” – Jack Nicklaus
3. “Golf is a game of respect and sportsmanship; we have to respect its traditions and rules.” – Jack Nicklaus
4. “Don’t be too proud to take lessons. I’m not.” – Jack Nicklaus
5. “The worse you’re performing, the more you must work mentally and emotionally. The greatest and toughest art in golf is “playing badly well.” All the true greats have been masters at it.” – Jack Nicklaus
6. “Pursue what you love, what you are passionate about. Don’t let somebody else dictate your life’s path.” – Jack Nicklaus
7. “The best way to cope with trouble is to stay out of it as much as possible.” – Jack Nicklaus
8. “Resolve never to quit, never to give up, no matter what the situation.” – Jack Nicklaus
9. “Confidence is the most important single factor in this game, and no matter how great your natural talent, there is only one way to obtain and sustain it: work.” – Jack Nicklaus
10. “The worse you are performing, the more you must work mentally and emotionally. The greatest and toughest art in golf is playing badly well. All the true greats have been masters at it.” – Jack Nicklaus
11. “I never hit a shot, not even in practice, without having a very sharp, in-focus picture of it in my head.” – Jack Nicklaus
12. “I never missed a putt in my mind.” – Jack Nicklaus
13. “Golf is not, and never has been, a fair game.” – Jack Nicklaus
14. “Tee your ball high…air offers less resistance than dirt.” – Jack Nicklaus
15. “It takes hundreds of good golf shots to gain confidence, but only one bad one to lose it.” – Jack Nicklaus
16. “A kid grows up a lot faster on a golf course. Golf teaches you how to behave.” – Jack Nicklaus
17. “I never went into a tournament or round of golf thinking I had to beat a certain player. I had to beat the golf course. If I prepared myself for a major, went in focused, and then beat the golf course, the rest took care of itself.” – Jack Nicklaus
18. “Ask yourself how many shots you would have saved if you always developed a strategy before you hit, always played within your capabilities, never lost you temper, and never got down on yourself.” – Jack Nicklaus
19. “It’s great to win, but it’s also great fun just to be in the thick of any truly well and hard-fought contest against opponents you respect, whatever the outcome.” – Jack Nicklaus
20. “Nobody ever remembers who finished second at anything.” – Jack Nicklaus
21. “Pressure is what you live for…if you are going to be successful in life, you’re going to have pressure.” – Jack Nicklaus
22. “Talent isn’t as important as the work and dedication necessary to become competent.” – Jack Nicklaus

Arnold Palmer

One of the most successful golfers ever, Tiger Woods has won 15 major championships. Tiger Woods is second to Jack Nicklaus having won the second-highest number of major championships won by a male golfer. Jack Nicklaus, on the other hand, won 18 major championships.

The PGA Player of the Year from 1997 to 2013, former number one on the Official World Golf Ranking and winner of more than 80 PGA Tour events between his debut in 1996 to date.

Arnold Palmer had some great golf quotes during his career. I would like to share these with you.

23. “The most rewarding things you do in life are often the ones that look like they cannot be done.” – Arnold Palmer
24. “I’ve always made a total effort, even when the odds seemed entirely against me. I never quit trying; I never felt that I didn’t have a chance to win.” – Arnold Palmer
25. “Hit it hard, go find it and hit it hard again.” – Arnold Palmer
26. “What other people may find in poetry or art museums, I find in the flight of a good drive.” – Arnold Palmer
27. “I can sum it up like this: Thank God for the game of golf.” – Arnold Palmer
28. “Concentration, Confidence, Competitive urge, Capacity for enjoyment.” – Arnold Palmer
29. “When you play by the rules, defy mental demons, overcome every challenge, and enjoy a walk in the country at the same time – that’s being alive.” – Arnold Palmer
30. “Timing is everything in life and in golf.” – Arnold Palmer
31. “The secret of concentration is the secret of self-discovery. You reach inside yourself to discover your personal resources, and what it takes to match them to the challenge.” – Arnold Palmer
32. “You must play boldly to win.” – Arnold Palmer
33. “It’s a funny thing, the more I practice the luckier I get.” – Arnold Palmer
34. “Golf is deceptively simple and endlessly complicated; it satisfies the soul and frustrates the intellect. It is at the same time rewarding and maddening – and it is without a doubt the greatest game mankind has ever invented.” – Arnold Palmer
35. “The whole secret to mastering the game of golf – and this applies to the beginner as well as the pro – is to cultivate a mental approach to the game that will enable you to shrug off the bad days, keep patient and know in your heart that sooner or later you will be back on top.” – Arnold Palmer
36. “Golf is deceptively simple and endlessly complicated.” – Arnold Palmer
37. “I can sum it up like this: Thank God for the game of golf.” – Arnold Palmer
38. “Concentration comes out of a combination of confidence and hunger.” – Arnold Palmer
39. “Swing your swing. Not some idea of a swing. Not a swing you saw on TV. And not that swing you wish you had. No, swing your swing. Capable of greatness. Prized only by you. Perfect in it’s imperfection. Swing your swing. I know, I did.” – Arnold Palmer
40. “Success in golf depends less on strength of body than upon strength of mind and character.” – Arnold Palmer
41. “Always make a total effort, even when the odds are against you.” – Arnold Palmer
42. “Establish a system you have confidence in and rely on it when you get into tough situations.” – Arnold Palmer

Tiger woods

One of the most successful golfers ever, Tiger Woods has won 15 major championships. Tiger Woods is second to Jack Nicklaus having won the second-highest number of major championships won by a male golfer. Jack Nicklaus, on the other hand, won 18 major championships.

The PGA Player of the Year from 1997 to 2013, former number one on the Official World Golf Ranking and winner of more than 80 PGA Tour events between his debut in 1996 to date.

Here are our top golf quotes from Tiger Woods.

43. “It’s ok to fail. Failing does not shape your personality; it’s how you react upon your failure. Do you dust yourself off and mope or do you dust yourself off and come back stronger the next time? Eventually you will win. It may not happen the next time, it may take a little time but you will win in the end.” – Tiger Woods
44. “Talent is something you are born with, and a skill is something you develop. 99% of what you need to succeed in golf are skills.” – Tiger Woods
45. “I always feel pressure. If you don’t feel nervous, that means you don’t care about how you play. I care about how I perform. I’ve always said the day I’m not nervous playing is the day I quit.” – Tiger Woods
46. “The greatest thing about tomorrow is, I will be better than I am today.” – Tiger Woods
47. “It was a mixed bag pretty much all week. A lot of really, really good stuff out there, some mediocre and some bad.” – Tiger Woods
48. “Never beat yourself up, because there are plenty of people that will do it for you.” – Tiger Woods
49. “I love to compete. That’s the essence of who I am.” – Tiger Woods
50. “Winning is not always the barometer of getting better.” – Tiger Woods
51. “You hit a bad shot, you have to get over it right there and then so you can get focused on the next one.” – Tiger Woods
52. “If you are given a chance to be a role model, I think you should always take it because you can influence a person’s life in a positive light, and that’s what I want to do. That’s what it’s all about.” – Tiger Woods
53. “There’s nothing wrong with having your goals really high and trying to achieve them. That’s the fun part. You may come up short. I’ve come up short on a lot on my goals, but it’s always fun to try and achieve them.” – Tiger Woods
54. “I think the guys who are really controlling their emotions … are going to win.” ~ Tiger Woods
55. “The biggest thing is to have a mind-set and a belief you can win every tournament going in.” ~ Tiger Woods
56. “One of the things that my parents have taught me is never listen to other people’s expectations. You should live your own life and live up to your own expectations, and those are the only things I really care about it.” ~ Tiger Woods
57. “We all make decisions. But in the end, our decisions make us.” – Tiger Woods
58. “The greatest thing about tomorrow is, I will be better than I am today…There is no such thing as a setback. The lessons I learn today I will apply tomorrow, and I will be better.” – Tiger Woods
59. “I think the hardest part about Golf is being committed to your wife.” – Tiger Woods
60. “Achievements on the golf course are not what matters, decency and honesty are what matter.” – Tiger Woods
61. “No matter how good you get you can always get better, and that’s the exciting part.” – Tiger Woods
62. “If you’re not nervous, it means you don’t care.” – Tiger Woods

Ben Hogan

Hogan is the only golfer who won 10 PGA tour events in the same year twice. He won in 1946 and in 1948. He is a member of both the World Golf Hall of Fame (1974) and won PGA Player of the Year four (4) times.

Hogan played the game by his own rules, leaving behind technical elements to freely express himself with swing thoughts that took him to nine major championships. The winner of nine (9) major championships, he is respected as one of golf’s most notable champions.

Here are some of Ben Hogan’s greatest quotes.

63. “If you can’t outplay them, outwork them.” – Ben Hogan
64. “Every day that you don’t practice is one day longer before you achieve greatness.” – Ben Hogan
65. “The most important shot in golf is the next one.” Ben Hogan
66. “A shot that goes in the cup is pure luck, but a shot to within two feet of the flag is skill.” – Ben Hogan
67. “Every day you miss playing or practicing is one day longer it takes to be good.” – Ben Hogan
68. “As you walk down the fairway of life you must smell the roses, for you only get to play one round.” – Ben Hogan
69. “May thy ball lie in green pastures, and not in still waters.” – Ben Hogan
70. “Hitting a golf ball and putting have nothing in common. They’re two different games. You work all your life to perfect a repeating swing that will get you to the greens, and then you have to try to do something that is totally unrelated. There shouldn’t be any cups, just flag sticks. And then the man who hit the most fairways and greens and got closest to the pins would be the tournament winner.” – Ben Hogan
71. “I never played a round when I didn’t learn something new about the game.” – Ben Hogan
72. “Golf is not a game of good shots. It’s a game of bad shots.” – Ben Hogan
73. “Placing the ball in the right position for the next shot is eighty percent of winning golf.” – Ben Hogan
74. “You hear stories about me beating my brains out practicing, but the truth is, I was enjoying myself. I couldn’t wait to get up in the morning, so I could hit balls. When I’m hitting the ball where I want, hard and crisply, it’s a joy that very few people experience.” – Ben Hogan
75. “The ultimate judge of your swing is the flight of the ball.” – Ben Hogan
76. “Your name is the most important thing you own. Don’t ever do anything to disgrace or cheapen it.” – Ben Hogan
77. “Control is the main thing, and the tee shot is the most important shot in golf. You’ve got to hit the fairway before you have a good chance of putting the ball close to the pin. You can be the greatest iron player in the world, but if you’re in the boondocks it won’t do you any good.” – Ben Hogan
78. “The ultimate judge of your swing is the flight of the ball.” – Ben Hogan
79. “Golf is 20 percent talent and 80 percent management.” – Ben Hogan
80. “I liked to win, but more than anything, I loved to play the way I wanted to play.” – Ben Hogan
81. “Reverse every natural instinct and do the opposite of what you are inclined to do, and you will probably come very close to having a perfect golf swing.” – Ben Hogan
82. “The only thing a golfer needs is more daylight.” – Ben Hogan

Gary Player

Gary Player is a South African retired golfer. He remains one of the most respected golfers in the world.

At 29 years of age, Gary Player won the 1965 US Open. He also became the only non-American golfer who won all four majors. In golf, this is known as the “Career Grand Slam”.

He is a nine (9) time winner of major championships having won the British Open and PGA Champions Tour, and The Masters. His accolades come from his amazing on-course prowess, as well as his technical mastery of the game.

Here are the golf quotes from Gary Player.

83. “The harder you work, the luckier you get.” – Gary Player
84. “It’s a marriage. If I had to choose between my wife and my putter, well, I’d miss her.” – Gary Player
85. “You must work very hard to become a natural golfer.” – Gary Player
86. “Golf asks something of a man. It makes one loathe mediocrity. It seems to say, “If you are going to keep company with me, don’t embarrass me.” – Gary Player
87. If there’s a golf course in heaven, I hope it’s like Augusta National. I just don’t want an early tee time.
88. “Enjoy the game. Happy golf is good golf.” – Gary Player
89. “If you think your hands are more important in your golf swing than your legs, try walking a hole on your hands.” – Gary Player
90. “I try to work with God as a partner.” – Gary Player
91. “The more I work and practice, the luckier I seem to get.” – Gary Player
92. “The ideal build for a golfer would be strong hands, big forearms, thin neck, big thighs and a flat chest. He’d look like Popeye.” – Gary Player
93. “A strong mind is one of the key components that separates the great from the good.” – Gary Player
94. “We create success or failure on the course primarily by our thoughts.” – Gary Player
95. “I got so strong I felt like a giant…..When I stood on the tee with Arnold and Jack, I was tiny compared to them. But I never believed they were bigger than me. So the mind is so fascinating.” – Gary Player
96. “There is absolutely nothing humorous at the Masters. Here, small dogs do not bark and babies do not cry.” – Gary Player
97. “The player who expects a lesson to ‘take’ without subsequent practice just isn’t being honest with himself or fair to his professional.” – Gary Player
98. “To succeed in life one must have determination and must be prepared to suffer during the process. If one isn’t prepared to suffer during adversities, I don’t really see how he can be successful.” – Gary Player
99. “Golf is a puzzle without an answer. I’ve played the game for 40 years and I still haven’t the slightest idea how to play.” – Gary Player
100. “Simply by making the effort to start something, you will be miles ahead of almost everyone else.” – Gary Player
101. “Everyone wants to be known as a great striker of the ball for some reason. Nobody wants to be called a lucky, one-putting s.o.b.” – Gary Player
102. “I always said that if they have a golf course like this in heaven, I want to be the head pro.” – Gary Player

Phil Mickelson

Phil Mickelson, often known as Lefty, is one of the highest-ranked golfers (alongside the likes of Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy) in the world.

He has won 45 PGA tours and has 6 wins in the Majors. He is one of the 17 golfers in the world to have won 3 of the 4 majors. Unfortunately, Phil has never won the US Open.

He is an investor in numerous companies, and was investigated and cleared from insider trading charges in Clorox. The majority of Phil Mickelson’s earnings come from endorsements and sponsorship than from prize money.

Here are some great golf quotes from Phil Mickelson.

103. “A great shot is when you pull it off. A smart shot is when you don’t have the guts to try it.” – Phil Mickelson
104. “The object of golf is not just to win. It is to play like a gentleman, and win.” – Phil Mickelson
105. “I would rather try a shot to win than play safe and finish second.” – Phil Mickelson
106. “My style of play won’t ever change, because I enjoy that aggressive style of golf. It allows me to play my best. When I attack pins, I stay more focused. I get more into the shot and, consequently, I get more out of the shot and out of my game by playing aggressive.” – Phil Mickelson
107. “I think it’s more than whether or not you win or lose. It’s having that opportunity on that final round, final nine, to come down the stretch with a chance to win.” – Phil Mickelson
108. “Changing would not give me the best chance to win. I need to have fun. I need to attack.” – Phil Mickelson
109. “The more you study the course, the more you appreciate what a great test it is.” – Phil Mickelson
110. “I don’t think my style of play is what has prevented me from winning major championships. I think that execution has been more of a factor.” – Phil Mickelson
111. “My family has reduced the effect of my career on my self-esteem. When I’m with them, they make me feel special regardless of how I play.” – Phil Mickelson
112. “The thing I was most proud of about today’s round was that on this course everybody is going to make mistakes, but sometimes it’s hard to forget about it and let it go. After I made a double on 1, I was able to be patient and let it go and came back with birdies on 3 and 5. When I bogeyed 6, I was able to let it go and come back with a birdie on 8. I was able to let go of some bad shots and forget about it and move on.” – Phil Mickelson
113. “The winner of this tournament doesn’t just win a major. He becomes a part of the history of the game.” – Phil Mickelson
114. “Where you can make up ground is if the wind blows and your opponents make big numbers. I think you can shoot three, four, five-under par. But to make up a six, seven or eight-shot lead, that will be tough without the leaders coming back.” – Phil Mickelson
115. “I try to respect everybody out here: players, caddies, fans, media.” – Phil Mickelson
116. “I have not found my perspective on my career change. What I have found is that my life in general has been more fulfilling. To be able to influence an individual’s life and on who they become as a person is a very rewarding feeling.” – Phil Mickelson

Funny golf quotes

Here are some funny quotes from the golfing community that you might find informative and entertaining. On the golf course, you would need some humor to go through the course.

There are plenty of funny quotes on the golf course, and it’s important that you have a sense of humor to be able to survive all the craziness.

117. “Forget your opponents; always play against par.” – Sam Snead
118. “My swing is so bad I look like a caveman killing his lunch.” – Lee Trevino
119. “It took me seventeen years to get three thousand hits in baseball. I did it in one afternoon on the golf course.” – Hank Aaron
120. “As you walk down the fairway of life you must smell the roses, for you only get to play one round.” – Ben Hogan
121. “I’m not saying my golf game went bad, but if I grew tomatoes, they’d come up sliced.” – Lee Trevino
122. “Show me a good loser, and I’ll show you a loser.” – Vince Lombardi
123. “The real reason your pro tells you to keep your head down is so you can’t see him laughing at you.” – Phyllis Diller
124. “Hockey is a sport for white men. Basketball is a sport for black men. Golf is a sport for white men dressed like black pimps.” – Tiger Woods
125. “If you think it’s hard to meet new people, try picking up the wrong golf ball.” – Jack Lemmon
126. “They call it golf because all the other four-letter words were taken.” – Ray Floyd
127. “Luck is predictable; the harder you work, the luckier you get.” – Brian Tracy
128. “Golf’s three ugliest words: still your shot.” – Dave Marr
129. “The most important shot in golf is the next one.” – Ben Hogan
130. “Golf is the closest game to the game we call life. You get bad breaks from good shots; you get good breaks from bad shots – but you have to play the ball where it lies.” – Bobby Jones
131. “The ball retriever is not long enough to get my putter out of the tree.” – Brian Weiss
132. “The first time I played the Masters, I was so nervous I drank a bottle of rum before I teed off. I shot the happiest 83 of my life.” – Chi Chi Rodriguez
133. “Drugs are very much a part of professional sports today, but when you think about it, golf is the only sport where the players aren’t penalized for being on grass.” – Bob Hope
134. “The most rewarding things you do in life are often the ones that look like they cannot be done.” – Arnold Palmer
135. “The only thing a golfer needs is more daylight.” – Ben Hogan
136. “I regard golf as an expensive way of playing marbles.” – Gilbert K. Chesterton
137. “The more I practice, the luckier I get.” – Jerry Barber
138. “Golf is a game whose aim is to hit a very small ball into an ever smaller hole, with weapons singularly ill-designed for the purpose” – Winston Churchill
139. “The difference between golf and government is that in golf you can’t improve your lie.” – George Deukmejian
140. “Golf combines two favorite American pastimes: taking long walks and hitting things with a stick.” – P. J. O’Rourke
141. “It’s good sportsmanship to not pick up lost golf balls while they are still rolling.” – Mark Twain

Golf quotes for ladies

Even though women golfers are not yet as famous as their male counterparts, they are just as good, if not better. If you are a lady golfer, it would help you if you knew some great golf quotes especially for ladies.

If you are a lady golfer, here are some great golf quotes for you.

142. “Every woman should recruit a female friend to take up golf so there will be more women available to play.” – Paula Creamer
143. “I push myself to be the best I can be. I don’t worry about what other people are doing, and I don’t think about things I can’t control.” – Annika Sorenstam
144. “Find a good teacher that will keep the game fun. Work hard and don’t be afraid to have success or disappointment. That is what golf is all about.” – Paula Creamer
145. “You just have to try and keep on grinding and hope that things will turn around eventually.” – Annika Sorenstam
146. “I just have to keep working hard.” – Paula Creamer
147. “On the first tee I kept telling myself, “Trust yourself, you can do it.”” – Annika Sorenstam
148. “I want to be a role model and I want to show kids that you can be strong and overcome adversity.” – Paula Creamer
149. “To play well you have to have good balance in your life. Tiger has found that. If you play golf long enough you’ll learn that life is more than golf.” – Annika Sorenstam
150. “I’ve always said, the harder the golf course, the better I play.” – Paula Creamer
151. “I stay patient. I don’t go out there and try to set a course record. That’s probably one of my strengths and one reason I’ve been able to win major championships.” – Annika Sorenstam
152. “My job is what millions of people do for recreation. How can you not like that?” – Paula Creamer
153. “I love to crunch numbers. When I look at how many fairways I hit, how many greens I hit. I plan my way around the golf course.” – Annika Sorenstam
154. “Being nervous is not something you should be ashamed of. Nervous means you care, you really want to do well.” – Paula Creamer
155. “When I first came on tour, I was playing for money. Now I’m playing to win golf tournaments and the money is more than I ever dreamed I could make.” – Annika Sorenstam
156. “I really enjoy what little time I have at home. The golf course and practice facilities are perfect and so close to home!” – Paula Creamer
157. “I’m getting more and more comfortable out on the golf course with the changes I’ve been making. It’s really just a confidence thing in that I love being in contention.” – Paula Creamer
158. “A lot of people think I am cold and have no feelings. But I do. I just try very hard to focus and not let my emotions take over on the golf course.” – Annika Sorenstam
159. “I needed to grow up and do things all adults do. It was time to stop having everything spoon fed to me. It was about being independent.” – Paula Creamer
160. “I’ve learned a lot about my game every time I play golf in a men’s event.” – Annika Sorenstam

Final thoughts about golf quotes

The best thing about golf is that it’s something you can do with your significant other. You don’t have to be a golfer to enjoy the game, and you don’t have to be a good one, either. Even if one or both of you are bad at the sport, you’re still doing something together as a couple.

This is one of the most important aspects in golf. Golf has so much to offer: friendship, camaraderie, and inspiration. So that is why we shared these great quotes to get your soul moving on the green grass.

All the best of luck in your next game.