Golf Dinner Party Ideas for a Par-fect Night

There is no better time to host a golf dinner party than now! We are cruising into the last few weeks of summer, where the bugs are calming down and the V-neck tan lines are well established. Happy Gilmore 2 has been out for a couple of weeks now (no spoilers).

If you listen closely enough, golf courses are calling your name!

So this week, we are talking about what makes an excellent golf dinner party!

The Decorations: Swing into Style

You can find some pretty incredible golf-themed decorations on Pinterest. I tried to use what I had around the house, but the sky really is the limit!

I reused the tablecloth I had purchased from our camping dinner party that featured the green and white plaid, with some new candlesticks that reminded me of golf balls. We hosted this dinner party during the last couple of weeks of my summer classes, so I had limited time, but overall I was pretty happy with how it turned out!

The Menu: A Tee-rific Dinner

My sister jokingly asked if the inspiration behind the dinner was round. It in fact was. Round, like a golf ball.

For our appetizers we enjoyed bacon-wrapped water chestnuts and, of course, an Arnold Palmer. For the main, we served pulled pork sliders (round buns – maybe this one is a stretch) and asparagus (green and stick-shaped, also a stretch!). It seems like sliders and finger foods are popular for golf dinner parties, so pick your favourites!

The Activities: Drive the Fun Home

When the dinner is based on such a well-loved activity, it’s a no-brainer to incorporate it into the evening. We enjoyed some mini putt and golf trivia, but if you can squeeze in 9 or 18 holes, you should!

Mini-Putt

We almost cancelled on this, but I’m so happy we didn’t! Our daughter (now fourteen months) enjoyed walking around the course.

Golf Trivia

Here are all the questions and answers we used for our golf trivia!

1. Which country is considered the birthplace of golf? Answer: Scotland
2. What colour jacket is awarded to the winner of The Masters Tournament? Answer: Green
3. How many clubs are a golfer allowed to carry in their bag during a round? Answer: 14
4. Which golfer won the 2000 U.S. Open by a record 15 strokes? Answer: Tiger Woods
5. Which 1996 comedy stars Adam Sandler as a hockey player turned golfer? Answer: Happy Gilmore
6. Which U.S. president is known for golfing frequently, even during his presidency? Answer: Donald Trump
7. What is the maximum number of clubs allowed in a golfer’s bag during a round? Answer: 14
8. What does PGA stand for? Answer: Professional Golfers’ Association
9. What’s the longest recorded drive in a professional golf tournament? Answer: 515 yards (Mike Austin in 1974)
10. How long is the longest hole in the world? Answer: Over 1,000 yards (par 7, in South Korea)
11. True or False: You can wear metal spikes on golf shoes in every PGA tournament. Answer: False (many have banned them)
12. True or False: Tiger Woods made his first hole-in-one at age 21. Answer: False (he was 8!)
13. Who chooses the Master’s menu each year? Answer: The reigning champion
14. Which golfer was known as “The King”? Answer: Arnold Palmer
15. In Happy Gilmore, what does Happy use as his putter? Answer: A putter shaped like a hockey stick
16. What do golfers call a score of +3 on a hole? Answer: Triple bogey
17. What fruit is slang for a perfect drive down the middle of the fairway? Answer: A “peach”
18. What is the term for a putt that lips out of the hole but doesn’t go in? Answer: A lip-out
19. If a golfer “duffs” a shot, what did they do? Answer: Hit the ground before the ball (a mishit)
20. Sam Snead won a major championship in how many different decades? Answer: Six – 1930s to 1980s

Gifts for Your Host: Hole-in-One

There is no end to the amount of golf-themed personalized gifts you can find on Etsy or Amazon. If the hosts are avid golfers, I would recommend some silly matching golf shirts – bonus points if you also have a matching set.