Ranking the 15 Best NBA Golfers

Handicap: 13.7
Paul has improved from a 20 handicap a decade ago and now that the Point God has retired from the NBA he will have a lot more time to get that score even lower.

Handicap: 8.5
The nine-year NBA veteran took up the game after retiring and really picked up the game during the COVID pandemic because golf courses were one of the few public places open early during the pandemic. He’s a fixture on the celebrity pro-am circuit and plays at least three times a week. Look for him to move up in our next rankings.

Handicap: 7.1
OK, so there are a number of other NBA golfers who should actually rank higher than Sir Charles – among them, Dirk Nowitzki and Grant Hill – but we had to give Barkley a nod. When you think of golf and hoops, Barkley is one of the first figures who comes to mind. He’s trying his best…and getting better! Barkley’s golf coach, Stan Utley, said, “I really don’t think people realize how much he loves golf and how much time he spends playing and practicing.”

Handicap: Unknown
We can’t find data on D-Wade’s handicap but online evidence suggests he has already developed an impressive game as he has forayed into golf in retirement. The 44-year-old Heat legend, who won three NBA championships, made headlines in September 2023 when he drilled a hole-in-one on the iconic seventh hole at Pebble Beach. Afterward, Flash posted that he “might as well get golf tattooed on my body, I’m locked in for life!”

Handicap: 6.1
Kidd, the coach of the Dallas Mavericks, is a little busy these days with his day job, so he probably doesn’t have much time to hit the links—but when his schedule is less packed, he can often be found golfing. Widely considered one of the best point guards in NBA history, Kidd orchestrates on the greens much like he did on the court. He discussed his love for golf during a 2021 interview with Golf.com.

Handicap: 5.3
Half man, half amazing, fully committed to golf excellence. The 22-year NBA veteran, most remembered for his iconic performance in the 2000 NBA Slam Dunk Contest, swings with the same intensity with which he once dunked. His high-flying antics on the hardwood may be over—these days, you can catch him providing analysis on NBC Sports and Peacock—but his drive on the course is alive and well.

Handicap: 4.9
Noticing a theme on this list? The best 3-point shooters are often the best golfers. It makes sense—think of the hand-eye coordination, spatial mapping, rotational abilities, and physical balance required to succeed in both endeavors. Korver, a 17-year NBA veteran who now serves as the Assistant General Manager of the Atlanta Hawks, has hosted golf tournaments and events through his Kyle Korver Foundation. “It feels like every good shooter that I know enjoys golf as well,” Korver said in 2023.

Handicap: 4.5
JR Smith, a 16-year NBA veteran who won two rings during his career, enrolled at North Carolina A&T State University after his playing career wrapped up—and he actually joined the men’s golf team. He played in the Aggies’ Phoenix Invitational tournament at Elon University in October 2021 and was named his school’s Academic Athlete of the Year after accruing a flawless 4.0 GPA. Smith received encouragement to pick up golf from NBA legend Moses Malone. “Golf is one of those games that has you feeling really high or can bring you down to your knees and humble you,” Smith said.

Handicap: 2.7
It seems Clyde can also glide on the golf links. The former Trail Blazers and Rockets star, who's now commissioner of the Big3 league, has an undeniably impressive handicap. The man’s agility and finesse made him an NBA legend —a 10-time All-Star, a member of the Dream Team, a Hall-of-Famer—and his golf prowess only extends his legacy of greatness. Take a look at that smooth stroke. There are clear parallels between the wisdom Drexler obtained during his NBA career and success in golf.

Handicap: 2.5
The 28-year-old Lakers guard, who joined Los Angeles as an undrafted free agent, has emerged as a key piece in L.A. and is now the Robin to Luka’s Batman. Quite a glow up. Reaves made headlines in 2023 when he declared himself (and not Curry) as the best golfer in the NBA. “Hey, I’m down to play golf whenever, wherever against anybody,” Reaves said during an appearance on The Lowe Post. “I love golf so much, I’d go play Tiger. Obviously, I don’t have any expectation of winning that one…but I would love to play against Steph.” We want to see that.

Handicap: 2
Even in the days when Jordan was drilling buzzer-beaters and ferociously striving to win more rings, he still made time to knock in birdies. MJ’s love for golf has long been known—it even played a role in Space Jam—and his commitment has helped His Airness construct a rather impressive game on the links. Legend has it MJ learned to golf from 21-time- PGA Tour winner Davis Love III when the two were students at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. And you just know, whether it’s Game 7 or he’s on the back nine, Jordan is a relentless competitor. (Though, as Drexler tells it, MJ might have a softer side when it comes to golf. He once lent Clyde his clubs while the two were in Spain with the Dream Team.)

Handicap: 1.7
Basketball fans still dream about the player Penny Hardaway could’ve been if his knees had held up. The former Magic guard had a phenomenal NBA career nonetheless, but injuries sadly inhibited his greatness on the court. Regardless, the current Memphis Tigers head coach is an absolute sniper on the golf course, where has the lowest handicap of any current or former player. Penny hosted his own golf tournament in 2022 and can regularly be found golfing in the Memphis area.

Handicap: +1.4
Drake was alluding to basketball when he said, “hittin’ like that 30 on my jersey, man, I’m gifted” but Aubrey could just as easily have been referring to the golfing abilities of the sharpshooter who made No. 30 famous. Wardell Stephen Curry, the best 3-point shooter in NBA history, has competed in golf tournaments such as the American Century Championship in 2023 and has played the game since he was 10. Butch Harmon, one of the top golf teachers in the world, described Curry as “an incredibly talented golfer, with tremendous, natural ability,”

Handicap: 0.9
The former All-Star and Olympic Gold Medalist became obsessed with golf and worked his way into one of the best NBA golfers. But he has since stopped playing the sport, stating that he believes his game had hit its celiing.

Handicap: 0.9
One of the greatest long range shooters in NBA history is also perhaps the best golfer to emerge from the sport. He once shot a 63 at the Concord Country Club and he has golfed with President Barack Obama on Martha’s Vineyard. Dave Brilliant, the 1978 Mass. Amateur champion, witnessed Allen’s 63 and said, Allen has “borderline senior tour ability.”