A golf day has three distinct moments that call for three different drinks: the refreshing sip on the course, the cart cocktail, and the proper pour after you've signed the card. Learn these three and you're covered from the first tee to last call.
1. The Arnold Palmer (and the John Daly)
Named for the King himself, the Arnold Palmer is the ultimate on-course refresher — and it's non-alcoholic, so it's perfect for a hot front nine when you still want your wits about you.
The Arnold Palmer
- Half iced tea (unsweetened)
- Half lemonade
Fill a glass with ice, pour half iced tea and half lemonade, and stir. Adjust the ratio to taste — some like it more tea, some more lemonade.
Want the spiked version? Add a shot of vodka and it becomes a John Daly — named, fittingly, for golf's most colorful character.
2. The Transfusion
The cart cocktail. Vodka, ginger ale, a splash of Concord grape, and fresh lime over ice. It's golf's signature drink for a reason: refreshing, easygoing, and built to last all eighteen holes without slowing you down. If you only learn one boozy golf drink, make it this one.
3. The Old Fashioned
The round's over, the card's signed, and you've earned a real drink. The Old Fashioned is the clubhouse classic — simple, timeless, and all about good whiskey.
The Old Fashioned
- 2 oz bourbon or rye
- 1 sugar cube (or ¼ oz simple syrup)
- 2–3 dashes Angostura bitters
- Orange peel to garnish
Muddle the sugar with the bitters and a splash of water in the glass. Add a large ice cube and the whiskey, then stir until chilled. Express an orange peel over the top and drop it in.
The refresher, the cart classic, and the nightcap. Master these three and you'll always know exactly what to pour, no matter where you are in the golf day.