On February 6, 1971, the most famous golf shot in history was struck. But it did not happen on a golf course, nor was it struck by the likes of Jack Nicklaus or Arnold Palmer. And it took place 240,000 miles away from Earth.
The location was the moon, and the golfer was Apollo 14 astronaut Alan Shepard.
Shepard's 1st shot was shanked into a nearby crater! After his second shot, Shepard famously exclaimed that it went "miles and miles and miles...”
Offered here is a rare original NASA issued press photograph of Alan Shepard playing golf on the moon. This 8” x 10” photo, with its color image and red file number, is considerably more desirable (and collectible) than later black & white versions.
The official press/credit details on the reverse are as follows:
Apollo 14 TV View of Shepard Golfing on Moon.
Astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr., commander, can be seen preparing a swing at a golf ball during television transmission near the close of the Second Extravehicular Activity (EVA-2) at Apollo 14 Era Mauro landing site. Shepard is using a real golf ball and an actual 6 iron, attached to the end of the handle for the contingency sample return. Astronaut Edgar D. Mitchell, lunar module pilot, looks on. Also visible in the picture is the erectable S-Band antenna (left foreground). Astronaut Stuart A. Roosa, command module pilot, remained with the command and service modules (CSM) in lunar-orbit, while Shepard and Mitchell descended in the Lunar Module (LM) to explore the Moon.