Bill Belichick, Lincoln Riley’s Golf Handicaps Turn Heads Ahead of College Football Season originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The subject of college football coaches playing golf has become ever-present this offseason as we roll toward the start of the season, with Auburn Tigers’ head coach Hugh Freeze catching some heat for how much time he is spending on the links, rather than on the trail recruiting.
This isn’t a new conversation in the world of college football, but one that has become popular over the last couple of weeks. While it’s fair to say that you generally don’t want your favorite coach to be a great golfer — if you spend that much time getting good at golf, when are you working? — allowing a coach to get out and play a round now and then isn’t a major crime.
With this conversation buzzing, On3’s Brett McMurphy did some searching and drummed up the golf handicaps for some of the top coaches in the nation, including Bill Belichick, Ryan Day, Lincoln Riley, and Kirby Smart.
Tulsa’s Tre Lamb, who will compete in Oklahoma State Amateur Tournament, doesn’t understand criticism for coaches who golf. “I play golf w/brain surgeons & heart surgeons. They have more important jobs than coaches. If they can play golf, why can’t we?”https://t.co/rxme9SxgMfpic.twitter.com/j5zy4ZUcCK
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) July 17, 2025
For those not in the know, a handicap is used to determine how many strokes over par a player shoots on average. So, a lower handicap — in the single digits — is better than a higher handicap.
Tulsa’s Tre Lamb is far and away the best on this list with a plus handicap, meaning he typically shoots under par. Lincoln Riley’s 9.1 handicap is respectable, while Ryan Day’s 12.3, Bill Belichick’s 12.5, and Kirby Smart’s 12.6 leave a little bit to be desired.
Of course, it’s not a problem to have a coach who isn’t lights out at golf, seeing as these guys have far more important things to do than hang out at the course all day and get their handicap down.
Related: ESPN Names Arizona State’s Make-or-Break Position Group for 2025 Season
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
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