Astronaut Alan Shepard plays golf on the moon: video
An astronaut once played golf on the moon, smashing a 6-iron “miles and miles and miles”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnQ1Pjyk7C8
To celebrate the 40th anniversary celebrations since man first walked on the moon here is the footage of astronaut Alan Shepard hitting a few golf balls with a 6-iron he just happened to have had with him.
It turns out Shepherd got the local golf pro to manufacture a fitting for the head of a 6-iron to connect on to the end of the handle they normally use for collecting moon rocks. After a small argument with his NASA bosses he was given permission to take it with him, connected it to the collapsible handle during a moon walk, and played golf on the moon.
The transcript:
Alan Shepard: (Facing the TV) Houston, while you’re looking that up, you might recognize what I have in my hand as the handle for the contingency sample return; it just so happens to have a genuine six iron on the bottom of it. In my left hand, I have a little white pellet that’s familiar to millions of Americans. I’ll drop it down. Unfortunately, the suit is so stiff, I can’t do this with two hands, but I’m going to try a little sand-trap shot here. (Pause)
Alan Shepard: (Facing the TV) Houston, while you’re looking that up, you might recognize what I have in my hand as the handle for the contingency sample return; it just so happens to have a genuine six iron on the bottom of it. In my left hand, I have a little white pellet that’s familiar to millions of Americans. I’ll drop it down. Unfortunately, the suit is so stiff, I can’t do this with two hands, but I’m going to try a little sand-trap shot here. (Pause)
Edgar Mitchell: You got more dirt than ball that time.
Shepard: Got more dirt than ball. Here we go again.
Fred Haise: That looked like a slice to me, Al.
Shepard: Here we go. Straight as a die; one more. (Long Pause)
Shepard: Miles and miles and miles.
Haise: Very good, Al.
And here is a PGA Tour video on the story behind Shepard’s golf on the moon:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUwGe9zzxoE