# Aretha Franklin played golf?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aretha-franklin-played-golf/1022802>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Tags:** golf\
**Created:** [September 6, 2025, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aretha-franklin-played-golf/1022802 "2025-09-06T22:19:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Timz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Timz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Timz)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2025, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aretha-franklin-played-golf/1022802/1 "2025-09-06T22:19:26Z")

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On paper, no reason why not, but I was still surprised to read (_Once in a Great City,_ by David Maraniss) that in 1963 she “…was telling everyone about how she loved to play golf with Ted and travel with him to her new favorite place, Beverly Hills, California.”

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**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2025, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aretha-franklin-played-golf/1022802/2 "2025-09-06T22:44:56Z")

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What are the odds of [Pope Leo](https://www.golfdigest.com/story/vatican-golf-course-that-never-was-american-pitched-to-pope) playing golf?

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**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 2025, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aretha-franklin-played-golf/1022802/3 "2025-09-06T23:35:05Z")

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He hasn’t got a prayer.

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**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\
**Post date:** [September 7, 2025, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aretha-franklin-played-golf/1022802/4 "2025-09-07T16:33:25Z")

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[![](https://preview.redd.it/wiwew4u21vh71.jpg?width=640&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=dc373cf56126ac928a181cf308f6ddbad6ed969e) ](https://preview.redd.it/wiwew4u21vh71.jpg?width=640&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=dc373cf56126ac928a181cf308f6ddbad6ed969e)

[![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GkZHkRSXUAAX5pG?format=jpg&name=large) ](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GkZHkRSXUAAX5pG?format=jpg&name=large)

[![](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/0e/16/47/0e1647e8594a097a23ebd75dd68e9b9d.jpg) ](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/0e/16/47/0e1647e8594a097a23ebd75dd68e9b9d.jpg)

I think I also saw some pool and tennis pictures.

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**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\
**Post date:** [September 7, 2025, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aretha-franklin-played-golf/1022802/5 "2025-09-07T16:39:19Z")

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Respect !

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**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\
**Post date:** [September 8, 2025, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aretha-franklin-played-golf/1022802/6 "2025-09-08T18:53:14Z")

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The bottom of a golf club is called the sole. That’s why she was called … oh never mind.

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**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\
**Post date:** [September 8, 2025, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aretha-franklin-played-golf/1022802/7 "2025-09-08T19:27:22Z")

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[![](https://i.imgur.com/lqwlBne.jpg) ](https://i.imgur.com/lqwlBne.jpg)