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How do you know you're at a really special golf course?
It's not the size of the clubhouse or the price tag of the cars in the parking lot. It's the status of the golfer immortalized by a statue somewhere near the clubhouse or course.
With the news of a new Old Tom Morris statue erected Oct. 2 near the Old Course at St. Andrews in Scotland, we decided to create a bucket list of golf statues where every golfer would love to take a commemorative photo or selfie.
In every case, the statues aren't the main draw. It's the golf courses. A photo sent out on social media delivers this sentiment to the world: "I'm at an uber-famous course ... and wish you were here." I've done it before and I hope to do it again. I was just a pup when I got this photo taken with The King at Tralee in Ireland.
The new Old Tom statue is located on the Bow Butts, a grassy area near the Martyr’s Monument behind the Royal and Ancient Clubhouse slightly away from the course, so that tourists can take photos without distracting golfers. Old Tom faces the 18th green and the original Tom Morris Golf Shop.
The statue was sculpted by David Annand. Much of the credit, however, goes to Commodore Ronald Sandford, a member of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews who came up with the idea after visiting Rosapenna in northwest Ireland in 2015. He was so inspired by the Old Tom statue there that he brought the concept back to Scotland.
It wasn't easy raising funds and working through the politics of getting a likeness owned by the St. Andrews Links Trust put on public land, but the four-time Open champion's legacy is so celebrated around St. Andrews that it made sense. Donations are still being accepted to cover costs (give here). Even Sandy Lyle showed up to the dedication ceremony to pay homage to one of golf's founding fathers.
Old Tom now joins legends like Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Ben Hogan, Seve Ballesteros and Payne Stewart who are represented with multiple statues at some really epic golf courses. To be fair, we only allowed a golfer to be represented once on our list of best golf statues for a photo or a selfie. Here goes:
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Old Tom Morris at the Old Course at St. Andrews
![Old Tom Morris statue at St. Andrews]()
The new Old Tom Morris statue in St. Andrews overlooks the 18th green and his original golf shop. Courtesy photo Annand considers the project to celebrate the legacy of Old Tom Morris an "opportunity of a lifetime." It will probably never overtake the Swilcan Bridge as the must-get photo of St. Andrews, but the statue adds another photo stop when golfers visit the 'Home of Golf.' "It may well be a new target line for those playing from the 18th tee," Annand said. "My hope is that a few words with Old Tom before you tee off the first will settle any first tee nerves."
Have you snapped a photo at one of these famous statues? Share it with us in the comments below.
A photo gallery of iconic golf statues from around the worldA Seve Ballesteros statue celebrates the Ballesteros Course at The Heritage Golf Resort outside Dublin, Ireland. Courtesy of The Heritage Golf ResortA rainbow appeared over the Arnold Palmer statue at the Laurel Valley Country Club on the day of the King's funeral. Courtesy of Laurel Valley Country ClubBernard Gallacher, a 10-time winner on the European Tour, was a pro at the Wentworth Golf Club in England for 25 years. Courtesy of Wentworth Golf ClubSeve Ballesteros, a legend in Spain, was immortalized with this statue at the Amigos Del Golf Santa Marina. Courtesy of Amigos Del Golf Santa MarinaThe Walking Man statue is also the logo of Hazeltine National Golf Club in Minnesota. Courtesy of Hazeltine National Golf ClubA Ben Hogan statue at the Riviera Country Club near L.A. Courtesy of Riviera Golf and Tennis, Inc.Legendary amateur Francis Ouimet, who won the 1913 U.S. Open held at The Country Club in Brookline with 10-year-old caddie Eddie Lowery, is immortalized at the Robert T. Lynch Municipal Golf Course. Courtesy of Robert T. Lynch Municipal Golf CourseMyrtle Beach National's clubhouse is shared by three courses: South Creek, King's North and the West course. Designer Arnold Palmer has a statue out front. Brandon Tucker/GolfPassA wood carving of eagles on the 13th hole at the Sweetgrass Golf Club in Michigan's upper peninsula. Courtesy of Sweetgrass Golf ClubA Seve Ballesteros statue greets visitors to The Shire London, his only 18-hole design in the United Kingdom. Courtesy of Andy HisemanThe Ladybug statue at the Ko Olina Golf Club on Oahu was inspired by Hawaii�۪s own Michelle Wie, who won the 2014 LPGA LOTTE Championship at the course. Courtesy of Ko Olina Golf ClubA statue of local legend Jack Nicklaus at the community entrance near the Muirfield Village Golf Club in Ohio. Courtesy of Jim Mandeville/Nicklaus CompaniesA statue of Jack Nicklaus at the Vahalla Golf Club in Kentucky. Courtesy of Jim Mandeville/Nicklaus CompaniesA Pete Dye statue at the famed Casa de Campo in the Dominican Republic. Jason Scott Deegan/GolfPassA Donald Ross statue at Sedgefield Country Club in North Carolina. Courtesy of Sedgefield Country ClubThe statue of course designer Jack Nicklaus outside the clubhouse at the Long Bay Golf Club near Myrtle Beach, S.C. Courtesy of Long Bay Golf ClubA statue of Byron Nelson at the Riverhill Country Club in Texas. Courtesy of Riverhill Country ClubA Bobby Jones statue swings toward the first fairway of the The Grand Golf Club in San Diego. Only guests of the Fairmont Grand Del Mar can play the private Tom Fazio course. Courtesy of The Grand Golf ClubLarge stone monuments are located throughout the Old Head Golf Links, telling players stories about the history of the location and the dramatic cliff-side course in Ireland. Jason Scott Deegan/GolfPassA carving of Old Tom Morris greets golfers at Tain Golf Club in the Scottish Highlands. Jason Scott Deegan/GolfPassThe 15th tee on at PGA National's Champion Course, complete with statue and plaque, begins the Bear Trap. Courtesy of PGA National Resort and SpaJason Scott Deegan poses with the Arnold Palmer statue at Tralee Golf Club in Ireland. Brandon Tucker/GolfPassPro Frank Lickliter II posed for this monument from the 2000 U.S. Open that sits on the Peter Hay Golf Course at Pebble Beach Resorts. Courtesy of Pebble Beach ResortsA statue, like this one on no. 5, accompanies every hole at Leopard Creek Country Club in South Africa to symbolize the leopard in various states, from awakening to hunting to the kill. Jason Scott Deegan/GolfPassThe statue of Donald Ross the designer of the No 2 course (left) and Richard S Tufts, founder of Pinehurst, can be found near the clubhouse. Getty ImagesByron's Circle. A statue of Byron Nelson stands in the entrance of the course at the AT&T Byron Nelson at TPC Four Seasons Resort Las Colinas in Irving, Texas Getty ImagesPayne Stewart's iconic 1999 U.S. Open fist-pump is immortalized behind the green at Pinehurst No. 2. Matt Ginella/Golf AdvisorDiminutive in height, Stanley Thompson had a larger-than-life persona and left behind some of Canada's most prized courses, including Cape Breton Highlands in Nova Scotia. Brandon Tucker/GolfPassA statue of Indiana native Pete Dye greets golfers at his challenging course at French Lick, with one of his famous quotes: "The ardent golfer would play Mount Everest if somebody would put a flag stick on top... Brandon Tucker/GolfPassGolfers pass a statue of Nick Faldo on the way to the first tee at the Lough Erne Resort. Jason Scott Deegan/GolfPassA buffalo statue on display near the clubhouse at Buffalo Ridge Springs (while actual buffalo roam in the distance). Brandon Tucker/GolfPassOn Kauai's Hokuala course, animal statues used sit at several tee boxes like the third hole: "Camel." Brandon Tucker/GolfPassThe latest statue of Arnold Palmer was unveiled at the 2017 Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando at Bay Hill Club & Lodge. Getty ImagesFamed teacher Harvey Penick is immortalized in this statue with pupil and ACC member Tom Kite near the first tee of Austin Country Club. Brandon Tucker/GolfPassAn incredible set of sculptures, featuring more than 100 wolves attacking a swordsman, lines the 18th hole of The Hills Golf Club, home of the New Zealand PGA Championship. Jason Scott Deegan/GolfPassThis statue at Royal Jersey Golf Club honors favorite son Harry Vardon, who in 1900 became the first Englishman to capture the U.S. Open. Clive Agran/GolfPassThe famous Putter Boy statue watches over the five courses that operate out of the main clubhouse at Pinehurst. Jason Scott Deegan/GolfPassBefore or after a round at Ballybunion Golf Club, every American should visit the Bill Clinton statue in the village. Courtesy photoOld Tom Morris stands guard at his links at Rosapenna Hotel & Golf Resort in Ireland. Jason Scott Deegan/GolfPassThis statue of Killeen Castle designer Jack Nicklaus stands near the first tee. Jason Scott Deegan/GolfPassThis statue used to be at Royal Links Golf Club, the now-closed Las Vegas club that used to feature replica holes from Open venues in Scotland and England. Courtesy of Royal Links G.C.A wooden statue of the golfer stands in the crossroad, separating the first and 10th holes on the Heritage Hills Golf Course. Oleg Volovik/GolfPassThe "Snake Pit" kicks off a difficult closing stretch of three holes starting on the par-4 16th on the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor. Brandon Tucker/GolfPassWaterville Golf Links pays tribute to Payne Stewart with a statue near the clubhouse. Jason Scott Deegan/GolfPassThe sweet-swinging Ben Hogan statue at Colonial Country Club in Texas. Mike Bailey/GolfPassThe Dinah Shore statue at the Mission Hills Country Club sits steps from island green on the tournament course named after her. Courtesy of Mission Hills Country ClubA bust of resort founder Samuel Finley Brown Morse is part of the Bing Crosby Wall near the putting green and first tee of the Pebble Beach Golf Links. Courtesy of Pebble Beach Golf LinksA totem pole greets players on the first tee at the Jasper Park Lodge Golf Course in Canada. Courtesy of Jasper Park LodgeA statue of Ben Sayers, a legendary club maker, moved from Sayers' original equipment-manufacturing factory in North Berwick to a prime spot near the West Links at North Berwick Golf Club in East Lothian, Scotland. Courtesy of Allan MintoA statue of local legend Cary Middlecoff, a 40-time winner on the PGA TOUR, graces the grounds at the TPC Southwind in Tennessee. Courtesy of TPC SouthwindA statue of Sam Snead, the co-designer with Bob Cupp, sits between the first and 10th holes at The Club at Savannah Harbor. Courtesy of Troon GolfArnold Palmer is one of five statues of famous golfers displayed at the Augusta Museum of History in Georgia. Courtesy of Augusta-Richmond CountyBen Hogan is one of five statues of famous golfers displayed at the Augusta Museum of History in Georgia. Courtesy of Augusta-Richmond CountyBobby Jones is one of five statues of famous golfers displayed at the Augusta Museum of History in Georgia. Courtesy of Augusta-Richmond CountyByron Nelson is one of five famous golfers with a statue at the Augusta Museum of History in Georgia. Courtesy of Augusta-Richmond CountyJack Nicklaus is one of five famous golfers with a statue at the Augusta Museum of History in Georgia. Courtesy of Augusta-Richmond CountyA statue of golfer Raymond Floyd statue greets travelers at the Augusta Regional Airport in Georgia. Courtesy of Augusta-Richmond CountyA brand new statue at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farms commemorates Arnold Palmer's feat of an ace in back-to-back rounds on the par-3 3rd hole in 1986. Courtesy of TPC Network![lahinch golf club goat statue]()
It's not a golfer, but this statue of a goat at Lahinch Golf Club in Ireland is certainly striking. Tim Gavrich/GolfPass![Peter Thomson statue - Victoria Golf Club]()
Peter Thomson, a five-time major champion, was a long-time member at Victoria Golf Club. Jason Scott Deegan/GolfPass -
Payne Stewart at Pinehurst No. 2, Pinehurst, N.C.
Stewart doesn't have nearly the playing or design careers of either Palmer or Nicklaus, but he beats them both out on our list based on his two fantastic statues at two World Top 100 courses - Pinehurst No. 2, where he won the 1999 U.S. Open, and Waterville Golf Links in Ireland.
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Dr. Alister MacKenzie & Marion Hollins, Pasatiempo, Santa Cruz, Calif.
Fresh off a two-year greens restoration completed in December 2024, Pasatiempo has gone all in on recognizing its history by erecting a bronze statue of Dr. Alister MacKenzie and Marion Hollins, the two architects credited with such a revered classic course. Steven Whyte's creation was unveiled April 11, 2025.
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Peter Thomson at Victoria Golf Club, Melbourne, Australia
![Peter Thomson statue - Victoria Golf Club]()
Peter Thomson, a five-time major champion, was a long-time member at Victoria Golf Club. Jason Scott Deegan/GolfPass Thomson, a five-time major champion, remains the most famous member from the Victoria Golf Club, one of the Australian Sandbelt's most celebrated clubs outside of Melbourne. His bronze statue appears to be hitting a shot off the 10th tee. Many of the world's greatest players have teed it up at Victoria during eight Australian Opens, four apiece for the men and women.
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Pete Dye at Teeth of the Dog at Casa de Campo, Dominican Republic
Although the Dye statue at Casa de Campo isn't nearly as good as the one at his namesake Pete Dye Course at French Lick Resort in Indiana or The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort in South Carolina, it's still the most desired selfie. The Teeth of the Dog - an early Dye design highlighted by seven holes directly on the ocean - is widely regarded as his finest work.
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Jack Nicklaus at Vahalla Golf Club, Louisville, Ky.
Nicklaus, arguably the greatest golfer of all time, has designed more than 300 courses around the world, so it's actually a surprise there aren't more statues of him around. Valhalla, host of four PGA Championships and the 2008 Ryder Cup, will host the 2028 Solheim Cup. There's another Nicklaus statue at Ireland's Killeen Castle, which hosted its own memorable Solheim Cup in 2011.
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Ben Hogan at Colonial Country Club, Texas
This was a tough call because Hogan's legacy lives on at two of America's greatest private clubs - Colonial Country Club in Texas and Riviera Country Club in California - which also happen to be two long-time PGA Tour venues. Now that Colonial has been completely modernized, I want to play it more than ever. Riviera's Hogan isn't a full-length statue, but it's certainly worth a photo. Check out that grip (the second photo in our gallery). It's perfect in perpetuity.
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Stanley Thompson at Cape Breton Highlands, Nova Scotia, Canada
Diminutive in height, Stanley Thompson had a larger-than-life persona and left behind some of Canada's most prized courses, including Cape Breton Highlands in Nova Scotia. Brandon Tucker/GolfPass Stanley Thompson might not be a name every American golf fan recognizes, but he's a legend in Canada, having designed many of its best courses, including the celebrated Banff Springs and Jasper Park Lodge at tony Fairmont resorts in the Canadian Rockies. Now that Nova Scotia's Cape Breton island has been put on the map by Cabot, more and more traveling golfers are making the four-hour trek north to see Cape Breton Highlands, a wonderfully rugged course in a national park setting.
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Arnold Palmer at Bay Hill Club & Lodge, Orlando, Fla.
The latest statue of Arnold Palmer was unveiled at the 2017 Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando at Bay Hill Club & Lodge. Getty ImagesJason Scott Deegan poses with the Arnold Palmer statue at Tralee Golf Club in Ireland. Brandon Tucker/GolfPassA rainbow appeared over the Arnold Palmer statue at the Laurel Valley Country Club on the day of the King's funeral. Courtesy of Laurel Valley Country ClubThe three most famous statues of The King are equally must-have selfies for golfers, but we will give the nod to the one at Bay Hill Club & Lodge since it is most accessible. Playing Bay Hill does require a stay at the lodge, but there is a cheat code: attending Bay Hill's PGA Tour event to grab a photo. Across the ocean in Ireland, Tralee is no doubt Palmer's best work as an architect. It's a personal favorite of mine. The links boasts what many believe to be the finest back nine in Irish links golf. Closer to Palmer's childhood home in Latrobe, Pa., golf fans around the world were astonished when a rainbow appeared over the Palmer statue at Laurel Valley Country Club on the day of his funeral. Long live the King.
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Byron Nelson at TPC Las Colinas, Irving, Texas
Nelson, a Texas icon, used to host his AT&T Byron Nelson Championship at TPC Las Colinas on the outskirts of Dallas. The tournament has bounced around following his 2006 passing with its current home at TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney. There's also a Nelson statue at Riverhill Country Club, a private club that Nelson designed and called home. The good news is public golfers can stay in the Riverhill Cottages to gain full access to the course and club amenities.
Comments (2)
The Ridge Golf Course & Events Centre has got a very nice bronze statue for the "Duke", John Wayne at their course in Auburn, Ca.
My visit to Waterville Links years ago wouldn't have been complete without spending time with their tribute to Payne Stewart.
The Ridge Golf Course & Events Centre has got a very nice bronze statue for the "Duke", John Wayne at their course in Auburn, Ca.
My visit to Waterville Links years ago wouldn't have been complete without spending time with their tribute to Payne Stewart.