sports

Lou Holtz: Football Legend, Golf Devotee

Football coaching legend Lou Holtz, who passed away at age 89, was equally passionate about golf, becoming a single-digit handicapper and Augusta National member.

Lou Holtz, best known for his football coaching career at Notre Dame and other universities, maintained a deep love for golf throughout his life. The 89-year-old was a single-digit handicapper, hosted a SiriusXM radio show called "Holtz in One," and was a member at prestigious clubs including Lake Nona Golf & Country Club and Augusta National, where he won the member-member tournament in 2005.

When Holtz was hired at William & Mary in 1962 as an assistant football coach, the school made him golf coach to boost his salary by $300, despite his admission that he "didn't even know how to keep score." Golf became his "guilty pleasure," leading to friendships with players like Lee Trevino and a notable story about being bumped from a Sports Illustrated cover by Jack Nicklaus' 1986 Masters victory.