There were many things to be gained from watching The Match last week. A rivalry that has been brewing for quite some time was finally going to play out one on one on the course. Barbs have been traded for the last couple years and while we’ve all gotten a little entertainment from the feud, it has been a bit of a distraction in the sport. As we watched Bryson and Brooks battle it out, we were treated to some lively back and forth from Phil Mickelson and Charles Barkley. We’ve even learned a few things that even the biggest golf fan may not be aware of.
Any lavish outing on the golf course is incomplete without a couple of drinks. But, did you know, we actually have Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin to thank for that? Yes! A couple of decades ago, when the two were frequent visitors on the golf course, they gave birth to this wonderful idea.
Sinatra and Martin were behind the idea of a golf beverage cart
One of the biggest highlights of the afternoon was the commentary by Phil Mickelson, Charles Barkley’s and Amanda Balionis. Moreover, Balionis told everyone the story of when Martin and Sinatra used to tee it up on the Wynn Golf Course, previously known as the Desert Inn in Las Vegas.
“But they would never play an entire 18 holes unless cocktails were provided,” she said. “So, what happened? The Desert Inn, as it was called at the time, said we have a solution for this, ‘we’re going to create a golf cart but stock it full of all the possible cocktails that Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra could possibly want.’ So yes, you’re hearing this right, you can thank Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra for inventing the beverage cart.”
Barkley, who was in an entertainment mode, revealed hilariously, “When I get down on my knees to pray tonight, I’m gonna make sure I include those guys because I really appreciate that.” On a similar topic, Barkley later admitted, “You can’t play golf and not drink… I need that liquid lube.”
This article originally appeared on Essentially Sports.
