Snoopy and Woodstock are predominant in the golf arcs.
Golf is a predominant theme in the Peanuts world. When at first the characters are quite illiterate in the sport, (April 23, 1951 shows them not understanding a golf tee) the characters grow very talented and enchanted in the sport, which makes appearances in the spring-summer months of the strips.
Use in comic strip[]
The caddy master demands his cut in July 1977.
Golf flags were seen being watered in 1948 and later in the Prototype strip, Lil' Folks. The spring and summer of 1951 shows the characters becoming introduced to golf, cheating and yelling to learn the ropes. Charlie Brown only knew how to yell "Fore!" and Snoopy would pick up the ball and drop it in the hole. In Sunday comics in 1954, Charlie Brown and Lucy go to an adult tournament, do very well, but Lucy runs out at the last second because it was her nap-time. Golf would soon become entwined into their day-to-day lives, being mentioned occasionally. In April 1968 Snoopy introduces his World Famous Golf Pro persona, flies to Augusta, plays up to the second round, and quits after meeting a Georgia Beagle. Woodstock became Snoopy's caddy in October 1974, following him in practice for the Masters in April 1977. The same year, June-July, Peppermint Patty and Marcie caddy for Mrs. Bartley and Mrs. Nelson. These two old ladies are recurring unseen characters who have relatively heavy golf bags and a wicked rivalry (At one point, Mr.s Bartley climbs a tree to jump on Mrs. Nelson!) Marcie is so disgusted by this, she demands a dollar for her efforts and walks off the story arc, paying the caddymaster 10%.
An example of the gags used in the 1990s.
Marcie has proven to be very inadequate when golfing, getting her foot caught in the ball washer and complaining. (April 1980) Peppermint Patty's nose has also been compared to a golf ball. In June 1981 PP and Marcie want to advocate for Women's Rights, and take golf balls to practice, ultimately playing in a disastrous threesome consisting of the Masked Marvel (Snoopy) and Joe Richkid. In an arc in March 1987, Charlie Brown has to rake the sandtraps on the golf course after Snoopy marches through them in his way to Fort Zinderneuf. As the strip ran in the 1990s, golf became a gag tool for jokes and puns. Charlie Brown would join Snoopy as caddy and mentor, coaching him to get his ball out of rough terrain.
The use of golf in the comic strip ended rather softly. It is suggested that the characters still play, and the last time it was mentioned was July 17, 1999 - Franklin says his Grampa is trying to "shoot his age" in golf, shooting a 102 degrees.
Charles Schulz and golf[]
Charles M. Schulz playing golf.
Charles M. Schulz said golf was his favorite game, playing on his high school golf team to his late-in-life weekly foursome, Schulz not only enjoyed the game, but he excelled at it. He said, "Golf has this eternal challenge to it. It's a lot like bridge or chess—it has no end. There's no way of totally conquering it, and the highs and the lows are so far apart. For three or four minutes you can think that this is the best game in the world and then, five minutes later, you'd just like to throw all the clubs in the lake and go home and never play again."