Growing up on a dairy farm in Charlotte, North Carolina, young Billy Graham dreamed of becoming the next Babe Ruth. Even in elementary school, he imagined himself blasting home runs over the fence and racing around the bases. His admiration for the legendary slugger became personal when Babe Ruth visited Charlotte during a Yankees exhibition tour and asked the young boy what position he played on his local team.

Ten-year-old Billy Graham stood in awe, barely able to answer that he was a pitcher. With a laugh, Ruth replied, “Well, now, let’s see, Mr. Graham, that makes eight pitchers and one catcher on this fine team of boys you’ve brought to the ballpark. But I don’t see how they are going to play many games until they find some more fielders.”

Several years later, while studying at Florida Bible Institute, Billy Graham sensed God’s call to preach the Gospel during a moonlit walk on a golf course.

Though his baseball dreams had faded in the light of his evangelistic calling, his passion for sports endured.

As he grew older, the sports-minded Graham turned his focus to the more leisurely pursuit of golf —which remained a favorite pastime throughout his life. He was frequently invited to charity tournaments and often played with celebrities and political leaders. During one visit with golf legend Arnold Palmer, Billy Graham flubbed a shot into the trees. Despite the miscue, the ball still rolled toward the green, causing Palmer to tease, “You’re getting some outside help, Billy.”

At a charity match with entertainer Bob Hope, Billy Graham’s score card shows his final score as 46 for the nine holes played, matching Bob Hope’s. Newspapers had fun with the result, joking that “not even Dr. Billy Graham’s divine standing could help him here.”

Despite the occasional teasing from reporters, Billy Graham enjoyed some impressive moments on the golf course. In 1968, he scored a hole in one at Key Biscayne Golf Club in Florida where he earned a trophy and certificate for the achievement.

Throughout his life and ministry, Billy Graham used his love of sports to relate to others and communicate timeless Biblical truths. Speaking at the Metropolitan Golf Association Awards Dinner in 1972, he said, “Golf is more than a game! It has become one of the greatest four-letter words in America. It is a fever, a madness, which affects many people’s total life.” He continued, “We may do wrong, we may fail in many areas of our lives, but with God there is hope for recovery. Everyone hits bad shots, but the champion is the man who knows the secret of recovery and applies it to golf and to life.”

Though Billy Graham never fulfilled his childhood dream of becoming a professional baseball player, God used that passion for sports in unexpected ways. The stadiums and arenas he once imagined entering as an athlete became platforms from which he proclaimed the Good News of Jesus Christ to millions around the world.

Learn more about Billy Graham’s ministry through The Journey of Faith tour at the Billy Graham Library. Book a free tour today.