In a field of celebrity golfers, Alfonso Ribeiro says the pressure is on – but not on them.

It’s a hallowed list, those who have won at Pebble Beach. Names like Woods, Mickelson, Nicklaus, Watson, Ribeiro.

Yes, the actor. Alfonso Ribeiro really did claim a title at the iconic golf links. It happened in September, during the amateur team competition of the Pure Insurance Championship’s stop at the course. Ribeiro and Golf Channel’s Matt Ginella combined for a two-stroke win.

Download PDF

So he knows the pitfalls of Spyglass Hill Golf Course, Monterey Peninsula Country Club and the famed Pebble Beach Golf Links. The biggest challenge? “It’s the weather – it’s so unpredictable,” he says. At one point last year, pellets of hail carpeted parts of the course. “That stuff we’re not used to, especially living in L.A. ‘Oh, it’s 60? Maybe we shouldn’t go out.’”

But he’s a scratch golfer who can truthfully say the last time he competed at Pebble Beach, he came away a champion. He also knows, however, that a second title is unlikely when PGA Tour regulars make up half the field.

“There’s a major difference between me as an amateur and a professional,” Ribeiro says. “If I play badly, my life doesn’t change. It’s their livelihood.”

Last year at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, playing with Jason Gore, he carded the lower score on two of the three rounds. Although they missed the cut, Ribeiro put in a solid performance.

This time around he is paired with Kevin Na, a four-time winner on the PGA Tour who currently sits 11th in FedEx Cup points. The tour veteran last played the Pro-Am in 2018, winding up in a tie for 20th, 8 strokes back.

The two have played together in the past, so Ribeiro is familiar with Na’s style. Familiarity is something he takes seriously. Ribeiro refers to the presence of celebrities in the amateur field as a sideshow. So he makes certain to ask critical questions ahead of time: Does the pro he’s paired with like to chat or remain silent and focused, for instance. Only the top 60 professionals and top 25 teams advance to the final round. So it is serious business.

“It’s hard for me to know how a professional approaches a round,” Ribeiro says, again pointing out that golf is their job. “I respect that.” He simply goes out and tries to put in a round he’s happy with. “I’m not going to impress Tiger Woods,” he says. “He might say, ‘not bad for an amateur,’ but there’s that ‘for an amateur.’”

Ribeiro gained fame for roles on the sitcoms Silver Spoons and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, where he played Carlton Banks, a character with a distinct dance still known as “The Carlton” by fans who often encourage him to give an impromptu show (“That dance is the bane of my existence,” Ribeiro says). Not surprisingly, he’s a Dancing with the Stars champion. Ribeiro also hosts programs like the Cooking Channel’s Unwrapped 2.0.

An athlete in high school, he did not take up golf until the age of 18. He was hooked instantly, playing for several years just for fun before taking lessons. With a little instruction he cut his handicap from 14 to 7 in just one year. His handicap now hovers around a 2.

Still, Ribeiro is not expecting much attention from the gallery. “They come here to see the pros,” he says. “We’re an added attraction – ‘Oh look, there’s Bill Murray.’”

So check your egos, at least far enough to allow the pros the limelight, and otherwise just enjoy the experience – 18 holes each day under the gaze of television cameras and an eager gallery, battling three of the world’s most challenging courses and weather that can throw a wicked punch. That’s how Ribeiro takes on the Pro-Am.

“It can be a grind,” he says. “But it’s the best grind you can have.”