We’ve all tried it. Standing alone at the driving range, where all thought of form and technique goes out the window, we swing our golf drivers as hard as we possibly can.
It can be an exhilarating feeling, especially when we end up hitting the longest drive of our lives; a feeling that’s even more fun if we’re with a group of friends.
But while most of us will struggle to launch the ball even close to 300 yards - a distance often enjoyed by professionals - we’ll never come anywhere near the world record.
Which begs the question: What is the longest drive in golf history? And who is the lucky owner of such an admired record? Famous names like Tiger Woods, Dustin Johnson and Rory McIlroy can all hit monstrous drives, but they're not the title holders.
At Clarkes Golf, we can’t attach your golf ball to a rocket - but we can do the next best thing and offer you a massive range of golf drivers, so you can choose the one that’ll give you the best chance at breaking your own driving record!
So, if you’re not the owner of the world’s longest drive, who is?
Who hit the longest drive ever?
While there is only one “longest drive ever” in terms of distance, there are a couple of contenders we should consider, based on what may be classed as the world’s longest drive.
The longest drive in match play
If we’re talking about confirmed ball hits that have taken place in official competition, the title of the longest drive belongs to Mike Austin.
At the 1974 US National Seniors Open Championship Qualifier, based at the Wintewood Golf Course in Las Vegas, the American golf pro hit a sensational 515-yard drive.
Austin was playing alongside PGA Tour Champion Chandler Harper, who reportedly told Austin to “really let one go” - and the rest is history.
The long drive specialist preceded to crush the ball off the tee, landing the ball just shy of the 450-yard pin. But the ball bounced and continued to roll, falling out of sight.
When it was finally found, it had rolled all the way to the following tee, clocking in at 515 yards and setting a Guinness World Record.
The longest drive of all time
Forgetting competitions for a moment, if we’re strictly speaking of the longest drive ever hit by a human, that title belongs to none other than young Kyle Berkshire:
A mainstay of the World Long Drive Championship, Berkshire has taken home the top prize in this competition three separate times - in 2019, 2021 and 2023.
Instantly recognisable by his long hair and charming persona, Berkshire has become somewhat of a golfing influencer, amassing millions of views on videos of his long drive exploits, as well as enjoying millions of followers across his various social media channels.
In October 2023, Berkshire was shooting drives at the Rochelle Ranch Golf Course in Rawlins, Wyoming, when he struck the ball with never-before-seen force, sending it soaring into the air.
Thankfully, the distance of the ball was being carefully tracked. When the ball had stopped rolling, the official distance was announced as an unfathomable 577 yards - but this was a mistake.
Upon careful inspection, it was found that the ball had actually travelled two yards further, clocking in a total distance of 579.63 yards. Easily a new world record, though Guinness had long since stopped listing golf drives as part of its record keeping.
Not only that, but in the same swing Berkshire had also set a new world record for ball speed, with the top speed being reached by the ball in flight reaching 241.6 mph.
Forever the perfectionist, he plans to break 600 yards as soon as possible. But even if he did, he wouldn’t come close to the shot that some claim to be the true longest drive…
A 787-yard drive?!
It's true, a 700+ yard drive does exist, and it's technically the longest drive in PGA tour history. But take this info with a pinch of salt as nothing has ever been verified.
During the 1992 Texas Open, 31-year-old Carl Cooper was treating the day like any other game.
That is until he caught the ball at the tee on the third hole. By sheer luck, the ball miraculously bounced on a concrete cart path numerous times, passing several other tees as it went.
When it finally ran out of steam, spectators say it had easily travelled over 700 yards, possibly 800!
Because it was virtually all downhill, and because there were so many different terrains between the ball's starting point and end point, accurate measurement was impossible. But that didn't stop Cooper's caddie from taking his time to count out 787 yards.
It's an impressive feat, but one that most disregard because of the helping hand the ball received on its travels.
Explore the world’s best golf drivers at Clarkes Golf
You may never reach the dizzying distances of Kyle Berkshire or Carl Cooper, but you can give yourself the best shot at reaching the green as quickly as possible with one of the golf drivers we have available at Clarkes Golf.
With world-class golf drivers in stock - including Callaway golf drivers, TaylorMade golf drivers, Titleist golf drivers and countless others - we’ll always have the perfect driver to match your swing.