Alfonso Ribeiro has been an actor and television show host on America’s small screen for as long as anyone can remember, and he’s been playing golf for almost as long as he’s been acting.

I spoke with Ribeiro last week over Zoom as he gears up to attend the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, a one-of-a-kind golf tournament and the LPGA Tour’s 2025 season opener. One reason Ribeiro loves golf so much and plays as many celebrity tournaments as he can is the demands it places on individual players.

“Golf is an individual game; it’s not a team game. When you’re out there, it’s just you and your caddy,” Ribeiro said. “And it’s a game that you invest in, that you make time to play.”

Ribeiro is one of the more accomplished celebrity names who will be playing in the HGV Tournament of Champions. The action will take place from Jan. 30 to Feb. 2 at the Lake Nona Golf & Country Club in Orlando, Florida.

What he says is different about the HGV Tournament of Champions is that celebrity players are paired in groups with the LPGA’s best and top-ranked players.

Related story: Golf plus celebrities equal a winning combo

Some of the pros qualified to play are current world No. 1-ranked Nelly Korda, as well as No. 2-ranked Yin Ruoning (China), and No. 3-ranked Lydia Ko (New Zealand), last year’s HGV Tournament of Champions winner. Other contestants this year include Lauren Coughlin (USA), Haeran Ryu (South Korea), Hannah Green (Australia), and Canadian star Brooke Henderson, who won the tournament in 2023.

“For the best LPGA players, this is where they really come to play and come to get their season started. And it’s incredible.”

LPGA players must have won an event on the LPGA Tour in the past two seasons to qualify for the 2025 HGV Tournament of Champions and compete for a purse of $2 million. Celebrity participants will contend for their own purse of $500,000 using a modified Stableford format.

Ribeiro said that another thing that is special about the tournament and Lake Nona’s course is the proximity to both pro tour players and celebrity players to attending fans.

“The LPGA players are absolutely accessible. You can walk up to them, and if you’re passing them in the clubhouse, they are open to talking and giving you a moment.” Ribeiro added, “At the Tournament of Champions, you’re going to get as close as you can to any athlete or any professional golf player.”

Ribeiro also explained that the tournament is so exciting for him as a golf enthusiast because of the high caliber of players on the course.

“The really cool thing for me is that I get to play golf with all these incredible women from the LPGA, who are the best of the best,” Ribeiro said. “This is where all of the champions from the last several years come to play.”

Many of the celebrity players who will join Ribeiro are fellow entertainers and TV personalities—fellow golf lovers, too—such as Dylan Dreyer of the “Today” show, TV star Brian Baumgartner (“Kevin” from The Office), and award-winning actor Don Cheadle. Some past celebs who have played in the tournament consist of top-caliber entertainers such as comedian Larry The Cable Guy and actor Michael Peña.

Ribeiro also hints that few other professional golfing associations feel the same way about having celebrity golf nuts paired with them, especially to start their season.

“Number one, (the LPGA players) enjoy the fact that we’re there. And they show us a lot of love.”“Number one, (the LPGA players) enjoy the fact that we’re there. And they show us a lot of love.”

Tough competition, top golf

Despite the strength of the field, Ribeiro says he isn’t intimidated and focuses on having fun while also trying to be competitive.

“Watching the LPGA players play is different than watching a PGA Tour player play. Their swings are closer in speed to ours. So, there is a difference in the flow and energy that gets me into a nice smooth swing playing with them. Also,” Ribeiro said, “their short games are great, and they hit (the ball) so straight. It’s definitely a jump start.”

VIDEO: Alfonso Ribeiro talks about golf with champions.

Ribeiro adds that at the tournament, the hospitality aspect is “really special.” He cites not only the excellent course, the food, and the ideal conditions at the end of January but also the live concerts each night.

“All the concerts and special events at the tournament are bigger than other events we get to play in. There’s the American Century up in Tahoe (Edgewood, South Lake Tahoe, Nevada). It’s the granddaddy of them all for celebrity golf, but the pros aren’t there with us.”

In past years, the HGV Tournament of Champions has featured some big names on stage, such as singer-songwriters Sheryl Crow, Ellie Goulding, and Maren Morris, to live DJ sets by Paris Hilton.

Other celebrity participants include retired sports legends, such as Pro Football Hall of Famers Marcus Allen, Charles Woodson, and Brian Urlacher, Basketball Hall of Famer Ray Allen, and Hockey Hall of Famer Jeremy Roenick, among dozens of others.

Related: Larry the Cable Guy’s Git-R-Done approach to golf

But how does a celebrity player like Alfonso Ribeiro do against physically imposing pro athletes who are also golf aficionados?

“Let me say first that I beat them with my long game. I hit the ball further than every (pro athlete) name you mentioned,” Ribeiro said. “Golf isn’t a game of size and strength. It’s a game of technique. Take Xander Schauffele or Sergio Garcia. These aren’t huge guys, but they both hit the ball over 300 yards.”

Ribeiro said that he can drive the ball over 300 yards as well. “Look at me. I’m 53, and I’m just over 5-foot-6.” He adds that so many the long roster of great celebrity players keeps it fun and challenging. “Jeremy Roenick is a great player, so I don’t beat Roenick anyway. But it’s still about pace and technique.”

Ribeiro also noted that he is busier than ever with his TV work. He currently hosts three shows on ABC: Jack Hanna’s Passport, America’s Funniest Home Videos (AFV), and Dancing With The Stars. Thanks to his tight schedule, he’s been anxious to hit some balls with the holidays over.

“It’s unfortunate I can’t be at my peak this year, as I literally haven’t swung the club for three months. Ribeiro said life has been particularly busy when doing Dancing With The Stars. “But I am starting my practice today! I hope to get the rust off and represent at the HGV Tournament of Champions the best I can.”

Read Frye’s interviews with Annika Sörenstam and Lexi Thompson.