First things first: No, you can’t have one. Not unless you’re a golfer arriving at Muirfield Village Golf Club for the 2026 Memorial Tournament with designs on taking home a share of the $20 million purse.
Just one member of the field will get to shake Jack Nicklaus’ hand after finishing on the 18th green. On the other hand, every golfer, unlike the thousands of patrons who will be watching from the other side of the ropes from June 4-7, will have the opportunity to indulge in the most talked-about item on the clubhouse menu: Muirfield’s famous milkshakes.
Talk to a golfer who’s been part of the Memorial, and odds are they’ll rave about their milkshake experience. Competitors’ wives, caddies and family members often demand them. The tournament record is thought to be around 600 milkshakes made in just one day.
The Buckeye milkshakes are a particular favorite, as Dispatch reporter Lori Kurtzman detailed in a peek behind the curtain from 2014.
“It makes your eyes bug out of your head and makes you simultaneously regret drinking it and regret ever drinking anything else,” she wrote.
In a 2026 appearance on the “Games With Names” podcast, 2025 U.S. Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley told host and former New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman that the Memorial Tournament feeds its competitors better than any other event and took the chance to shout-out the milkshakes.
“The milkshakes are the really good thing about Memorial,” Bradley said. “… I think [Nicklaus] makes his own ice cream. Like, they do everything to the max.”
While participating in the 2025 Memorial Tournament, in which he finished 44th, Michael Kim posted the results of some research and his own opinion to Twitter. The winner?
Strawberry Oreo.
Each 16-ounce milkshake is roughly 1,200 calories per serving and takes three minutes to make. Competitors can pick from 14 different options or choose to have a custom creation.
The milkshakes are almost universally beloved. Almost. In a 2022 interview with GolfWeek, Rory McIlroy offered some tempered enthusiasm for the treat.
“I guess I don’t want to get in trouble here, but like I – like the milkshakes are good. I’ve had milkshakes that are just as good elsewhere,” he said. “Maybe because it’s Muirfield Village, they taste better, I don’t know.
“I’m happy with having one or two a week. I’m certainly not one of the guys that’s standing there getting two a day.”
Adam Jardy can be reached at ajardy@dispatch.com, on Bluesky at @cdadamjardy.bsky.social or on Twitter at @AdamJardy.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Golfers arriving at Muirfield for Memorial Tournament, milkshakes
Reporting by Adam Jardy, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
