Millions of people around the world have taken up golf during the COVID-19 pandemic. One of them is the greatest Winter Olympian in history.
Johannes Claebo won a record six gold medals in cross-country skiing at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina last month. He completed his historic season this month at the World Cup finals in Lake Placid, becoming the first male skier to win the triple crown by winning the sprint, distance and all-around titles over the course of a season.
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Claevo is considered the greatest male cross-country skier of all time. But now that he’s headed home to Trondheim, Norway, and into the offseason, there’s a new sport that’s occupying his mind: golf.
“I decided to try something new,” Klaevo said of his first time playing in 2020. He and eight of his best friends decided to give it a try. None of them had ever played golf. “After just one round of golf, I thought, ‘This is what I have to keep doing.’ We’ve been playing as much as we can ever since.”
Like many beginner golfers, Klaebo spent hours watching instructional videos on YouTube, trying to learn how to properly swing. The mechanics of the swing are very different from the sport he specializes in.
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Since joining the game in 2020, Claevo is now a 7 or 8 handicap. (Photo provided by Johannes Kleibo)
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Starting with a group of friends who were also new to golf made the process both fun and competitive. Who will be the first to understand the game? Who will be the best?
Claevo hit the ball in the garden. He put a putting green in the living room. He was completely hooked.
“I like to compete,” Claevo said of his love of golf. “I like to do it as much as I can and being able to compete against myself and that’s the most fun part. I also get to compete with my friends and watch…we’re on different levels now, but we get to compete with each other. And it’s so much fun to compete, so that’s what I really like. I think the great part of this game is that there are so many options when it comes to the competitive aspect.”
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Trondheim is a town of 200,000 people located about 300 miles north of Oslo. There are 18 hole, 9 hole and par 3 courses. DP World Tour also holds Challenge Tour events at Bainesett Golf Club, not far from the city.
Klaebo and his friends play in different formats and pour small amounts of money into the matches to make them a little more interesting.
His rigorous training and racing schedule has made it difficult for him to play consistently. There are times when I play a lot and there are long periods when I don’t touch the club. When we spoke on Zoom this month, Claevo hadn’t played since August. And he knows the first round could be tough. He says his handicap is “7 or 8,” but admitted he’s ready to shoot 95 when he finally reunites with his club this spring.
He still watches instruction on YouTube, but now also works with teachers to make adjustments. Especially at the beginning of the season. “Instead of starting the season completely wrong every year, I try to do the first few sessions with a pro,” Klaevo says. “I think it’s good to have someone watching your swing.”
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Beyond the physical challenges of technique, Claebo has also enjoyed the unique mental toll a round of golf brings.
“Golf is next level as far as the mental part,” Klaebo says. “It’s unbelievable. Every stroke is so important. You have to constantly reset and try to do what you’re supposed to do every time.”
Cross-country skiing is well known as one of the most cardiovascularly demanding sports, but athletes must accept the fact that they are about to experience significant discomfort when they step to the starting line. Skiers call it the “cave of pain.” As you push your body to its limits, your legs and arms fill with lactic acid and burn, your lungs work to take in as much air as possible, and your core tries to hold you upright, but it threatens to snap under the weight of the effort. A little voice in my head reminds me that this pain is of my own making and that if I slow down, it will stop. In the best case, another part of your mind quiets that voice and convinces you to keep moving forward. It’s a grueling and punishing job. And no one has mastered it better than Claevo.
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Johannes Klebo won six gold medals at the 2026 Winter Olympics, making him the all-time leader with 11 medals, and he plans to compete again in 2030.
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Lars Baron
“It’s a little different with cross-country skiing, but when you race, it’s important mentally to be prepared to go into a pain cave,” says Claevo, comparing the two sports. “In terms of pain, cross-country skiing is a little more uncomfortable, but the mental pain is much greater in golf.”
It’s amazing that he found the time over the years to become a single-digit handicapper, while also becoming the all-time winningest Winter Olympics winner in the same period. But Klaebo wants more.
“I’m getting better, but I’m frustrated that I’m still not getting better,” Klaevo says.
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He is friends with Norwegian golf pro Christopher Reitan, who will be playing the Masters for the second time in two weeks. Claevo has played with Reitan several times and has seen up close the gap between the average golfer and the pros. He said their first outing was more embarrassing than anything else. Claevo knows he’s pretty good at golf, but he also knows what it feels like to completely master the sport.
“It’s kind of a trigger for me,” Claevo says. “I love the fact that I’m struggling. Your ball goes from left to right and into the woods, and you stand there and four-putt and you’re like, ‘Oh my God, this is frustrating.'” But on the other hand, it’s really fun to see yourself improve. ”
There is a point that many golfers are lucky to reach when their handicap is in the mid-to-high single digit range, and they need to work on their game in real time to get even better. Gone are the days of quick improvements and big leaps. A harsher reality stands in the way.
“For me right now, in order to get better, I need to practice. That’s kind of what I struggle with the most, just finding the time to stay on the practice range, practice my shots, stay on the putting green and do all the work,” Claevo says. “For me, that’s kind of the challenging part.”
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Looking at Claebo, it’s hard to imagine the average golfer having much in common with him. Still, he’s one of us, a golfer who balances his day job with the pursuit of a lower handicap. He also happens to be one of the fittest humans on the planet, winning 11 Olympic gold medals.
