The whole Mercury-Gemini- Apollo era was totallly mis-mash, like we had this goal fixated to goto the moon and then what? Nothing!!!! OK, you had Skylab, ASTP with the Soviets and of course the birth of the shuttle in 1972 but C'mon, these guys were the true heros of the great unknowns and would you strap yourselves into one of those tincans built by the lowest biddersfor the gov and go sub-orbital for 15 mins? Not me....I'd wait for the bus or space train.
As for the golf swing it was a stunt agreed but how else would you blow off steam after a failed mission like 13 and show that these men are humans and not Gods and need to have some fun?