Golf Keeps Me Sane: When Michael Jordan Opened Up to Stephen Curry
September 27, 2021 - Kohler, Wisconsin, USA. - Basketball greats MICHAEL JORDAN and STEPH CURRY sit down at Whistling Straits, site of the Ryder Cup, to talk golf. Kohler U.S. - ZUMAce6_ 20210927_zaf_ce6_008 Copyright: xNbcxGolfx
September 27, 2021 - Kohler, Wisconsin, USA. - Basketball greats MICHAEL JORDAN and STEPH CURRY sit down at Whistling Straits, site of the Ryder Cup, to talk golf. Kohler U.S. - ZUMAce6_ 20210927_zaf_ce6_008 Copyright: xNbcxGolfx
Michael Jordan's competitive fire never faded after basketball. He just found a new outlet. In a candid conversation with Stephen Curry, Jordan revealed the one sport that keeps him sane.
In an interview on the Stephen Curry & Unanimous Media Podcast Network in September 2021, Jordan discussed his love for golf.
“In golf, it’s like playing in a mirror, and you’re battling yourself consistently to try to get perfection every swing, every putt. For a competitive person like me, this is what keeps me sane. When I walked away from the game of basketball, this was enough to keep my competitive juices working."
Bildnummer: 08171839 Datum: 13.07.2011 Copyright: imago/Icon SMI 13 July 2011: Basketball Hall of Fame Player Michael Jordan during the practice round of the American Century Championship at the Edgewood Country Club in Lake Tahoe, NV. GOLF: JUL 13 American Century Championship - Practice Round PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxHUNxRUSxSWExNORxONLY Icon269110713027; Golf Hobby Hobbygolf privat xmk x0x 2011 quer
Bildnummer: 08171839 Datum: 13.07.2011 Copyright: imago/Icon SMI 13 July 2011: Basketball Hall of Fame Player Michael Jordan during the practice round of the American Century Championship at the Edgewood Country Club in Lake Tahoe, NV. GOLF: JUL 13 American Century Championship - Practice Round PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxHUNxRUSxSWExNORxONLY Icon269110713027; Golf Hobby Hobbygolf privat xmk x0x 2011 quer
Having started while at the University of North Carolina, Jordan never sidelined golf. When the '92 Olympics team was preparing to take on Puerto Rico, Jordan was teeing off.
As Charles Barkley recalled, "Chuck says, 'Hey, guys. We played 18. Let's go.' Which then Michael replies, 'I'm gonna get another 18 in. Chuck looked at him, and said, 'We got another game tonight!' Michael says back: 'I'll be good!'"
And it wasn't just about relaxing. When Chuck Daly beat Jordan in golf, the Bulls star couldn't believe it. "When he beat me at golf … it was just like the Pistons beating the Bulls. That just ate at me, because I didn’t think he was capable of beating me."
Even after retiring, Jordan regularly appeared in charity events. And part of it is to teach himself patience. As he explained to Curry, “Now I go fishing in between my golf, because I’ve got to show patience in fishing, that’s going to be relative to golf.”
And Michael Jordan took his love for the sport to a new level with an exclusive course
Michael Jordan’s Grove XXIII is designed by architect Bobby Weed and is built on about 227 acres of former citrus grove land back in 2019.
Its routing follows a double-helix pattern, which allows golfers to play loops of three, six, or nine holes that return to the clubhouse.
The course's main attraction for fans is its exclusivity. It's an invite-only course, with some of the top names in golf like Rory McIlroy, getting access.
Written by
Aditi Singh
Edited by
Siddharth Shirwadkar