Back in the spring of 1984, Jordan began playing golf after North Carolina’s season ended. He went to Finley Golf Club with Buzz Peterson and Davis Love III and played his first round there.

Being a fast player with a quick swing tempo, Jordan was reportedly frustrated with the slow pace of play at his previous club, The Bear's Club in Jupiter, Florida.

“He just steps up, hits, chews your ear off with smack talk, and off he goes,” said a source who has played with Jordan. “If he knows the guys he’s with, he will not even wait. He’ll drive up to the green as you’re back in the fairway, hitting. And if it’s up to him, his foursome will finish in two hours and 40 minutes.”

That mindset also influenced the course he went on to build—Grove XXIII.

How Grove XXIII turned into reality

The Grove XXIII was built by Bobby Weed Golf Design. It is located in Hobe Sound, Florida, on land that previously served as a citrus grove next to Atlantic Ridge State Park. 

Grove XXIII began when Michael Jordan said, “Build me the best golf course. Build me the best driving range.”

The land was secured as 200-plus acres of a former citrus grove next to Atlantic Ridge State Park. Weed lived on site.

Weed identified two pillars: owner involvement and property. The site was bordered by two drainage canals. Dirt was excavated from lagoons to build the course and features, and six lakes remained, the same number as Jordan’s six NBA championships.

Jordan requested firm and fast play for members and PGA Tour players. The routing used a double-helix with a crossover at the 5th and 14th holes and supported three-, six-, and nine-hole loops.

“You don’t think I’m going to spend this much money and not have a little bit of an advantage, do you?” Jordan said, as recalled by Weed.

Members began referring to the course as “Slaughterhouse 23,” connected to Jordan’s interest in wagers and on-course betting. Two 400-yard double-sided driving lanes were built with target greens in 25-yard increments.

Each green included pods that track shot information using ShotLink data. The putting green was divided into four quadrants with slopes from 0–1% to 3–4%. Teeing areas used different grasses for different playing conditions.

“It’s a Tour player’s haven to work on their game,” Weed said.

The Clubhouse

The clubhouse includes 15,000 square feet of space with men’s lockers, women’s lockers, indoor lounge areas, outdoor lounge areas, a kitchen, dining facilities, and a shop. A below-ground level is used for service operations and golf cart storage.

“You’re not going to confuse this clubhouse with a clubhouse down the road or anything like that, and that’s what we’re selling you,” Igor Reyes told CNN 

Columns were placed further inside the structure under an overhanging roof. An elephant print from Jordan’s shoes is built into the fritted-glass roof, and the print appears on the floor when light passes through. Air Jordan logos are added to ice cubes.

Grove XXIII exclusive members

Grove XXIII does not have an application process. Membership is granted only through a personal invitation from Michael Jordan. The membership consists mainly of high-profile individuals, including professional athletes, celebrities, and business figures who share Jordan’s interest in golf.

“There are only 75 members. Hopefully to be 76 here in the next few weeks, so it was really an honor to be invited and be a member at such an exclusive place. It’s really new, just a few months old. It’s going to be fun to do for the next 20 to 30 years, as long as I’m able to play,” said Denny Hamlin in 2020.

Some known members and frequent guests include former U.S. President Barack Obama; golfers Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas, Rickie Fowler, and Keegan Bradley; former hockey player Wayne Gretzky; NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin; former NBA players Ray Allen and Bobby Sura; former NFL player Brian Urlacher; and actor Mark Wahlberg.

Written by

Aditi Singh

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar