Most golf fans know of Jim Nantz. Some fans might even know about the longtime CBS broadcaster’s epic backyard setup at his Pebble Beach home, which includes a replica of the famed par-3 7th hole at Pebble Beach Golf Links.
That backyard hole took eight months to build and was completed in 2015. Several stories have been written about it since and some of the game’s biggest stars have played it.
But guess what? Nantz is at it again.
Golfweek reported earlier this month that Nantz was in the process of creating his latest backyard golf hole — a miniature replica of the green of the par-5 13th hole at Augusta National Golf Club — although this one was being installed at his Nashville, Tenn., home. (It’s good to be Nantz.)
We asked Jim Nantz about golf TV’s critics. He gave us an epic response.
Nantz recently joined his former CBS pals Peter Kostis and Gary McCord on their “Kostis & McCord: Off Their Rockers” podcast, a GOLF Production, to discuss his career, favorite stories and, of course, his newest backyard creation, which Nantz is quick to say is still in development.
This one, however, has some bells and whistles.
There are a few backyard tee areas already installed, but Nantz also wanted an elevated tee, from a deck off the upstairs guest bedroom. But that didn’t work due to permits and such — “it was an engineering nightmare,” he said — so Nantz did what any savvy golf broadcaster would do: He turned his screened-in patio into a tee box.
“I decided I was going to live more in a Topgolf situation,” Nantz said. “Strike all the furniture, and let’s take some of the columns that are out holding the screen — and make sure they are not structural — and get one of these remote control screens that come up, and voilà, you can open it up and you have a shot into that green.”
Nantz said they cut into the bluestone flooring and added turf for the tee box.
“So you got a very cool experience where you can hit a little pitch shot, and you get that great ball in the air, kind of soaring through the sky feel, all while you are being serenaded by the Augusta melody,” Nantz said before adding, tongue-in-cheek, “Listen, I like subtlety, guys. I like understated.”
But wait, there’s more!
“You know the rage now in golf are these comfort stations, where every fourth or fifth hole you can go in and just grab and go, no one is charging you,” Nantz said. “I’ve got a whole army of people right now installing my margarita machine and my ice cream maker.”
You can watch the entire interview with Nantz below.
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