Michael Jordan’s golf game is legendary, and it’s well-worn territory. He is a very good golfer, but an even better golf gambler. He does not like to lose money, particularly on the golf course, and when he does, he’s always willing to press for it back.
But this is not a story about Jordan’s golf prowess, nor about his golf gambling prowess. As it turns out, when it comes to His Airness’ golf game, there are two people to worry about: Michael Jordan the golfer and Michael Jordan the golf etiquetteist.
Both are equally intimidating, and neither is very much fun to lose money to, says Jason Kidd, who joined GOLF’s Subpar podcast with hosts Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz.
“I have played a lot of golf with MJ early in my career,” Kidd said. “I haven’t been to the new place down in Jupiter, I’ve only heard good things. So I’m going to put that on my list of golf courses.”
Of Course, Kidd is referring to The Grove XXIII, Jordan’s uber-luxurious, brand-new golf course in Hobe Sound, Fla. — near his home in Jupiter. The Grove has earned a fast reputation among golf fans for its no-holds-barred approach to pampering, which includes drone-delivered on-course refreshments.
Why Michael Jordan’s Grove XXIII practice facility is one of the coolest spots in golf
Still, Kidd says, if you’d like to swing an invite out to The Grove, there’s one thing you’ll have to earn a reputation for doing: playing fast.
“If you don’t know how to play fast, then you are not allowed to come back,” he said. “With him, if you don’t play fast, he will leave you.”
For Kidd and for the hundreds (perhaps thousands) of others who have competed against MJ on the links, the biggest key is to bring your competitive spirit with you. It won’t be enough to be happy just to have gotten in the door.
“He’s a competitor,” Kidd said. “That’s the other thing, you get to see guys as a competitor in golf, and you’ve gotta compete because you’re with the best, and when you compete with him, you’ve gotta bring your A-game.”
To hear the rest of the interview with the newly-minted Dallas Mavericks head coach, including his ranking of best NBA golfers, check out the video below.