Rory McIlroy cut his week at Bay Hill short, withdrawing from the Arnold Palmer Invitational with a balky back. But when he’s healthy and swinging freely, there are few golfers with greater access to the game’s most coveted courses.
Take Augusta National Golf Club, where McIlroy earned a lifetime invitation after winning the Masters Tournament last year. Or Seminole Golf Club, where getting a tee time isn’t much of an issue when your father happens to be a member. (McIlroy has jokingly claimed that he should be a member, too, given that he pays his dad’s dues.)
McIlroy himself belongs to a hefty handful of elite clubs, including The Bear’s Club in Florida, Queenwood Golf Club outside London, and the R&A. That’s not to mention the steady rotation of world-class venues he sees on Tour, from Pebble Beach Golf Links to Harbour Town Golf Links to Riviera.
In other words, McIlroy plays a version of golf — and lives a golfing life — that most of us can barely imagine.
But in one respect, he’s just like the rest of us. He’s got a bucket list.
McIlroy shared it recently in an interview with Kevin Van Valkenburg of The Fried Egg, rattling off a handful of courses he still hopes to see.
Among them: New South Wales Golf Club in Australia, an Alister MacKenzie design that ranks 46th on GOLF’s Top 100 Courses in the World, having vaulted 18 spots on the strength of a MacKenzie & Ebert renovation. “I haven’t been there,” McIlroy said. “That looks really cool.”
Another is Fishers Island Club, the famously private Seth Raynor design where Long Island Sound meets the Atlantic.
Despite living in the U.S. for years, McIlroy admitted that he’s left a lot of American ground uncovered. “There are so many in the States that I haven’t,” he said, singling out Chicago Golf Club and Pasatiempo Golf Club. Even back home in Ireland, there are notable gaps. “Waterville,” he said. “I haven’t played. I would love to play there.”
When his schedule allows him to play golf for fun more often, McIlroy plans to start ticking some of them off. He’s already gotten a taste of such freewheeling adventures, including a getaway a few years back to Tara Iti Golf Club in New Zealand.
But he hasn’t made it to one of the biggest names in destination golf. He’s never been to Bandon Dunes.
“I’d love to go to Bandon and do that,” McIlroy said.
Let’s hope he doesn’t rush. The place is busy enough without him jumping the line.
