He’s basketball’s GOAT and now he wants to beat the biggest names in golf. The best way to do that? Create an advantage by designing your own course.
Michael Jordan opened The Grove XXIII in Home Sound, Florida in 2019 as one of the most exclusive golf courses in the country. It cost $15 to $20 milion to build and has fewer than 100 invitation-only members.
The six-time NBA champion hired renowned designer Bobby Weed to build the course, intentionally creating obstacles for professional golfers to give Jordan the leg up.
Jordan, a short hitter, and Weed designed the course so long drives — which most professionals hit — are more likely to wind up in the rough and short drives are primed for the fairway. The tees and pins are also set up differently each day, changing course routes.
The 58-year-old started playing golf when he was still still in college wearing Carolina blue. Now he casually competes with pros like Rickie Fowler, who he made give him 10 shots in a recent head-to-head at Jordan’s course.
“If I don’t play absolutely nice that day, I have no chance,” Fowler told Golf.com. “The nickname for it is ‘Slaughterhouse XXIII.’”
