Does Michael Jordan Have Any Weaknesses in Golf?

Everyone probably knows Michael Jordan as one of the best NBA (National Basketball Association) basketball players of all time. He has won multiple awards and championships to earn an iconic figure in the NBA world. But there are also many great tales of Jordan on the golf course. One of the most catchy ones that expressed his skill and attitude was when he forced Chuck Daly into a rematch on the course by knocking on his hotel room early in the morning. Jordan later won the rematch. But how did he become a lover of links?

Jordan’s golfing experience began in 1984 when he was a junior at the University of North Carolina. Nearly three decades later, Jordan spends a lot of time golfing. Jordan told Cigar Aficionado in an interview that he plays 36 holes of golf “almost every day” and carries a “bad 4” as a handicap.

While Michael Jordan was excellent on the basketball court, he was fantastic on the golf course. His golfing skills are so good that he’d often bet large amounts of money to play with other professional golf players on his private golf course, Grove XXIII. The golf course is nicknamed Slaughterhouse 23 because it’s a winning ground for Michael Jordan, who played number 23 during his basketball years with Chicago Bulls. But it’s not only Jordan’s skills that make him successful on these golfing or gambling occasions; other factors play a role too.

For example, the course is built to Jordan’s liking, making him even more formidable than his handicap suggests. The design of the course allows Jordan to maximize his style of play against his opponents. Grove XXIII unfurls in a way that will enable golfers to play in several circuits, twisting 18 holes in a double-helix. While this pattern presents the guest golfer with a new challenge, Michael Jordan will be delighted to have his shots there. The course’s layout encourages shorter, more variant outings and offers an emergency playoff hole should a few extra dollars be at stake.

Besides the Slaughterhouse 23’s design that Jordan is acquainted with, guest players also have to deal with the intimidation that comes with playing against one of the greatest athletes ever. Golf may not be Jordan’s first sport, but it seems like anyone playing against him has to bring on their best performance and winning attitude. Common for avid gamblers, Jordan has won countless bets on Grove XXIII, and he’s also had his share of profound losses. The most prominent one is when he lost $1.25 million on the course to a guest within ten days. The bets were so phenomenal that Richard Esquinas: the winner, wrote a book afterward about the experience.

Jordan’s golf game is excellent, and more importantly, his home-built golf course and extreme competitiveness give him an edge over other expert players who may be better than him. So if there’s any weakness in his golf game, it is one of a gambling attitude, not skill.