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“That Gets My Competitive Juices Flowing”: Michael Jordan Once Unveiled His Second Obsession That Later Cost Him $20 Million

Published 11/22/2022, 4:50 PM EST

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6x NBA champion and Hall of Famer Michael Jordan is most known for his exploits on the hardwood with the Chicago Bulls in the 90s. Many fans consider Jordan to be the greatest player of all time. However, MJ’s undying obsession with the game fueled him through the challenging years of his career. His work ethic and love for the sport are well-documented.

But ‘His Airness’ also shares a similar devotion to the sport of Golf. The origins of his obsession with the game can be traced back to 1984 when the Chicago Bulls drafted him. On a fateful day at UNC, after playing his last college game, Jordan tagged along with a friend to the golf court; and as they say, the rest is history. Over three decades later, the Hall of Famer is still hooked to the game. Moreover, according to his admission from years ago, the game has a mysterious effect on his uber-competitive personality.

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Michael Jordan and Golf, a match made in heaven

In an interview from 1989, while playing at an amateur golf tournament in Memphis, Michael Jordan shed light on his then-young journey in golf. At the time of the interview, Jordan was still relatively new to golf, when he first played alongside legendary golfer David Love III. After getting hooked to the sport, Jordan embarked on an arduous journey to get better at golf. The gifts that helped him dominate in the NBA failed him on the golf course.

When Did Michael Jordan Start Playing Golf and Who Introduced Him to the Sport?

Alhough he struggled to adapt initially, His Airness’ passion fueled him forward. Incidentally, the inherent nature of the game is one of the biggest appeals for Jordan. He admitted in the interview, “What I like about golf is you play the course, not the other guy. The course will shoot par every day. That gets my competitive juices flowing.” The challenging battle against the course, according to his words, had a profound effect on his uber-competitive personality. 

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Jordan’s own golf course

Over the years, Jordan’s love for the sport has evolved tremendously. However, after an ugly incident that got him banned from an established golf club, the billionaire set out to build his course, which cost him a fortune.

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MJ chose Florida as the home for his top-of-the-line private golf course. ‘Grove XXIII’ or ‘Slaughterhouse 23’ as it’s famously called, is the perfect course designed to give the competitive Hall of Famer every edge possible. According to estimates, Jordan spent about $15 – 20 Million for setting up the course.

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It opened in 2019 and has an exclusive list of members, with Ray Allen being one of the biggest names from the NBA. Moreover, former POTUS Barack Obama has also paid a visit to the course.

 

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Written by:

K Shrijith

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K Shrijith is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports. Currently pursuing his BBA degree, Shrijith has a keen interest in the world of finance. In fact, he has past experience in equity research and writing research reports on the subject of finance.
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Edited by:

Satagni Sikder