The NBA legend is reportedly considering building his own club in Hobe Sound, Fla. Sources said the plan is a result of Jordan’s frustration with slow pace of play at his current club.
According to several sources with ties to Michael Jordan, the basketball legend is exploring the possibility of building his own private club in Florida, an exclusive retreat with a tiny, hand-picked membership, Golf.com reported.
A PGA Tour pro who lives in Florida and is friendly with Jordan confirmed the story. Jordan’s business manager, Estee Portnoy, did not respond to a request seeking comment, Golf.com reported.
Sources say that Jordan’s course ambitions have been fueled in part by his dissatisfaction with goings-on at The Bear’s Club, the Jupiter club where MJ is a member and owns a home. Those sources say that Jordan has grown frustrated with pace of play at the club, Golf.com reported.
“Michael likes to play fast and he can’t stand it when people won’t let him through,” said a golf-industry insider who knows Jordan and who has spoken with several Bear’s Club’s members. “That happens enough out there that he’s gotten fed up.”
According to the same source, Jordan has secured the option on a plot of land in nearby Hobe Sound, just south of the Medalist Golf Club, which counts Tiger Woods and Rickie Fowler among its members. Jordan’s vision, the source said, is to hire a top designer and invite a limited number of like-minded golf buffs to join, Golf.com reported.
“He’s going to keep it small, probably fewer than a hundred,” the source said. “Fellow athletes, buddies, and other people who come highly recommended.”
Brad Faxon, a PGA Tour veteran and Fox Sports golf analyst, said that he assessed the same property at the request of a golf instructor, Mike McGettrick, who at one point was contemplating building a practice facility on the site, Golf.com reported.
“It’s got potential,” Faxon said of the property. “But it would take a lot of work. It has what looks like sandy soil but the land itself is flat and there’s none of the infrastructure you’d need for a golf course. If you did something there, it would have to be pretty special.”
A source close to Jordan said that golf-course architect Tom Doak is Jordan’s top choice to build the course. Doak did not respond to requests seeking comment, Golf.com reported.
Known for his fierce competitiveness, his fondness for smack-talk and high-stakes gambling matches, Jordan also has a reputation as a lightning-fast player with no patience for slowpokes, Golf.com reported.
“He just steps up, hits, chews your ear off with smack talk and off he goes,” said a source who has played with Jordan. “If he knows the guys he’s with, he will not even wait. He’ll drive up to the green as you’re back in the fairway hitting. And if it’s up to him, his foursome will finish in two-hours and 40 minutes.”
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