To many, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time.
That’s not only because of the superhuman ability he put on display to dominate the NBA in the 90s. A large part of his lore is the circumstances he was able to overcome on his way to achieving this.
One of his most famous games was the “Flu Game”. In Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals, a flu-stricken Jordan scored 38 points in a win against the Utah Jazz in one of the most legendary individual performances the sport has ever seen.
When he was at 100%, he was the best on the planet, but what was so awe-inspiring about Jordan was his ability when he wasn’t in peak condition. And in a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Jordan put on an iconic display, even after playing 36 holes of golf and drinking 10 beers the very same day.
Michael Jordan’s legendary performance after 36 holes of golf and 10 beers
Before dominating the Cavaliers, NHL star Jeremy Roenick said that Jordan challenged him to a game of golf that very morning which went on far longer than expected.
Speaking on 670 The Score, Roenick remembered the story. He said, “This was like end of the season for us, end of the season for them. I get a call from Michael, ‘Meet me at Sunset Ridge early, we’re going to go play 18 holes.’
“We didn’t have a game, we actually had a day off. So I meet him at Sunset Ridge… we played a round, beat him for a couple thousand, and I’m getting ready to leave.
“Now, the Bulls are playing that night. They play Cleveland that night. So I’m thinking he’s leaving, it’s 10:00, he’s like ‘no, let’s go play again.’
“So we fill up a bag full of ice and Coors Light, and we walk again. We roll around another 18, and I take him for another couple. We’ve been drinking all afternoon. Now he’s going from Sunset Ridge to the stadium to play a game.
“And I’m like messing around, I’m like ‘I’m going to call my bookie, all the money you just lost to me I’m putting on Cleveland tonight.’
“He goes ‘I’ll tell you what. I’ll bet you that we win by 20 points and I have more than 40.’ I’m like ‘done.’ Son of a gun goes out, scores 52 and they win by 26 or something… after [36] holes of golf and having maybe 10 Bud Lights.
“The man, to me, is the best athlete that I’ve ever seen.”
Michael Jordan’s golf handicap
As well as being an NBA legend, Jordan is also an incredibly good golfer. Jordan’s handicap is widely reported to hover around 1.3 to 1.9, placing him in the elite category of near-scratch golfers.
As a good friend of Tiger Woods, who has complimented Jordan’s golf game on many occasions, he has dedicated much of his post-NBA career to the sport.
Jordan’s obsession with golf has culminated in the opening of his own ultra-exclusive golf club, The Grove XXIII, in Florida. Often nicknamed “Slaughterhouse 23,” the course was designed specifically to suit Jordan’s style of play.
He was only seen in the galleries of Bethpage Black at the 2025 Ryder Cup, supporting his many friends on the American team. Unfortunately for Jordan, he watched the team suffer a resounding loss at the hands of Team Europe!
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