Although NBA legend and unrivalled cultural icon, Michael Jordan, hasn’t exactly been keeping a low profile since 2020 — due to everything from ESPN’s The Last Dance to his countless business ventures which have elevated him to billionaire status — the GOAT has once again captivated our attention thanks to his hyper-exclusive and hyper-luxurious private golf club: Grove XXIII.
Named in reference to both Jordan’s famed jersey number and the former Hobe Sound orange grove on which it is located — conveniently around the corner from MJ’s own South Florida pad — Grove XIII offers a whole range of delights for golfing casuals, enthusiasts, and pros alike. But as previously mentioned, not just anybody can waltz in for tee time.
Back in May 2020, Masters + PGA + Open champion Phil Mickelson revealed that even someone of his profile was forced to join the waitlist like an everyday schmo in anticipation of a much-coveted membership spot. The total club member head count? Based on the last reports, less than 100.
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“Fortunately, I know a number of members there,” Phil Mickelson told The Dan Patrick Show.
“My wife and I just bought a lot fairly close to there, it’s only about 10-15 minutes away, so it will be a great place to play and practice.”
Taking inspiration from Shinnecock Hills, the state-of-the-art 18-hole golf course itself has been designed by internationally celebrated specialist architect Bobby Weed — an extremely talented bloke renowned for conceiving some of America’s very finest courses. It features a double-helix route which effectively means the course can be played in four nine + nine combinations or shorter three-to-six-hole loops.
“The course was unbelievable,” former NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin told USA Today after playing as a guest with fellow ex-NASCAR talents Michael Waltrip and Rickie Fowler.
“There’s only 75 members. Hopefully to be 76 here in the next few weeks, so it was really an honour to be invited and be a member at such an exclusive place.”
“It’s really new, just a few months old. It’s going to be fun to do for the next twenty to thirty years, as long as I’m able to play.”
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Over to the exceedingly contemporary clubhouse — courtesy of Nichols Brosch Wurst Wolfe & Associates (NBWW) — this 15,000-square foot structure consists of both men’s and women’s locker rooms, an indoor and outdoor lounge area, kitchen and dining spots, as well as a pro shop. Golf car storage and back-of-house space can also be found below ground.
“We wanted the precision and flow of the golf swing as well as Michael’s athleticism and corporate finesse to inspire the contemporary form and detailing of the Clubhouse architecture,” explained Don Wolfe, Principal at NBWW.
“The ground floor, with its contiguous slab that cantilevers towards the golf course, seems to hover over the green and creates an impression that mimics the endless hang time that Michael Jordan owned.”
Additional amenities include the following:
- 1 x gatehouse,
- 1 x practice range,
- 1 x learning facility,
- and as you may have already encountered online, there are even drones dedicated to delivering beers & snacks to golfers on the course.
Safe to say, this place is a slam dunk, hole-in-one, and whatever other sports metaphor of your choosing combined.
Check out Grove XXIII, the famed Michael Jordan golf club, in all its second-hand glory below.
