Is there anything better than being first off the tee in the morning, playing 18 holes in somewhere between two and 2 ½ hours?
Well, after reading this Yahoo Sports story about Mark Wahlberg, we’re starting to think we’re slowpokes.
Like many Hollywood types, Wahlberg, 45, is an avid golfer. Moe than avid, actually. “I’m obsessed,” he said. Wahlberg has an artificial-turf practice facility in his backyard. But like many Hollywood types, Wahlberg doesn’t have a lot of free time, between making movies as an actor and a producer, keeping his physique in shape and spending time with his family.
Last summer, he was in Detroit shooting the next Transformers movie. The weather was beautiful, and Wahlberg was determined to carve out some time to play. His solution involved being able to play 18 holes in little more than an hour.
He would get up at 3:30 a.m., work out for 90 minutes, get some other things done, then head for the golf course with two buddies. They would have arranged with a local private club to be first off the tee at the crack of dawn. Each player would have a cart, but he wouldn’t ride. Caddies drove the carts while Wahlberg and his buddies ran from shot to shot.
“We’d hit a drive and then just sprint to the ball and then the [caddies] would come with the carts,” Wahlberg said. “We’d grab a club, hit again and then sprint again.
“We’d play all 18 in about an hour fifteen, maybe 1:20. Depended on the putting.”
Wahlberg, who says he’s about a 13-handicap, is looking forward to another opportunity to play in and around Detroit. “I can’t wait to get back,” he said. “Maybe without the running, though. Regular rounds, with some beers in the cart.”
