College Basketball Hall of Fame coach Tom Izzo needs little introduction to sports fans in any arena. Yet, what so few know is that he grew up playing golf with his father in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Admittedly, the high demands of a hugely-successful NCAA coaching career eats into the time available to still play golf, but Izzo remains fond of the sport and recently talked one-on-one with Michigan Golf Journal.
Question: When did you fall in love with the game of golf?
Answer: “I was 10 or 11 years old and my dad took me golfing a few times. Not that we had many courses in the U.P. and the season seemed like it lasted three months because of the weather. But my dad golfed, and I always enjoyed it and got pretty good at it at a young age. Just had good eye-hand coordination, not anything else. I liked golf. I thought it was a great, great sport.”
Q Do you still play?
A “I don’t play enough. I went from liking golf to loving it, but since I’ve been a head coach I don’t think I average more than 6-to-7 times a year, and that bothers me because I’d love to play more. When I got the job and had kids, that combination is tough for golf. But I had a chance to play in a pro-am with Tiger Woods, and I played Augusta a couple years ago, so I’ve had the chance to do some cool things with golf. Also played Spyglass. So, all that stuff is really neat. I just don’ t get to play enough.”
Q Describe your Augusta National experience:
A “Well I went 50-some years never playing it, to playing it twice within a year. I really enjoyed it. Both times I was able to stay there. Play 18, stay overnight, play 18 again. Behind the scenes is awesome. The course itself; I was amazed at how open it was, but I was also amazed at how tough the greens were. And the third thing that amazed me was how important the caddies are. I’d see one break and they’d say no, go the other way. They were right, I was wrong. It’s pretty hilly, like a northern Michigan course. But it was an amazing experience. One I will cherish my whole life.”
Q Do you see similarities between the sports of golf and basketball?
A “At least one. If you get in a zone in golf you can really do some things that’s like a shooter in basketball. Confidence plays such a key part. When you see players like Mickelson and Woods even struggle at times, depending if they’re hot or cold, it’s like seeing a great shooter struggle at times. I think the confidence factor is different in football, but golf and basketball have that kind of confidence factor.”
Q Of all the players that have come through your program today or in the past, which ones seem to have the most passion for the game of golf?
A “I’d say Steve Smith, Matt Steigenga, Gregory Kelser. He wasn’t one of my players but he’s with us so much, I consider him. They’re all pretty good golfers. Mike Peplowski is a good golfer, and Dwayne Stevens, former player and my current assistant, he loves the game of golf. Drew Neitzel is another guy that’s a pretty good golfer, and I think he golfs right handed (shot basketballs left-handed); he’s pretty ambidextrous. I think they are the guys that enjoy golf the most.”
Q What coaching tactics or motivation would you try if you could be a Ryder Cup or President’s Cup captain?
A “I went to the one Ryder Cup at Oakland Hills. It was impressive. I do like watching the strategy; I don’t understand it all though to be honest with you. But I think the hardest thing about golf is that it’s such a temperamental sport. I’d probably be the worst golf coach in the history of the game.”
Q When you travel all around the country, what do you hear people say about golf in Michigan?
A “I think a lot of people think there’s a lot of great courses in Michigan, I mean a lot of great courses. I think they love it here. A lot of people talk about our courses. And now we have the PGA Tour coming to Detroit. Things like that are so good for us. I’m a big advocate of the courses in Michigan, too. I think they are beautiful, they’re pretty. I like courses that are cut out of the woods, even though I struggle with them sometimes.”
Q Do you have a golf course bucket list?
A “That’s a great question. I’d like to try the one in Oregon, Bandon Dunes. A lot of people tell me about that. And I’d like to play the one out on Long Island, Shinnecock Hills. Those would be my two bucket list courses. And any good U.P. courses I like to play. And I like Arcadia.”
