Courses

Q&A with Molly Sims

By Matt Ginella Illustrations by Andy Friedman
July 15, 2008
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MOLLY SIMS has posed in swimsuits for Sports Illustrated, was an "angel" for Victoria's Secret and starred in the TV show, "Las Vegas." We wanted to know her thoughts on golf.

Your first memory of golf?

It was definitely my dad and my brother. I grew up watching Lee Trevino, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer. I don't know what it's called now but I remember being dragged to, when I was six, I think it was called the FedEx, maybe it's called St. Jude now. We followed Lee Trevino when he won. I've grown up with golf. I know about Bobby Jones and Ben Hogan.

Are you a member of a club?

I'm not a member of a club but my father and brother are.

What do you love about golf?

It can be relaxing if you're playing with a good group of people and you're not playing too slow. I think, because I grew up with it, it was a bonding thing with my dad and my brother. They would argue over swings, follow-throughs. They take it very, very seriously. Sundays at my house ,we watched every freakin' golf tournament there was.

How good is your brother?

Todd is trying to get his card right now. He plays on mini-tours. He plays on and off the Nationwide Tour. He tries to Monday qualify.

Is he the one who gives you lessons?

Yes. He's amazing. He totally gives me lessons. 'Keep your head down. Think about being in a chair.' He taught me my grip. I always want to hit the driver and not any other club.

So you're better off the tee than on the green?

I'm much better off the tee. I'm not a great putter. I do NOT have a good short game.

Do you have a favorite course?

Probably the one I went to in New York. Wing-tip? No-Winged Foot! It's beautiful!

If Tiger and Phil are battling for the win on a Sunday, who do you root for?

I root for Phil. I LOVE Tiger, but he always wins!

So you like the underdog?

I like the underdog. But I love Tiger. Are you kidding me? He's fantastic.

I read that you also like to play tennis. If you could play tennis with Federer or golf with Tiger, which would you choose?

I'd have to say golf with Tiger or my parents would kill me!

Have you ever gambled on the golf course?

I've never gambled on the golf course, but I do like watching the Skins Game because I think that's fun.

Would you consider yourself good under pressure?

I do really well under pressure. I hate the time right before it. Like, before I take a new acting job, I stress and I stress and stress, but once I'm in it-I'm good to go.

How would you help the look of the LPGA Tour from a fashion standpoint?

I love Lorena Ochoa. My brother's obsessed with her. She's fantastic. She could beat a lot of the guys, and she's so pretty. I think golf has come a long way, especially in the last five years. I love when they wear all the bright colors and not just in white, or black and white or grey. I would add braids to their hair -- maybe make it a little more Bohemian Chic.

What do you think of women like Annika and Michelle Wie playing on the men's tour?

I think it's fantastic. It's something fun. I hope people don't take it too seriously. You know what, sometimes girls can beat guys and men need to accept that.

Do you play in Los Angeles?

If I play, I play between Ft. Lauderdale and Miami. You know who's a great golfer who I've played with? Cheryl Ladd.

Do you have a handicap?

No, not really. I could make something up, but no. I do have a best score. It was a 101. Not great, but not bad.

Some travel advice?

Napa Valley. Calistoga is amazing. If you're going to New York stay at the Lowell Hotel, it's a little hidden hotel in the upper 60s. What else? Hawaii. I'm going tomorrow to Costa Rica doing a surfing thing. A great yoga retreat is Maya Tulum, it's simple and reasonably priced. Santorini. I went to Machu Picchu in Peru for Operation Smile-that was amazing. The Hamptons is always fun. I have a house out there. It was the first piece of real estate I bought. I'm not a Hamptons girl in terms of going to every cool party, but if you get a good group of people and you grill out and go to the beach it's a lot of fun. I'm going there in a few weeks for my birthday. I just finished my third movie and I'm taking a little break.

What about packing advice?

Always pack a great white shirt because you can wear that with anything. Always take black pants. I usually pack two white t-shirts and two black t-shirts. I'm pretty basic.

Being a supermodel, do you consider yourself a high or low maintenance traveler?

I'm a low maintenance traveler. I can pack in one minute.

Who's the most stylish player on the PGA Tour?

Vijay Singh is always put together. Freddie Couples was hot. You know who I loved growing up? I wanted to have his babies -- Paul Azinger. I like 'em preppy. David Duval, what happened to him? Does he play anymore?

Barely.

Maybe, when he lost all of that weight, it messed up his balance.

How much do you fly private?

I don't fly private that much. I flew private a month ago. I don't love flying private. I know that sounds weird to say. The best is first class on United. It's amazing. I'm the girl who would take a cheap flight from London to New York's JFK. I would get in at 1 o'clock in the morning and sleep with my legs attached to my bags in the airport to leave on the 6:30 a.m. flight home to Nashville for four years. I'm 5-freakin'-9 and I went to India, Germany and Paris in two weeks-all on economy.

How do you kill time on a plane?

Are you kidding me? I love time on a plane. No one can talk to you, no one can Blackberry you. I read my book, I make notes, I write scripts, I sleep. It's fantastic.

What book are you reading right now?

I'm reading Speak Softly So You Can Hear by Pam Lewis. My favorite book is The Shadow Of The Wind by Carlos Ruiz. Have you read it?

No.

I swear to God you have to read it! You will love me, and you will thank me.

One movie for a long flight?

I'm into Alfred Hitchcock. "To Catch A Thief"; "The Birds"; "Rear Window." My favorite would be "Dr. Zhivago."

Are you a noise-reduction headphone user?

They're fantastic but just a bit too big to travel with.

Do you get hounded on a plane or do people let you travel in peace?

Most people are nice. I don't travel the way I am on a red carpet. I'm really understated and I don't travel with a big bodyguard. Most people are polite on planes. You know what was really rude? The other night, when I was traveling, there was a corporate CEO type chewing out his assistant on his cell phone with that stupid headpiece. A little tip to that guy-You're louder on that thing than you realize. When you're using the f-word, asking 'Why did you order me a limo?' It's not so good.

My pet peeve is the people who take over the middle armrest.

I agree. We can work together. I can have it for two hours and you can have it for two hours. Or, another one, don't ask someone to switch seats when you're in a middle seat. It's never going to happen. Or, you know when you're getting off the plane and they run you over trying to get ahead of you? If the row in front of you has not gone, you cannot go. I mean, where are you going? Just wait.

I'm told that you remind yourself to stay humble because you can wake up and everything can be gone.

You have to be happy with what you have. When I travel to remote places these people are happy. So much of our lives are spent wanting and wanting instead of being. We come into this world with nothing and we go out of it with nothing. I love my life. I get to wake up every morning and get to act and travel and meet people and do what I want to do. But if it all went away, I would be OK. My success didn't happen overnight. I had to work for it. I still worry, I still get nervous. It's not that I don't take it as seriously, but I look at it from a different perspective. I have never treated an assistant any different than I treated the president of a company. If you do that in front of me, or you're cheap -- those are my pet peeves.

You're a yoga buff. Could it help my golf game?

Yoga is great for golf because it's mental and stretches your body. You can get stiff from a travel aspect. Sitting on those planes, not stretching properly. If you walk a course you can also get stiff sometimes.

I read you were interested in being a lawyer. Do you win most of your arguments?

I do. But I also listen.

Any thoughts on how this election will shake out?

I'm an Obama fan. If Clinton got it, I'd vote McCain. I do like McCain, but I just want something different. We had the Clintons, and that was great, but we need change. So what if Obama's young? I like his attitude, he's a leader, I'm pro choice, I'm pro gay, I'm pro women's rights. I don't mind paying taxes -- my business manager might die when he hears me say that.

You were a Victoria's Secret model. What is the Secret?

It's her secret.

You're not in the loop? You don't know the Secret?

I'm in on the Secret. I just can't tell you what it is.

I can't believe you were never on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Maybe I could arrange for you to be on the cover of Golf Digest.

Done! I missed my boat with Sports Illustrated but it's OK.