Q&A With Michael Waltrip

Michael Waltrip, 47, is a NASCAR team owner and driver who won the Daytona 500 in 2001 and '03. In a recent interview, Waltrip compares golf and racing, and explains why he is tired of defending both as sports. He defers to Mark Twain for further explanation. Or was it Hemingway? Either way, as a lifetime 20-handicap, Waltrip looks forward to when he has time to work on some of the swing tips he got from Peter Kostis.

What's your first memory of golf?
Getting some clubs in garage sale; I had 3-iron, 5-iron, 7-iron , 9-iron, a driver and a 3-wood. Me and my buddies, we would ride our bikes to the municipal course in my hometown. I'd hold the clubs across my handlebars because I didn't have a golf bag. I was probably 12-years old, and that's the first time I tried to play golf. They say some people are born with the ability to play golf. I wasn't. After many lessons and a lot of desire to play, some 35 years later, I still haven't got it down. I went to play on Saturday morning, with a buddy of mine who's a golf pro in Virginia; he shot 69 and I shot 99. And you know how I shot 99? I had to birdie 18.

What's your handicap?
I'm a 20, and I don't think it has ever been any better than that. I play once a week or so -- that's about it -- but I really enjoy it. I've never had time to be a country club guy where I go to one course and it's my club and I establish my handicap and work on it. I do believe I have the potential to get better if I play a little bit more and I look forward to doing that when I'm not racing as much.

What do you love about golf? What brings you back each week?
Well, in this case of my last round, I was definitely going to quit. And then I knocked it on in two at 18 and had about a 35-foot two-putt for birdie. So that's what's going to bring me back next time. I love being outdoors. I love when architects build a golf course that compliments the landscape rather than intrudes upon it. Being outside, looking at the beauty of the golf course, trees, pretty grass, it makes me happy to be able to experience it. At the same time, for someone as competitive as you have to be in order to win the Daytona 500 a couple of times, I just can't be convinced I won't get good at this stupid game.

To look at golf and racing for a second: Racing seems to be loud, fast and dangerous. Golf is the opposite end of the spectrum. Is that also what draws you to it?
Certainly. I really love the camaraderie you can share amongst some buddies, and the ability to laugh, enjoy the afternoon, enjoy the day. Golf brings all of that together and that's something I really enjoy.

Do you take an annual buddies trip?
For three or four years in a row we used to go down to the Orlando area in December or January and play a couple of rounds for a couple of days. There was usually eight of us. That's the extent of any organized trips we've taken. I've had the good fortune to head off and play some pretty cool places for the day. I got to play Augusta. I've been to Pebble a few times.

I read you played Augusta, Cypress and Pebble all in the same year.
Yes. I was able to walk around and suck all that up. Those are my favorite memories of golf. Pebble is so amazing, the beauty of that place.

Do you remember a low round at any of those three courses?
At Augusta I had a few DNFs [did not finish]. I didn't get a real score at my round at Augusta. That was in 2002 or so. I did shoot a 91 the last time I played at Pebble, and I was pretty happy with that. Cypress was a few more than that. At the long par 3 across the water [16th hole], my buddy is as bad as I am, and we both knocked it on. He actually hit it within six or eight feet and our caddie said that was as close as he has seen all year. We had a good hole there.

Is there a group of drivers who like to play golf on the road?
Not so much. There have been times over the years when that has happened. Dale Jarrett is a pretty good golfer. Elliott Sadler and Jamie McMurray like to play. There are occasions when you're sitting in the motor home and you just text one of them: "Hey man, let's go play golf." You do that occasionally. But nothing is organized.

Are there certain NASCAR venues where you're sure to pack the clubs?
You never know what opportunities might present themselves, so I have a set of clubs in the motor home. When the races are in California we try to swing by and play Pebble Beach. I left Daytona one day, with a buddy, and we were going to watch the drag races. Drag racing is so intense. So we're driving through the country and we came along a little municipal course in a little town in Florida and we saw a sign that said, "Muny: This Way." So we pulled in there. It was a coolest little Donald Ross design, it had been a course where they played a big tournament. Guys like Greg Norman had played it. I can't remember the name of it. But we stopped in, looked around, looked at the history of the place, and then just drove off. We didn't have time to play it. But that sort of course is priceless. I love municipal golf courses.