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The 19th Hole

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Kurt Russell

The Hollywood icon has rekindled his passion for the game following a self-imposed hiatus.

By Eli MillerPublished: March, 2010

Russell was among the stars who teed it up at the 2010 Bob Hope Classic in La Quinta (PHOTO: Eddie Meeks).
Kurt Russell has been a prominent American actor for more than 40 years, establishing himself as a child star in the 1960s and then moving on to starring roles in such renowned movies as “Escape from New York,” “Big Trouble in Little China” and “Tombstone.” Besides acting, Russell is an accomplished athlete. He played minor league baseball in the California Angels farm system before a shoulder injury forced his retirement in 1973. The 58-year-old also used to be a solid golfer, once sporting a “3 or 4 handicap” before hanging up his sticks after an incident he still won’t completely reveal. Now, Russell is playing the game again, and he often tees it up with partner and fellow actor Goldie Hawn and their son, Wyatt. Russell played in this year’s Bob Hope Classic in La Quinta with Oliver Hudson, who is Hawn’s biological son.

Are you a pretty serious player?
I don’t take it seriously, but I don’t like to play poorly. When I was young, between 17 and 22 years old, I used to play well. I was like a 3 or 4 handicap.

What about now?
I’m a 12. Generally, I’m within a stroke or two of my handicap. I could have a good day and shoot 77 or 78, but most of the time I’m around 85.

Anything that gives you fits?
Putting. When it comes to putting, it’s not about golf skills. You should be able to put 3- and 4-footers in there way more often than I do.

It’s been noted that you like to play fast.
I just like to play quickly, but that’s probably why I make the mistakes that I do putting.

You were paired with your son Oliver Hudson for the event. That must have been fun.
I have a great time playing with him because I like watching him improve. He’s only been playing seriously for about two-and-a-half years and he’s down to a 2 handicap. He’s going to be a scratch golfer. And he’s going to have a lot of fun playing golf for a lot of years.

Do you play with the rest of your family often?
[My other son] Wyatt will become a good golfer. He’s a 15 right now and hasn’t had any lessons or anything. Goldie can hit it, but she doesn’t get out and practice — we’ve got to get her out there more. Wyatt plays hockey in Europe from October through March, and in the summertime, the three of us get to play maybe 15 times together.

Any family rivalry out there?
I don’t play well enough to give Oliver any competition. If I play with my handicap, then we could have a pretty good game.

If you could play golf with any one of your characters, who would it be?
I’d want to play with Rudy Russo [from 1980’s “Used Cars”]. That guy would have ways of cheating you’d never even think of.

Fifteen years ago, you came back to golf after taking a 25-year hiatus. Why did you quit?
I’m not going to say exactly why. My best buddies were there, and they said, if you can’t do better than that, you should quit. It was an awful thing that happened and a complete mistake.

Any hints as to what happened?
As you might expect, club-throwing was involved.

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