Professional robots. It’s an unpopular term, often ingrained in the world’s best players and rooted in a widespread perception of elite players as interchangeable parts. Everyone hit it by miles. They all have deft hands around the greens. And if you ask what’s on their mind, you’re likely to get a well-rehearsed answer delivered in the same measured cadence. Different faces, same swings and swinging thoughts.
This similarity extends, in the popular imagination, to the way tour pros view golf courses. Justice. Predictability. Consistency. Put in a bag and they’ll nail it anywhere – from a track to a Tillinghast – as long as the space is added, the ball turns straight and the checks don’t bounce at all.
Michael Campbell doesn’t fit that mold.
Better known as the New Zealander who stared down Tiger Woods at Pinehurst and won 2005 US OpenCampbell is no longer playing on Tour, but he remains connected to the game through the golf academy he runs in Spain – and through a way of thinking about golf that is refreshingly relatable.
Campbell was a guest on a recent episode of Destination golf podcast, recorded locally at Punta Mita Invitation in Mexico. The event is a three-day pro-am unlike any other, with rotating teams, relaxed competition and the kind of late-night dinners and chats that rarely happen in pay-per-view, where you shake hands with your pro on the first set and say goodbye on the 18th green.
In his conversation with Destination Golf co-host Simon Holt, Campbell dived into the course design, using New Zealand’s Te Arai as a lens. Although Campbell likes both courses, North and South, he really lights up when discussing the North, a Tom Doak design that Campbell praises for its wild greens, whimsical contours and endless strategic demands.
“It’s tough and I really enjoyed it. You have to control your ball because the greens are undulating,” Campbell said. “I also played on a windy day and it was difficult.”
The episode ranges further, touching on Campbell’s memories of fighting Tiger, his experiences with discrimination in a predominantly white sport, and his ambitions to move into golf design. You can hear them all here.
