“EVERY GREAT GOLF STORY STARTS FAR FROM THE FAIRWAY.”
We’re kicking off a new series, PEOPLE OF URBAN GOLF, where we shine a light on the faces, voices, and stories that make our community of street golfers in Portland, OR what it is! These are the players who see the city as their course and life as their round…
First up is Flip McGuire, an urban golf legend whose swing is as smooth as the melodies he makes living the life of a musician. On any given day, you might catch him shaping shots down a back alley or rocking the crowd at a live show! Either way, it’s all art and he's a huge part of the beauty of our community!
THIS ISN’T JUST ABOUT GOLF.
IT’S ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO PLAY IT THEIR WAY.
Tell us a little about yourself...
Hey, I’m Flip McGuire. I play in a bunch of bands, my main one being Blue Flags and Black Grass, where I play banjo and sing.I also play saxophone for Johnny Franco and his real brother Dom. Check those guys out! On top of that, I’m a member of the stagehand union YATSE, Local 28 here in Portland, Oregon. That’s what I do!
How long have you been playing golf?
I started playing golf when I was a little kid. I grew up near a municipal park with tennis courts and basketball courts and all that. My dad knew the groundskeeper, and he cut us out a little fairway. Me and my brother would go around swinging clubs all summer long, just kind of messing around! About once a year for my birthday, my dad would take me out to play “real” golf. Later, in college, I started golfing more whenever I had a friend who worked at a course and could get me in for free. I just kind of weaseled my way into the sport that way.
How and when did you find out about Urban Golf?
I first heard about urban golf around 2007, when I moved to Portland. Back then, there was someone going around playing with tennis balls. I heard about it but never joined and never crossed paths with it. Then COVID hit, and there wasn’t much to do. My bandmate and longtime friend Aaron is a big golfer. One of his high school friends found out about the Muni Kids doing this thing in Portland, and we finally figured out when it was happening. We showed up one day, and I’ve been coming back every Thursday ever since!
What's your favorite part of the meetups?
My favorite part about coming here every Thursday is the friends and family we meet, and just hanging out in the beautiful, industrial southeast part of Portland... Anything goes down here! I love coming out to play golf once a week. My life is music, but this is the one thing I do that has nothing to do with music. It’s a chance to take my mind off everything else and just kick it with the homies.
Any favorite memories?
If I had to pick a favorite memory, I’d say it’s whenever you sink a sick shot. You can have one great shot in a round, and it’ll make your whole day. The coolest part about urban golf is the travel. I’m the team captain of the USA Urban Golf Team, and last summer, we got to go to Central and Eastern Europe to play in the World Cup Championship. That was incredible, meeting tons of people across Europe who do this all the time, getting to connect, and then traveling more to keep it going. Just a month ago, I went to Detroit to see how they do it there. I showed them what it’s like to run an event like this every week. For me, it’s about trying to grow the sport, that’s what I love.
What's it mean to be a Muni Kid to you?
To be a Muni Kid, all you need to do is be yourself, bring a good attitude, and kick it. Everyone’s welcome.
THE END.
Big shoutout to Flip for being our first interview on the series!
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