“Let’s go golfing!”: 72 hours in Miami with DJ Khaled

DJ KHALED PURSES HIS LIPS and furrows his eyebrows as sweat drips from his forehead. He grips his driver, switching his weight from one leg to the other. He’s been golfing with pro Michael Block for two hours on a July afternoon under an extreme heat wave in Miami, and he’s just duffed a couple of shots on the eighth hole.

“Relax,” he says to himself, taking a deep breath. “Don’t rush.”

Just for a second, Khaled’s unbridled optimism pauses. I’ve heard from dozens of people in his entourage that he rarely showcases negative emotions; the Grammy-winning producer has built a social media empire on his over-the-top positivity. But on this course, in this moment, he’s getting real, grounding himself; if any sport can test a person’s will to succeed, it’s golf.

Finally, after one more deep breath, he takes a swing, his broad shoulders arching to the right. The club makes contact with the ball, a clean sound. He looks intently into the sky.

“Right down the middle!” he yells, as he fist pumps the air. “Ball — Let’s go!”

He smiles, and just like that, his optimism returns.

In all my years as a sports fan, I’ve never felt welcome on a golf course. I didn’t vibe with the crowd, which I perceived to be mostly old white people with pricey golf attire; it was expensive to play — and exclusive. And so when I heard that the Palestinian American hip-hop star was investing all this time and energy in golf in an effort to open its gates, to make it feel more welcoming, I was immediately intrigued. I was also deeply skeptical — there was no way anyone could make me feel any differently about golf, not even the king of optimism.

But I was at least willing to give him a shot. I spent three days following Khaled on the golf course, inside his home, at events, and at his celebrity golf tournament, to better understand his obsession with the sport, and try to gauge just how far his optimism can take him.

Khaled, 47, is convinced he’ll help break down barriers in golf to make the sport more…