This spring, we had the pleasure of joining Shane Bacon—golf broadcaster, podcaster, author, and dad—on his home course with his two young kids. Between helping them tee off, showing them how to putt, and riding together in the cart, it was a joyous scene to behold (even when Bacon’s son decided he was more interested in playing in the grass).
With Father’s Day coming up, we thought we’d share our conversation with Bacon about golf and fatherhood: memories of playing with his own dad, the inspiration for his children’s book, bucket list items, and more.
What are some of the earliest memories you have of being on the golf course with your dad?
I remember wanting to play left-handed golf, and my dad didn’t want me to. I eventually won that battle. I remember going out with my dad and driving around in the golf cart at our nine-hole golf course in East Texas. I remember eventually getting into playing golf as an 11 and 12-year-old. I’d been a baseball player for a long time, and the moment I got into golf, the doors opened with my dad, to the point where he built not one, but two putting greens in our backyard.
What’s your most cherished golf memory with your dad?
It was probably post-college, playing Scotland golf. He hadn’t been outside the United States since Vietnam. I was working at St. Andrews [as a caddy]. We took a trip down and played Prestwick and Turnberry and Royal Troon, and then obviously got a chance to play the Old Course. The fact that I got to bring him over and show him a world that he’d spent so many days watching on TV is something I’ll remember for a long time.
Golf seems unique among sports for its capacity to form a bridge between generations. Why do you think that is?
I think it's because you can play golf for such a long time. I mean, I've played golf with a friend of mine in South Carolina who's in his 80s. I play golf with [fellow broadcaster] Billy Kratzert, who played a lot of PGA Tour golf in his career. He's in his mid-70s. We still go out and play. He can still go out and shoot under par.
The fact that 50-year-olds can win major championships competing against guys more than half their age is why golf is so special. You can't go play pickup basketball when you're 60 years old, at least not the way you want to play. As you get older in tennis, there's kind of the unwritten rule of hitting it back to the spot you're in. But with golf, you still go out there, play different tees, have a handicap, and compete.
What approach have you taken in terms of getting your own kids interested in the game?
I think through osmosis they probably understand the importance of this game to me—we have a putting green in our backyard for goodness’ sake. I’ve got golf clubs all over the house all the time. But my approach is to try to make it fun—never try to make it more than an experience like going to the beach or playing basketball, any of that stuff.
What are some challenges dads face in general when they attempt to get their kids to love something they love?
We as adults want them to like it so much. We care a lot more than they care. I think the challenge is [when you say], “You have to love this thing because I love it.”
Being a dad is hoping your kids love what you love. But one of the most important rules of being a parent is being okay with what they love.
What was the impetus for writing your children’s book, The Golfer’s Zoo?
It was my son. We had Henry in 2019, and there weren’t a lot of golf books out there for kids. I was surprised. My buddy Joel had always talked about taking his kids to the golf course and looking at animals, trying to find them under rocks or seeing turtles on the side of the lake. And it kind of opened my mind up to this idea of the golf course as a zoo. Every golf course in the world has animals that live on it. Every golf course has some wildlife that calls it home. And so every golf course is its own zoo.
[Editor’s note: While supplies last, buy any polo and get a free copy of The Golfer’s Zoo.]
Many players have suggested that being a parent improves your golf game. What is it about being a dad, especially a new dad, that often results in strong play?
As you get older, understanding that the thing you cared about a lot doesn’t matter as much as you thought it did is a big part of finding success in anything as a parent.
Raising a kid is tough. It takes a lot of energy out of you. It is demanding. It is rewarding. All of those things. You can make a putt to win a golf tournament, and then you can see your kids cracking up laughing for 30 minutes, and the joy you get out of the latter trumps the former, even if you get millions of dollars from the former.
What are some bucket list items for you as a golf dad?
Taking my son to Scotland, taking my son to Bandon Dunes, The Masters…going to the nine-hole course I grew up on in Marshall. Showing my son that there’s great public golf, just like there’s great private golf. Taking my daughter out [to the tournaments I work] and introducing her to professionals on the LPGA tour, and seeing that connection begin, is important for me.
As a parent, when you have young kids, you’re scratching the surface. We only get 18 years with them in our homes that are guaranteed. And then beyond that, it’s a bonus if they want to come back, you know? And so seeing them fall in love with the game on their own timeline is important. That’s a bucket list item in and of itself.
Something I think about a lot is when I get to that point where I can see the joy on their faces from a well-struck five iron. And man, what a moment to be out there having your kids try to beat you on the golf course. That’s something I look forward to. I hope it happens.