Page 44 - Las Vegas Golf & Leisure Fall 2020

PROFILE

GOLF, BY

NATURE

NFL AND RAIDERS LEGEND MARCUS ALLEN HITS
THE LINKS FOR STILLNESS AND CAMARADERIE

Story by Brian Hurlburt, Las Vegas Golf Insider
Photos provided by Jeff Bayer Photography

caught up with National Football League legend Marcus Allen a couple
weeks after the American Century Championship event played annually
at Edgewood in Lake Tahoe. He’s a regular at the prestigious event and a
favorite of all involved for his easy-going nature and positive attitude. In
I 20, Allen finished 40th, tied with former Detroit Pistons star Chauncey
2
0
Billups and just behind fledgling NFL superstar Patrick Mahomes. But it’s not
about the outcomes for Allen when it comes to the game he loves—golf.

“For me, golf and getting out in nature is about the closest thing to God because
God is nature, right?” says Allen, a 2003 pro football hall of fame inductee after
a 16-year career spent with the Los Angeles (now Las Vegas) Raiders and Kansas
City Chiefs. “I love being outdoors and it has been the greatest blessing to play
amazing courses like St. Andrews, Pine Valley, Augusta, Shinnecock, and many
others. It is as good as it gets because I love being outdoors. I love nature. I love
the tranquility and peace that golf brings. It's peaceful and a chance to be still,
and a chance to breathe in the clean air. Plus, to see the beauty of a perfectly-de-
signed golf course, enjoy it and compete against it.”

Allen, about an eight handicap, recently moved to Alpharetta, Georgia, and is
now near some terrific courses in the region. Besides the beauty and serenity of
a round, he says the course also allows former athletes to stay connected.

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