Charlie Leduff has long been one of my favorite journalists/crafters of narrative non-fiction. His stuff on his hometown of Detroit — like this piece for Mother Jones — is almost always interesting. So I had a feeling I’d enjoy this video piece in which he golfs across Detroit, particularly some of its more desolate areas. I was right.
It’s a par 3,168, 18-mile, single hole course. The 46-year-old Pulitzer Prize winning writer carries only four clubs in his bag while facing extraordinary hazards that took years to form. He strokes his way through grassy fields, abandoned houses and crumbling landmarks. The half-way houses on this course are real. On the loop, Charlie interacts with the gallery, capturing the spirit of the people of Detroit. No Mulligans here, you play it as it lies.
Enjoy.