Popular musicians have long had an affinity with golf. From Bing Crosby singing “Straight down the Middle” and hosting his annual “Clambake” pro-am at Pebble Beach, to self-confessed golf addict and hard rocker Alice Cooper, musicians from multiple genres have turned to golf for relaxation and distraction.
In an industry known for its non-stop, whirlwind nature, golf can provide a much-needed tonic – a few hours peace and quiet, a chance to re-set and refresh. We spoke to Canadian singer/songwriter Matthew V about his reignited passion for golf, what the sport means to him and why it’s so important as a balance in his life.
From an early age, Vancouver-based Matthew V was always going to be a singer. He started when he was just three years old and, from the age of seven, was being trained in opera, classical, jazz and musical theatre. In his late teens he travelled to London to study at music school before returning to Canada where he embarked on a pop career inspired by the music he encountered in the UK. He enjoyed significant success with his early releases. His songs have spent protracted periods in the Canadian charts and he earned a nomination for a Juno award for Adult Contemporary Album of The Year 2022 – The Junos are Canada’s equivalent of the Grammys.
A New Direction
More recently, he’s taken the bold step of a change in musical direction and has gone back to his roots in jazz, compiling an album of jazz standard songs, songs from the great American songbook, like “Hey Big Spender,” “The Man I Love,” and “My Boy,” sung in a smooth and swinging fashion – Quite appropriate for a keen golfer.
It’s been a hectic couple of years for Matthew and it’s a key reason why the escapism of golf is so important for the young crooner.
“It has been such a wonderful escape from how busy everyday life is. It’s the one time I get to be outside doing one thing only and it’s the thing right there in front of me and I’m in full control of it,” he says. “It’s been brilliant and I’ve absolutely fallen in love with the game again, more so than in my entire life.”
A Golfing family
Matthew has returned to golf after a hiatus, but he comes from a golfing family with good golfing pedigree.
“I got into the game in my childhood years because my dad, before he had kids, was an avid member of multiple golf clubs. He was playing a number of days each week. His friends would say, ‘Norman’s never going to have a wife or kids because he loves his golf too much.’” Says Matthew.
“But dad did end up starting a family, meeting my mum and having us kids. But then his golfing passion immediately shifted to – How can the kids get involved and how can the kids help me get back out onto the course? A lot of my earliest photos are me with a putter.”
As a junior Matthew competed regularly in tournaments, played every chance he could get, developed a competitive streak within the game.
But, as his music began to take up more of his time, he started to move away from golf – His brother, also a Division 1 baseball player and excellent all-rounder, continued to play golf more regularly and to improve at a fast rate.
“Yeah, I started to find it pretty dark in his shadow golf-wise,” Matthew said. “I didn’t have the patience to fall behind like that so I took a handful of years off.”
Coming Back To Golf
But recently, he’s re-found the game and has a different perspective. He’s still competitive but can see the other physical and mental benefits that golf delivers.
“As an adult now, I have patience for this game and for this art form, for this craft,” he says. “Now, whenever I’m on tour I try to find the nearest golf course – It’s the only time (maybe on an airplane too) that I actually turn my phone off and just relax.”
It was while recording his new jazz album, that Matthew really found the golfing spark re-ignited within him.
“We were working really hard and there were a few of the guys working on it that played,” he says. “So we set targets to be able to finish and get out there and play golf. I just fell back into it so easily and that surprised me. But I think with an adult brain and focus, I could understand some of the concepts of the game – the strategy, that patience, I just maybe didn’t have that capacity in childhood.”
The Benefits Of Golf
Matthew is keen to share his golfing epiphany and believes that others in high-pressure careers should be looking towards golf as a way to switch off and just do something different other than running from meeting to meeting, taking calls and generally grafting.
“Life moves so much faster than it once did and golf is a really beautiful pause to all that,” he says. “It’s a really good way to connect with your body and to reconnect with your mind. It’s a really good way to build community. I have a lot of male buddies who may not be the most talkative in the main but when we get out onto the golf course, we have really good and important conversations that I think we might not otherwise have a chance to have.”
Looking Forwards
From a career point of view, 2023 looks like being another very busy year. With the new album of classic songs finished, it’s time to promote it and then tour it. It’s a process Matthew’s looking forward to for more than one reason.
“This music really lends itself to live performance. It has showmanship and provides a chance to banter with crowds so I’m looking forward to it,” he says. “And, of course, I’m looking forward to getting around and hopefully playing plenty of new golf courses too!”
Golf is part of Matthew’s life again and the next step is to keep improving and enjoying golfing experiences. He’d love to get to a point where he can give his dad and a brother a run for their money.
“I’d like to put up a decent fight over 18 holes with them but have to be honest with myself that I have a way to go for that,” he says.
And elsewhere, some more prominent events might be on the cards:
“There’s a voice in the back of my head that says that if my career progresses far enough then doing the celebrity tournaments would be a really fun thing to do,” he says...
Straight Down The Middle to Pebble Beach perhaps?
Matthew V's new album is out this year and he'll be touring it in summer and fall.
