What's Next For Carson Palmer?

Carson Palmer is an old football player in the prime of his golf life. The 2002 Heisman Trophy winner, now 37, recently took a month to decide if his body could survive another NFL season at quarterback. The answer, to the relief of Arizona Cardinals fans, was yes, and so Palmer’s dream of playing golf every day will wait a little longer. “Some guys wonder if they’ll get bored with golf in retirement, but I don’t envision ever having that problem,” says Palmer, who is “always up for 36 in a heartbeat” when being a dad to two young kids allows it.

- Max Adler

 

Palmer’s back can sometimes get a little stiff during the second round, but a guy used to getting sacked multiple times a weekend says he never feels 36 holes in his legs or feet the next day.

His home courses include Arizona Country Club in Phoenix and Martis Camp, near Lake Tahoe. But he and his buddies don’t limit their play to private courses. They also get around to the best public tracks in the golf-laden Phoenix-Scottsdale area. Even more than the venue, it’s the ritual. “I love going to bed the night before thinking about the holes where I’ll hit driver or not, seeing all the guys at the course early in the morning, the never ending challenge of playing, having a beer afterward and hopefully collecting a bit of money, too. It’s all just so much fun.”