Golf legend Greg Norman has a drive to help charities

The golfer has worldwide interests in philanthropy, but this year, achieving his plans got a lot harder.

Greg Norman has worldwide interests in philanthropy, but this year, achieving his plans got a lot harder. Picture: Supplied/Ch7

Greg Norman lives with passion. The world first witnessed that on the golf course where the Australian proved himself the greatest player of his generation. A member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, Norman won 91 tournaments around the world and reigned as the No. 1 ranked player for 331 weeks.

While still an active player, he founded the Greg Norman Company in 1987 to bring his success on the links to the business world. Now 65, Norman oversees a commercial empire covering a range of consumer goods, real estate, golf course design, and other investments.

The same drive that powered Norman from golf to successful entrepreneurship directs his philanthropic choices. He involves himself with charities that touch his life intimately, and he doesn’t hold back about his views on those efforts — and how global events affect them.

You’re approached by many charities. How do you choose your causes?

It has to become personal. I feel I have to have a vested interest in some way. For example, with CureSearch for children’s cancer, many years ago I visited a hospital and witnessed a friend of mine operate on a child that would have fit in the palm of my hand.

Back then, some 20 years ago, the child cancer mortality rate was more than 70 per cent, and that was devastating to hear. Because I had that sense of connection with children, it caught me in the heart. We’re north of $US14m raised now for CureSearch.

You’re involved with military charities. Do you have a soft spot for veterans?

Whether it’s in Australia or the US, I’ve had the good fortune — through the people I’ve known from presidents and prime ministers of the respective countries — to engage with the military. I got involved with the American Australian Association and the Mateship Charity Golf Tournament. We raise money for scholarships to enable children and adults to travel to study.

Among all these efforts, is there one that touches you the most personally?

This year it had to be the Australian Bushfire Relief efforts after seeing what happened down there and how devastating it all was to my homeland and many of my friends there. We managed to raise about $US2.3m.

Is there a cause you care about that you think most people don’t realise interests you?

The environment. Wherever we do a golf course or a real estate development, we work with environmentalists to make sure our properties work to the advantage of the venue. Everything from the right grass to the right water to the right sprinklers — it’s all steps we take that no one gets to see because they just walk the golf course and enjoy seeing a tee and a flag.

What kind of effect did COVID-19 have on your work and charity efforts?

The virus affected every aspect of what we do. We have golf course developments all around the world, but I can’t get to them because I’d be quarantined for 14 days coming in there for a week, and quarantined again for 14 days coming back. Every stop would be a five-week commitment. And, many golf courses were closed down during COVID-19.

You’re based in Florida. With all of the COVID-19 travel restrictions, is there a part of the world you’re missing?

I need to get back to Australia. My father is 93 and was not in good health. I can’t even get to him because of COVID. I tried for months on end to get in there and couldn’t, even though I’m an Australian citizen. He’s recovered somewhat now, and I’m grateful for that — but we had to deal with the worst-case scenario because I just couldn’t be there.

This is the longest time in my life that I’ve been in one place since I was maybe 16. As with many people, it’s been a huge adjustment, and I look forward to getting out there again.

This is an edited version of an article which first appeared in Barron’s