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Grinders
Old-school work ethic. Anti-technology. Highly paid athletes. Passionate golfers. These are skateboarders? If Chi Chi Rodriguez's first round of golf was an act of trespassing, Tim Gavin's was that and more. Gavin's first round was an act of transgression, fueled by booze, marred by misdemeanors, notable only for its disregard for the Rules of Golf and basic human decency. But that was years ago, before Gavin gained respect for the royal and ancient game -- before he understood that golf carts were not made for driving through bunkers, and that the cups that hold flagsticks were not designed to double as ashtrays or, worse, port-o-potties.So much has changed. Gavin is 30 now, less crass and quite contrite. He regrets his youthful rambles, asks forgiveness, swears he has reformed. And it's hard to doubt him as he strides through the pro shop at Oak Creek Golf Club in Irvine, California, a model of comportment in a collared shirt and slacks that cover many if not most of his tattoos. "Titleists? Cool," he says, inspecting the merchandise at the counter. "I usually use range balls on the dog tracks I play."
Today is special. It's a weekend morning on a well-groomed course, and Gavin has arranged a round with three of his comrades and colleagues, young men like himself who have obeyed the dress code but still stand out like a tour pro in a tank top. He meets them by the putting green: Lee Dupont, 28, a strapping lug who once punched out another golfer but now eschews on-course violence; Adrian Lopez, a quiet 24-year-old who looks like he just emerged from a mosh pit; and Eric Koston, 29, wearing a Burberry golf shirt and a gold Rolex, and regarded by some as the greatest practitioner of their first sport, professional skateboarding. "Check this out," says Gavin. He pulls out his putter, a Titleist Scotty Cameron Coronado, a present from a friend, sort of. "We were on the 16th hole and this buddy of mine was so hammered, he starts giving clubs away," Gavin says. "Next time I see him he goes, 'Dude, where'd you get that Cameron?' I should play with him more often."
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