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My Favorite Course: Alice Cooper

Alice Cooper built a decades-long music career upon a foundation of horror movie theatrics and over-the-top stagecraft, shaping the genre of Heavy Metal along the way. The legendary shock-rocker is also a founding member of the Hollywood Vampires, a social club of hard-partying rockstars uncorked in the 1970s. Members and guest drinkers at one time or another included John Lennon, Keith Moon, Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison, among others.

The original club, and many of its personalities are long gone, but a vampire never really dies. Cooper and good friend Johnny Depp revived the spirit a few years ago. Hanging out (without the drinking) morphed into recording; Joe Perry, Dave Grohl, Paul McCartney, Slash and other new vampires joined the fold. And on September 11 the Hollywood Vampires released their self-titled debut, paying homage to those rockers whose excesses got the best of them.

Buy the Hollywood Vampires album.

Cooper credits golf for helping him maintain sobriety, for giving him a healthier addiction. And when he's not haunting studios and stages, the legendary rocker is playing a few holes. CBS Local Sports recently caught up with Alice Cooper to talk a little golf.

CBS Local Sports: What's your favorite golf course and why?

My home course in Phoenix is the Biltmore, but I think my favorite golf course ever is Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio. It's just a spectacular golf course that is great for us to play. Every time we see it on the schedule it's something we can look forward to.

CBS Local Sports: What golf course do you most want to play that you haven't yet and why?

Believe it or not I've never played Fishers Island, which is this classic golf course from the 1960s on Fishers Island, New York. It has a lot of great history, BUT it has spectacular views of the ocean from every hole. Who doesn't love that!

Check out the Radio.com interview with Hollywood Vampires Alice Cooper and Joe Perry.

Hollywood Vampires Alice Cooper, Johnny Depp and Joe Perry performing Alice Cooper, Johnny Depp, Joe Perry (l-r) (Photo Credit: Todd Nakamine)

CBS Local Sports: What is your go-to club on the golf course and why?

The most important club in my bag is the putter. You can hit the ball straight onto the fairways all day long but if your short game is weak, you're going to have a terrible time.

CBS Local Sports: What first got you interested in golf?

Well when I first got sober, I needed to fill up all that time with something. I had played golf a little when I was drinking, but when I stopped drinking I really got serious about it. I hit a few good shots and was instantly addicted. I was up early taking lessons and playing 36 holes in a day. I'd leave the house at 5AM and come back at 5PM. It was like going to work. And it kept me straight, and it kept me busy.

Check out other entries from My Favorite Course.

CBS Local Sports: What is your most memorable moment on the golf course.

One time recently I took my assistant, Kyler, to play golf during some downtime in Phoenix. He is not a serious player and doesn't play very often, so he is not very good. But we went out anyway. Kyler hits his ball to the edge of the fairway. Another guy hits his ball onto our fairway from God knows where, and it lands right next to my assistant's ball. When we arrive to take his shot, this other guy pulls up in his cart and parks at like 3 o'clock from Kyler's shot, not eight feet away. Kyler says to the guy, 'Hey you should probably not park there because I'm not a great player, and if anyone can slice a ball basically sideways, it's me'. The other guy says don't worry, go ahead and take your shot. So Kyler lines up his shot, and he takes his swing and literally beelines for this guys head. He literally hit the ball sideways, and it hit the golf cart at top speed and at head level. If he would have hit this guy, it would have killed him instantly. So now I like to say that the most dangerous thing I carry on the golf course is my assistant!

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