Not since the Viking hordes has a Swede endured so much travel. Ranked number three in the world, Henrik Stenson wields a different weapon of choice. The golfer and his arsenal of clubs have circumnavigated the globe several times over in the pursuit of riches and glory — both of which he consistently manages to plunder.
The humble Swede defines himself as a family man first and pro golfer second, but combines both vocations as much as he possibly can while on the road — roughly 30 weeks every year.
Handed his first putter at the age of 12, Stenson was down to scratch by 18. Not even two decades later, the 37-year-old Orlando resident holds four PGA Tour victories and a stunning eight European Tour wins. Here, he divulges his experiences, hopes and even a few hotel pet hates.
When you travel, how much time do you get to explore?
A lot of the time I'm in airports, hotels and on golf courses, but there's the odd week that I do get to see a little bit. I've been to Beijing two or three times, and I try to go to the Forbidden City, see The Great Wall and fit things in while I get the chance. At best I'll have half a day or an afternoon, but it just depends.
Over the years, I've probably learned a few airline timetables. It's fun when you're sitting around talking and you can tell someone their Emirates flight leaves at 3.30 and that they'll have a good connection, and shouldn't have to worry about jet lag. So, you get surprised when a timetable gets changed after a year or so.
You've mentioned two iconic tourist destinations – are there any others that have stood out to you?
It's been a long time since I've been to Australia, but if you're in Sydney, you have to see the Opera House and spend a couple of hours in the harbour. In Paris I'll go by the Eiffel Tower and take a quick walk through a museum, but there's not many trips I've taken specifically to see stuff.
I guess there are things I put on my list for later. I have a slightly crazy idea to do an around-the-world trip when I finish playing golf. At the end of my career I'd like to do that with my family and maybe involve some charity work, and do a full lap around the world with all the great sights.
I'd like catch up with all the people around the world that I've met over the years and combine it with a great world tour and try to do some good at the same time. We'll see if I can ever get that project to become real. I've travelled the world so many times, but missed out on so much of it, so it would be great to get it all in.
Where would you definitely include on your world tour?
I would start either in the US or Sweden and go east. I'd look at Moscow, the Pyramids, and one of our absolute favourite locations, the Maldives. Istanbul and Rome also have a very rich history and cultural stuff to balance out the rest. I'd continue east, as I've never been to India, and then continue all around. There are so many places to stop. My kids haven't seen China, so I'd like to take them there.
You're no stranger to hotels. What do you look for in a resort?
I like nice standards. I've stayed in a lot of nice hotels and suites over the years for sure, but it doesn't need to be over the top for me. I'm not looking for anything completely over the top. More isn't better. A good bed is always a start, though. If the bed's not comfy then it's a failure from the word go.
As a sportsman, jet lag must be a huge issue. How do you deal with it?
I feel like over the years, I've become better at coping. Even though I fly Business Class, I sleep worse than I used to on long-haul flights. It might just be age. But, now I can push through jet lag a lot better, so there's a positive and a negative. One thing that upsets my routine is eating at certain times. If I wake up at 3am and I'm hungry then I'll try to make sure I have some food with me. It can take a long time for room service to respond, so I use the same energy bars that I take on the course.
Do you keep your clubs by your side when you fly, or trust the airline to stow them away?
My golf clubs are always freezing down in the hold. Most of the time they arrive at the same time as me but, as we know, especially with tight connections, things can go missing. It's happened, but thankfully only on the way home from tournaments, not on the way. Touch wood. I have colleagues who've had bags disappear that they've never seen again. So when I plan, I try not to have a tight connection. Even if you make it, your luggage might not.
When you're travelling alone, how do you stay entertained in the air?
It would be three very easy things: sleeping, watching movies and eating. Books do feature, but I normally read when I'm in the lounge or waiting for luggage, if it's a good one. I'm a funny one with books. I can read for a while and then put something down. I haven't read my latest book for a month, but when I get the chance, I'll finish it in no time.
What are you reading now?
I'm reading about a guy from my hometown, north of Gothenburg. The book's called El Choco by Markus Lutteman. He ended up in trouble on a drug run in South America and spent eight years in prison down there. That's not the way forward — Colombian prisons aren't a good idea these days.
What are your favourite golf courses?
It's different because we play tours and tournaments all over the world, and there are many different reasons why some are my favourites. If I were to get some of my mates and play a couple of rounds then I'd go to some of the British courses where we played the Open last year. That would be one of my first choices. The whole feel of St. Andrews and Turnberry are lovely. Unless it's raining sideways.
It's interesting that you highlight Scottish courses — can you still handle the cold weather?
There's a certain limit. I don't like it to be too cold when I play, so when we get to single digits and we add a few of the elements then yes, I guess I've gone a bit soft. I definitely prefer the heat over the cold these days, however, my wife and I brought a good friend of ours to the Icehotel in Jukkasjärvi last winter for his birthday. My wife is from the north of Sweden, very near there. It's an amazing place and we met people from all over the world. It's cool to be in that environment when you've got the right clothing on. [The conversation is interrupted when the hotel's cordless phone dies]
Here's an idea. How about I tell you the three things I don't like about hotels? One: I pay great attention to detail, so if there are little things that don't work, it gets quite annoying. The telephones in a lot of hotels have a lot of buttons. When you lift the phone and it doesn't tell you what number to call, that's a nuisance. Two: you always run the risk of shrinking laundry when you wash stuff at hotels. And number three... let me think. When the internet connection is poor or keeps dropping. That's my top three for all the hotel GMs across the world. They need to start working on these things.
Do you allow any shopping indulgences when you travel?
What I enjoy more and more is to try new foods. That's one of the fun things about different countries and cultures. I don't have much time for running around shopping malls and boutiques, and that's not my highest priority. I travel prepared, so I have what I need with me for tournaments, and Hugo Boss always sends me the new stuff wherever I am, which is handy when you have such a busy life.
Finally, any last thoughts on a life of travel?
Sometimes life sounds more glamorous than it is. When you travel 30 weeks in a year for work, all you want to do is be at home. It's only once a year I get to do a ski vacation in Europe or America. My kids are four and seven, and love to ski, and my wife used to compete in downhill skiing when she was younger. Her family has a cabin in Sweden where we spend Christmas, but we try to get to Tahoe or many different places in the US or in the Alps. The best part of the ski season is right when the golf season kicks in, so it always comes back to time.