Ray Romano Q&A: The sitcom star explains the inventive manner he makes his solo rounds aggressive

Within the years since “All people Loves Raymond,” the Emmy-winning sitcom star and (actually) obsessive golfer has confirmed to be a remarkably advantageous and rangy actor. His shock second act has included initiatives with Martin Scorsese (HBO’s “Vinyl” and Netflix’s “The Irishman”); a transferring, late-series efficiency in NBC’s “Parenthood”; vivid voiceover work on the “Ice Age” movies; and now, a nerdy flip as a NASA engineer within the new big-screen romcom “Fly Me to the Moon,” which hits theaters on Friday. Truly, in house at the very least, Romano would hit a golf ball a mile.

(This interview was first printed in a condensed type within the July/August 2024 concern of GOLF Journal.)

We’re going to speak golf, however up prime I need to say that the work you’ve performed since “All people Loves Raymond” has been actually surprising and galvanizing. I hope it’s been rewarding for you.

Ya know, like several performer, you’re all the time questioning what’s subsequent. However I can’t say I’m not proud of the best way issues are going. However I’m additionally a neurotic mess, so I can’t be pleased too lengthy.

You grew up within the Forest Hills part of Queens, New York. Not a ton of golf in Queens, is there?

Ya know, we discovered it. Me and a coupla buddies — once we had been, I wanna say, 16, 17 — we began in Flushing Meadows. It had a pitch-and-putt which value, like, three, 4 {dollars} to play, and we might hop the fence. The longest gap was 90 yards and — I do know it’s true as a result of I’m very anal and I maintain all my information and scores — my finest spherical there was 4 below. However I’m stressing to you, I’m not saying that to be like, “See how good I used to be?” I sucked. All of us sucked.

What made you need to play golf within the first place? Have been you watching it on TV? Was it simply type of a knucklehead factor to do together with your buddies?

I believe we simply knew about this pitch-and-putt in Flushing. I’m speaking concerning the Seventies. I imply, I’m previous! However that was the place we went. And I by no means took a lesson. I by no means took a lesson till I got here out to L.A., and that was my drawback, you already know? As a result of if you happen to get into unhealthy habits… I performed ten years with out taking a lesson, and that stuff — coming excessive, or no matter it’s — is so ingrained in my head.

It’s nonetheless unimaginable to shake, even after a season of grinding on “The Hank Haney Challenge?”

Sure.

You continue to come again to the identical swing.

Hear, proper now I’m a 12 handicap. I fluctuate between a 12 and 15, and proper now I’m at a 12.7. I used to be a 20-something handicap once I first got here out right here. After I performed [the Pebble Beach pro-am] for the primary 12 months, I used to be at the very least a 22. So now I’m a 12 and it’s 40 years later. Once in a while my good friend will videotape my swing, and I nonetheless see the very slightest sway. On the prime of my swing, the hips go to the proper. They simply can’t cease. And I see a hitch on the prime. It’s minute, but it surely’s nonetheless there.      

Inform me what a typical day is like for you in L.A. Do you will have an everyday tee time? Do you simply wander over to Lakeside Nation Membership, the place you’re a member?

It occurred yesterday. I did a bit half in Sebastian Maniscalco’s present The Bookie, and I had one scene. We had been performed by 11. And at any time when I’ve a possibility the place my spouse thinks I’m working, and I can sneak in a spherical of golf, I do it. So I am going to Lakeside. There’s no tee instances at Lakeside — you don’t make one as a result of there are not any tee instances. So I received on the market, I used to be on my own, there was a fivesome able to go off, and the starter instructed me, “If it’s simply you, bounce in entrance.”  So I jumped in entrance, began taking part in, and I do my little ritual the place I put a quantity on the scorecard and I’ve to beat that quantity. It’s what I name a “thoughts guess,” which is absolutely the worst factor a golfer can do. If Hank Haney heard this, he would kill me. I’ve a thoughts guess, and if I don’t beat that thoughts guess there are penalties, and so they’re for actual. Like, if I don’t beat the quantity, I can’t watch TV for 2 days. Or I can’t play golf for 2 days. And that’s 100-percent actual. I’ve by no means reneged on considered one of my thoughts bets. My thoughts guess yesterday was 87, and I shot a 92. Misplaced the guess.

So what was your punishment?

It’s 48 hours — I can’t play golf, I can’t watch TV or learn in mattress. However with these thoughts bets I’ve escape clauses. If I make 4 pars in a row it’s an computerized win, so if I shoot 55 on the entrance and I do know an 87 is out of the query, then I’m making an attempt for 4 pars in a row. A birdie counts as two. Three pars in a row, the penalty will get lower in half, so as an alternative of 48 hours it’s 24 hours if I don’t hit the quantity. Three pars in a row it will get lower in half! [Laughs]

Gotta ask: Has this OCD of yours ever been formally recognized?

Simply on my own, however there’s no query. There’s different stuff I received’t let you know about. It’s not debilitating, however undoubtedly I’m very anal and I’m OCD. I don’t know if you happen to’ve ever talked to anyone who’s performed with me, however it may be annoying as a result of I play PGA guidelines to the T. There’s no gimmes ever. And out of bounds, you don’t discover it, return to the tee and hit it once more. It may be slightly bit…. If you already know me, you already know me. For those who simply met me and need to velocity up the spherical, you might be irritated.

Who’re a number of the regulars you play with at Lakeside, and might any of them whup cleaning soap star Jack Wagner?

Oh, no celeb can whup Jack Wagner. Not that I do know of, aside from perhaps sports activities guys. However if you happen to’re speaking concerning the leisure world, I can’t, I can’t — perhaps Kenny G, however Kenny G can’t do it cuz he doesn’t have the gap. I don’t assume anyone can. As for who I play with, it’s simply pals that you just wouldn’t know, and my children. However I don’t have a typical foursome, the place these guys do cash video games. More often than not I’m making an attempt to get out and in quick, as a result of my life is so busy. It’s simpler now as a result of my children are grown, however again within the day when my spouse — it was the very last thing she wished to listen to: “Oh, by the best way, I’m gonna take 5 extra hours and go golf.”

You’re 66. Let’s discuss concerning the present state of your recreation. Which of those Ray Romano TV titles finest describes it: “Get Shorty,” “Males of a Sure Age” or “Bupkis?”

[Laughs] To start with, what’s “Bupkis?” Oh, that’s the Pete Davidson collection, proper! I might say it’s gotta be “Males of a Sure Age.” It’s not “Get Shorty” as a result of, imagine it or not, I haven’t misplaced a lot distance but.

Even at 66.

Yeah, it’s bizarre. I’d say perhaps I’ve misplaced ten yards, however once I hit my drive — I imply, actually join — it’s nonetheless at the very least 280.

Your new film, “Fly Me to the Moon,” is about through the late Sixties Apollo period. Do you keep in mind when astronaut Alan Shepard hit a few golf balls on the moon?

I imply, I do know he did it, yeah. What occurred?

Do you will have any thought how far the balls traveled?

Will we know how far they traveled?

We truly do.

What did he hit, a 5-iron?

He hit a 6-iron one-handed whereas sporting an unlimited house go well with.

Yeah, however what sort of a lie did he have? [Laughter] How far did it go — I don’t know, 500 yards?

He hit two. Chunked the primary one. It went 24 yards.

Hmm.

Simply a few years in the past they discovered the second utilizing high-tech imaging. It traveled 40 yards.

How many? Forty?

Some NASA nerd estimated that if a professional golfer with a ball velocity of 186 mph hit his pitching wedge on the moon, the ball would journey 2.62 miles and keep airborne for a minute. What’s the keep on your pitching wedge?

If I get loopy on it,130 to 135 yards. Would I get a mile out of that on the moon? Am I downwind?

Again within the Raymond days, once you had been minting thousands and thousands for CBS, you bought to play Augusta Nationwide repeatedly. Would any of your pictures have earned you a “Sure, sir!” from Verne Lundquist?

I don’t keep in mind specific pictures, however I do know that in a single spherical I solely parred two holes: 1 and 18. Within the 5 years I performed there, we performed the identical tees and pins as Sunday on the Masters, and my objective was to interrupt 100. We’re talkin’ about 7,200 yards, and we’re talkin’ about me being a hacker. And I by no means did it. Closest I received, I believe, was a 101. I don’t keep in mind particular person pictures, however I do keep in mind — and this isn’t a joke — six-putting a inexperienced. I believe it was the second par 3 on the entrance. And I keep in mind the ball going up the hill, again down the hill, up the hill, again down the hill.

Within the Netflix film “The Irishman,” you and Joe Pesci performed mobbed-up cousins. Is there any relation between the best way you and Joe play golf?

He’s a member of Lakeside too, and like I instructed you, typically I am going out on a whim, simply me, to get in 18 holes earlier than my spouse finds out. I’ve to play the 18th gap, after all, in any other case my thoughts guess isn’t professional. However I bounce round. If I run right into a foursome, I go ’em. “Let me skip these two holes, then I’ll come again and play ’em.” Joe does the identical factor. I see Joe on the market in his cart by himself, going to this gap, going to that gap. He’s scramblin’. That will be the similarity.

“The Irishman” was a Scorsese flick. DeNiro, Pacino, Pesci. You performed an lawyer for the Teamsters. Do you sorta want your character received whacked?

[Laughs loudly] You imply, like, as a badge of honor?

You recognize, to your reel.

However then I couldn’t do the sequel! No, no, no, I used to be nervous [working with those guys]. I believed I used to be gonna get whacked each day on that set. It was surreal.

Again in 2010, once you and your 15 handicap starred on “The Hank Haney Challenge,” we noticed your spouse Anna take just a few golf classes. What’s your suggestion for teeing it up with a partner?

You recognize, it didn’t stick, these classes. I don’t know if you happen to noticed that episode, however the Haney guys gave my spouse classes on the sly. That they had secretly given her classes for 2 or three weeks, then she mentioned to me, “Now I can play with you!” Blah, blah, blah. So we went out and performed a coupla holes, and I seemed on the guys and I mentioned, “That is okay, however if you happen to train her learn how to play poker I’m gonna kill each considered one of ya.”

The final query is a fill within the clean: With out golf, Ray Romano could be _________.

[Long pause] Um, I wanna say…even extra neurotic, as a result of I’m neurotic though there is golf. However golf is slightly little bit of a getaway, an escape. For some time, it will possibly occupy my thoughts with none of the opposite loopy s—. Though the sport itself does drive you loopy.

John McAlley

Golf.com Contributor

McAlley is the chief editor of GOLF Journal. He started writing about golf when he was the chief editor of Southwest Airways Spirit journal. That led to a advertising and marketing gig with Ashworth Golf, the place he wrote about luxe golf experiences from coast to coast. His resume consists of employees positions at Leisure Weekly, InStyle and Harper’s Bazaar, and a five-year stint at Nationwide Public Radio. His writing has appeared in GQ, Rolling Stone and Spin, amongst different publications. He has been with GOLF since 2015.