Staff at X-Golf South Bank in Brisbane were left completely starstruck after Oscar winner Kevin Costner visited the venue not once, but seven times.
One staff member, Simon, said he had suspected the Hollywood star might turn up after noticing a major clue a couple of days earlier.
“We had an inkling that he might come in because a couple of days beforehand his security had come out and sort of scoped the place out,” Simon revealed.
“They were two very big lads who weren’t very forthcoming in regard to who they were, so I sort of put two and two together thinking, oh could that be [for Costner?] Maybe it is?”
Simon already knew the Yellowstone star was in Brisbane filming and staying at a nearby hotel. Two days later, Costner walked through the doors.
Even so, Simon said it took until the actor’s seventh visit this week before he built up the courage to ask for a photo.
When Costner first arrived at the venue, which features indoor golf simulators and a themed bar, he was accompanied by security.
“We tried out best to leave him alone so he felt like a normal person rather than, you know, getting hounded,” said Simon.
During that first visit, Costner spent a couple of hours on the golf simulator with Simon, who said it felt like acting as the star’s personal caddy.
“It was very cool to have a chat with him, it was very surreal,” he shared.
Simon also noticed that Costner never touched alcohol during his visits.
“He didn’t have a single beer the whole time he came in.”
Instead, the actor would have a bottle of water and spend a few hours hitting balls.
By his third or fourth visit, Costner, a lifelong golf enthusiast, had started coming in on his own.
“By then we were all pretty familiar with him, so it was somewhere he could come and escape and just do his thing,” Simon revealed.
Realising one visit would likely be Costner’s last, Simon finally decided to ask for a photo.
“So I plucked up the courage and just said look, Kev, it’s been an absolute pleasure. Can I get a photo?”
“And he was like, ‘Yeah of course, Simon, no problems at all. The least I could do is pose for a photo with you’.”
Simon said he felt especially fortunate to be the only staff member to snap a picture with the Hollywood legend.
“I’m a massive fan, I’m a big golfer and so Tin Cup for me as a kid was an iconic movie,” Simon explained.
Costner, who starred in the 1996 golf comedy Tin Cup with Rene Russo, was also happy to chat about the film while taking a few swings.
For Simon, the experience left a lasting impression.
“He is amazing, he’s lovely, lovely guy. Like, I’d be more than happy to call him dad,” Simon laughed.
“We were very privileged to have someone like him come in. It’s something we won’t be forgetting anytime soon.”
Costner is currently in Queensland filming Honeymoon With Harry, an upcoming dramedy that also stars Jake Gyllenhaal.
